Air Ticket Sales by U.S. Travel Agents Continue to Run 8 Percent Ahead of Last Year

ARC, the financial settlement link between airlines and travel sellers, reported today that the consolidated dollar value of airline tickets sold by U.S.-based travel agencies increased 7.79 percent* year-over-year in the first five months of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010, and 31 percent over the same period in 2009. January through May 2011 ticket sales totalled $36.7 billion, compared to $34 billion in 2010, and $28 billion in 2009.