March Net Sales Total Equals Largest Month-Over-Month Increase Since Summer 2020
ARLINGTON, Va. – May 20, 2021 – Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) today released data showing net sales from ARC-accredited travel agencies totaling $3 billion in April 2021, a 569% increase compared to April 2020, the first full month of the pandemic impacting air travel in the U.S., when total sales were negative due to an increase in refunds and reduced travel bookings.* The total represents an 8% month-over-month increase from March 2021.
Total passenger trips settled by ARC in April 2021 increased 579% year over year, from 2,175,790 to 14,762,919, fueled by U.S. domestic air travel. U.S. domestic trips were up 603% to 10.3 million, while international trips were up 528% to 4.5 million YOY. The average U.S. round-trip ticket price increased from $336 in April 2020 to $404 in April 2021. The total marks the third-consecutive month of average ticket price increases.
“Air travel bookings and sales bottomed out in April 2020, so we’re seeing the depth the industry has climbed back from in April 2021’s data,” said Chuck Thackston, managing director of data science and research at ARC. “While the numbers are still down compared to 2019 levels, the consecutive months of sales and passenger trip growth is encouraging as the industry nears its normally busy summer months.”
Month over month, April 2021 results showed:
Total passenger trips increased 3%;
U.S. domestic trips up 4%; and
International trips up 1%.
Year over year, EMD sales for April 2021 increased 608% to $5,983,825, while EMD transactions increased 1,012% to 125,648.
More detailed information is available on ARC’s website.
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ARC accelerates the growth of global air travel by delivering forward-looking travel data, flexible distribution services and other innovative industry solutions. We are a leading travel intelligence company that possesses the world’s largest, most comprehensive global airline ticket dataset, including more than 15 billion passenger flights representing 490 airlines and 230 countries and territories. Our solutions and expertise strengthen economies and enrich lives by connecting stakeholders across the travel ecosystem. For more information, visit arccorp.com.
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Media@arccorp.com