Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) has released data showing U.S.-based travel agency air ticket sales totaled $9.6 billion in February 2026—an 11 percent increase from February 2025. Total passenger trips settled by ARC increased 8 percent year over year, reaching 25.9 million.
Leisure-focused and online travel agencies recorded year-over-year passenger trip growth of 6 percent and 3 percent, respectively, while corporate agency sales were flat.
Results for February 2026 showed:
| ARC Ticketing Metric | Total | Month-Over-Month Variance | Year-Over-Year Variance |
| Total Sales | $9.6 billion | -4 % | +11 % |
| Total Passenger Trips | 25.9 million | -8 % | +8 % |
| U.S. Domestic Trips | 16 million | -6 % | +9 % |
| International Trips | 9.9 million | -11 % | +7 % |
| Average Ticket Price | $601 | +3 % | +7 % |
| Average Economy Class Ticket Price** | $539 | +4 % | +7 % |
| Average Premium Class Ticket Price*** | $1,423 | +1 % | +7 % |
“After a record-setting January, air travel demand remained strong in February, reflecting travelers’ resilience as they braved winter weather disruptions and volatility for some international destinations,” said Steve Solomon, chief commercial officer at ARC. “In an encouraging sign for U.S. travel agencies, each ARC agency segment was either at or above year-over-year passenger trip levels for the first time since September 2025.”
NDC transactions accounted for 21 percent of the total ARC-settled transactions in February 2026—up from 19.1 percent in February 2025. In February 2026, 1,189 travel agencies reported NDC transactions.
More detailed information is available on ARC’s sales statistics page.
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