Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC), the premier driver of air travel intelligence and commerce in the travel industry, reported today that the average U.S. roundtrip ticket price* for March 2017 was $498, up a few dollars from $487 in February and $464 in January. Average ticket prices are consistent with this time period in 2016: $498 in March, $489 in February and $473 in January.

The consolidated dollar value of airline tickets sold by U.S.-based travel agencies increased 6.4 percent in March as compared to 2016, totaling $8.8 billion vs. $8.3. Total fares also increased 8 percent to $7 billion compared to $6.5 billion in 2016. The number of passenger trips* settled by ARC for U.S. travel agencies also saw an increase of nearly 8 percent to more than 26,516,000 compared to nearly 24,610,000 in March 2016.

Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD)^** sales comprised nearly $9.3 million, a 239 percent increase over 2016. EMD transactions increased 376 percent to nearly 159,000 in March 2017 vs. nearly 33,400 in 2016.

About ARC:
The Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) is the premier driver of air travel intelligence and commerce in the travel industry with leading business solutions, travel agency accreditation services, process and financial management tools and high-quality data. In 2016, ARC settled $86 billion worth of carrier ticket transactions for more than 7,000 travel agencies with 12,000 points of sale. Established in 1984, ARC is an ISO 27001 certified company headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, with offices in Louisville, Kentucky, Tampa, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

*Ticket Sales

• Results are based on monthly sales data ending March 31, 2017, from 12,587 U.S. retail and corporate travel agency locations, satellite ticket printing offices and online travel agencies.
• Results do not include sales of tickets purchased directly from airlines.
  • Average ticket price (in USD) for a roundtrip ticket settled through ARC for an itinerary that included only U.S. domestic travel.
  • Passenger trips include the total number of passengers taking a trip from one airport to another using either direct or connecting flights. Newly issued trips are added and refunded trips are deducted to provide a net view of traveling passengers. Only transactions for travel are included (no MCOs, EMDs, etc.).
  • Total sales are equal to the total amount paid for a ticket, which includes taxes and fees.

**Electronic Miscellaneous Documents (EMD)

• Includes fees for products and services such as upgraded seats, checked luggage, an unaccompanied minor, pet-in-cabin, etc.