U.S. travel agencies reported air ticket sales of $10.2 billion in September 2026, marking an 18% increase from the same month in 2025. This surge shows robust travel demand despite ongoing economic and geopolitical challenges, reinforcing the importance of agency channels for hotel partners seeking to capture related guest spend.
The Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) released data showing that passenger trips reached 25.7 million in September, a 2% year-over-year increase. For the third quarter of 2026, total sales climbed to $29.7 billion, up 18% from $25.1 billion in Q3 2025, while passenger trips rose 3.5% to 77.4 million. Over 77 million airline trips were ticketed through travel agencies in the third quarter, reflecting a 3.5% increase from the same period in 2025.
“Demand for travel remains strong despite geopolitical uncertainty and inflationary pressure,” said Steve Solomon, ARC’s Chief Commercial Officer. He noted that September sales were 4% higher than in August, capping an “exceptional third-quarter.”
New Distribution Capability (NDC) transactions accounted for 21.2% of total ARC-settled transactions in September, a 7% increase from the previous year. 1,264 travel agencies reported NDC transactions during this period, showing the growing adoption of modern distribution technologies.
The data, based on sales from 9,863 U.S. retail, corporate, and online travel agencies, excludes direct airline ticket sales. It reflects both domestic and international travel, with average ticket prices calculated for round-trip itineraries settled through ARC. These figures provide a full view of consumer spending trends in the air travel sector.
Economy class tickets for U.S. domestic travel averaged a specific price in September, while premium class tickets, including first and business class, were priced higher. These figures are based on fare codes and itineraries wholly within the U.S., offering insights into pricing trends across travel classes.
Passenger trips include both direct and connecting flights, with refunded trips deducted to provide a net view of actual travel. Domestic trips are defined as itineraries within the U.S., while international trips involve travel to or from airports outside the country, capturing the full spectrum of travel activity.
More detailed information is available on ARC’s sales statistics page, providing stakeholders with deeper insights into market trends and performance metrics.