ARC: May U.S. Air Sales Up, Fares Steady from April

Airlines Reporting Corp.-accredited air ticket sales in May totaled more than $9 billion, a 7 percent year-over-year increase. It’s the second time this year sales surpassed that threshold, according to the organization. The record set in March was $9.6 billion.  

Total May passenger trips settled by ARC increased 6 percent year over year to more than 24.1 million. Domestic trips increased 3 percent from a year prior to nearly 14.8 million, while international trips increased 10 percent to more than 9.3 million. All of the monthly variances increased as well, with total sales, total passenger trips and international trips each up 3 percent from April, while domestic trips were up 2 percent. 

The annual May average U.S. roundtrip ticket price declined for the second month in a row, with a 10.5 percent dip to $562 versus $628 in May 2022. Still, the average fare increased 2 percent month over month from April’s average of $551.  

“The record-setting Memorial Day travel weekend confirmed the continued strong demand for U.S. domestic and international air travel,” ARC chief commercial officer Steve Solomon said in a statement. “Travelers will be relieved to see both lower airfare prices and increased seat capacity compared to last year as they book travel for what could be the busiest summer travel season ever for several popular destinations.” 

May electronic miscellaneous document sales, which include fees for such ancillary products as upgraded seats and checked bags, increased 56 percent year over year to more than $26.6 million, and were up nearly 6 percent from the prior month. Ancillary transactions increased 45 percent versus a year prior to nearly 355,600 but were down nearly 3 percent month over month. 

RELATED: ARC: U.S. Airfares in April Show First Annual Decline Since 2021