Who said travel agencies were becoming extinct?
According to the latest numbers from the Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC), airline ticket sales for U.S.-based agencies are ahead of last year's pace through the first 11 months of 2019.
With $91.3 billion in sales so far, that's 2.33 percent ahead of last year's pace.
Better still, at the current average of $8.3 billion a month in sales, the nearly 12,000 U.S. retail, corporate and online travel agencies in the U.S. have a shot at closing the year with $100 billion in sales.
In fact, according to the travel market research firm, Phocuswright, it was travel agencies that accounted for the increase in airline tickets sold, especially on domestic flights. Domestic sales increased 2.3 percent in November compared to last year.
The total November sales this year were $7.1 billion, up 3.3 percent from November of 2018.
International ticket sales were down 4.5 percent in November, which might also explain why the price of the average U.S. round-trip ticket year-over-year went to $496 from $498.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
