U.S.-based travel agency air ticket sales totaled just $7.1 billion in November 2025, according to the latest data from Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC).
The figure signals a 1 percent year-over-year decrease from $7.2 billion in November 2024, but a whopping 17 percent drop from the record $8.6 billion reached in October 2025. In addition to seasonality, experts blamed the longest government shutdown in history for the lackluster production.
Total passenger trips saw the same dropoff, with agencies booking 20.5 million total trips last month, which breaks down to 12.4 million domestic journeys and 8.1 million international trips.
The average ticket price climbed 1 percent year-over-year and month-over-month to $582. Notably, the average premium class ticket soared 7 percent compared to November 2024, reaching $1,399.
Meanwhile, New Distribution Capability (NDC) transactions accounted for 21.2 percent of the total ARC-settled transactions last month, up from 20.6 percent in November 2024. However, a total of 1,140 travel agencies reported NDC transactions in November 2025, compared to just 798 a year ago.
"The November results show the impact of both the U.S. government shutdown and mandated flight cuts on agency air ticket sales," ARC chief commercial officer Steve Solomon said in a statement.
"While airlines and travel agencies have spent much of the year navigating demand fluctuation, the industry continues to meet traveler needs during the busy holiday season."
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