U.S.-based travel agency air ticket sales continued their hot start to 2026, totaling $9.6 billion in February, according to the latest data from Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC).
The figure is down slightly from January's record-setting $10 billion but marks an 11 percent increase from February 2025.
Strong demand fueled the productive month, with total passenger trips settled by ARC increasing 8 percent year over year and climbing to 25.9 million. Domestic and international trips were up 9 percent and 7 percent year over year, respectively.
Meanwhile, the average ticket price came in at $601, up 3 percent from January 2026 and 7 percent from February 2025.
"After a record-setting January, air travel demand remained strong in February, reflecting travelers' resilience as they braved winter weather disruptions and volatility for some international destinations," Steve Solomon, chief commercial officer at ARC, said in a statement.
"In an encouraging sign for U.S. travel agencies, each ARC agency segment was either at or above year-over-year passenger trip levels for the first time since September 2025," he added.
According to ARC, NDC transactions were up only slightly in February compared to last year, accounting for 21 percent of the total ARC-settled transactions. At least 1,189 travel agencies reported NDC transactions for February 2026.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
