February 2026 Sales Total Aided by Year-Over-Year Passenger Trip Increase
ARLINGTON, Va., March 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) released data showing U.S.-based travel agency air ticket sales totaled $9.6 billion in February 2026 — an 11% increase from February 2025.* Total passenger trips settled by ARC increased 8% year over year, reaching 25.9 million in February 2026.
In February 2026, leisure-focused and online travel agencies recorded year-over-year passenger trip growth of 6% and 3%, respectively, while corporate agency sales were flat.
Results for February 2026 showed:
|
ARC Ticketing Metric |
Total |
Month-Over-Month Variance |
Year-Over-Year Variance |
|
Total Sales |
$9.6 billion |
-4 % |
+11 % |
|
Total Passenger Trips |
25.9 million |
-8 % |
+8 % |
|
U.S. Domestic Trips |
16 million |
-6 % |
+9 % |
|
International Trips |
9.9 million |
-11 % |
+7 % |
|
Average Ticket Price |
$601 |
+3 % |
+7 % |
|
Average Economy Class Ticket Price** |
$539 |
+4 % |
+7 % |
|
Average Premium Class Ticket Price*** |
$1,423 |
+1 % |
+7 % |
“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,” said Steve Solomon, chief commercial officer at ARC. “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.”
NDC transactions accounted for 21% of the total ARC-settled transactions in February 2026 — up from 19.1% in February 2025. In February 2026, 1,189 travel agencies reported NDC transactions.
More detailed information is available on ARC’s sales statistics page.
About ARC:
ARC’s platform is the intelligence behind air travel, connecting the industry and powering commercial decisions for airlines and their partners. Our trusted services fuel airline retailing, with ARC processing over $100 billion in U.S.-based agency air sales annually. ARC leads industry collaboration between airlines, agencies, corporate buyers and other partners to enable a thriving industry ecosystem. For more information, visit arccorp.com.
Contact:
ARC Media Team
media@arccorp.com
Notes:
*Ticket Sales
- Results are based on monthly sales data ending February 28, 2026, from 9,943 U.S. retail and corporate travel agency locations and online travel agencies. Results do not include sales of tickets purchased directly from airlines.
- The average ticket price (USD) is for a round-trip ticket settled through ARC for an itinerary that included only U.S. domestic travel.
- Passenger trips include the total number of passengers traveling from one airport to another using direct or connecting flights. Newly issued trips are added, and refunded trips are deducted to provide a net view of traveling passengers.
- U.S. domestic passenger trips include the total number settled through ARC where the itinerary is wholly within the U.S. International passenger trips include the total number settled through ARC where some or all the travel occurs to airports outside the U.S. or originates outside the U.S.
- Total sales are equal to the total amount paid for a ticket, which includes taxes and fees.
**Average Economy Class Ticket Price
- Economy Class is defined as tickets for U.S. domestic travel purchased in February 2026 under fare codes excluding First Class, Business Class and Business Class Premium.
***Average Premium Class Ticket Price
- Premium Class is defined as tickets for U.S. domestic travel purchased in February 2026 under fare codes assigned to First Class, Business Class and Business Class Premium.
© Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). All rights reserved.
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SOURCE Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC)
