AirPlus said 2009 global charge card volume declined €1 billion year over year, or 6 percent, to €17.1 billion due to both less travel among clients and lower ticket prices.

Lufthansa AirPlus managing director Patrick Diemer said 2009 marked the first time in company history that transaction volume dropped, but the "effects were softened by 1,000 new customers globally." In the United States, compared with 2008 the company boosted its customer base by 12.6 percent, revenue by 12 percent and number of card accounts by 1.4 percent. AirPlus International president Richard Crum said U.S. transaction volumes have been rebounding rapidly, up 25 percent year-to-date through mid-May 2010 versus 2009 figures.