Members of the U.K. Guild of Travel Management Companies during the third quarter of 2011 collectively handled 6 percent more air transactions than in the year-earlier period.

GTMC also reported year-over-year growth in total transactions for hotel stays (2 percent, the smallest such increase since late 2009), rail tickets (3 percent) and car rentals (16 percent, marking the second quarter this year in which car rental transaction growth increased more quickly than growth for other types of transactions). In her commentary on the quarterly results, GTMC chief executive Anne Godfrey asked, "Are travelers moving back to the roads, and if so is this at the expense of rail?"