Total U.S. travel agency
air transactions processed through ARC in June 2012 retreated 5.4 percent year
over year, the largest decline in any month since April 2011. Total June air
sales including fares, taxes and fees decreased by 1.8 percent from June 2011,
representing the largest drop since October 2009.
The overall fall in air
sales resulted from a 4.4 percent year-over-year decline in fare sales, offset
only partially by a 13.3 percent jump in total air taxes and fees.
Domestic air
transactions in June fell 7.6 percent year over year while domestic airfare
sales declined 3.9 percent. For international transactions, fare sales dropped
5 percent while transactions edged upward by 0.6 percent.
Despite the down month,
ARC reported that total sales for the first six months of 2012 increased 5.5
percent year over year and 13 percent versus the same period in 2010, totaling
$46.4 billion. Year-to-date transaction volume was flat from 2011 while
passenger segments rose by about 0.5 percent.