The number of U.S. travel agency air transactions settled through ARC increased 4.5 percent year over year during the month of March and 2.5 percent for the first quarter of 2014, following a marginal decline during full-year 2013, according to ARC AeroTrend. "Mega" agencies' aggregate volume was up 5.2 percent for the month and 1.7 percent for the quarter after an essentially flat 2013.
Mega agencies include American Express, BCD Travel, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Expedia's Egencia, Hogg Robinson Group and Omega World Travel. As a group, the megas' ARC air transaction volume seesawed in 2013, rising during some months and declining in others. After a 1.6 percent decline measured in January of this year, the megas' transaction count increased 2.1 percent in February, followed by the more robust growth seen in March.
The online agency category, which includes BCD Travel's Travelocity Business but also many leisure-oriented agencies, in 2014 has continued to see declining transaction volume. The aggregate count was down in each month of the first quarter for an overall 2.4 percent decline. Since the beginning of last year, online agencies as a group experienced rising transaction volumes during just two of 15 months.
In 2012, online agencies as a group accounted for more ARC-settled air transactions than the "other" agency category, but that changed during 2013. In March 2014, "other" agency air transactions totaled 5.1 million, more than 15 percent higher than the online agencies' count for the month, according to ARC data. With about 2.6 million March air transactions, megas continue to account for the fewest among the three agency groups.
The "other" category now has experienced monthly air transaction increases in nine consecutive months. Sequentially, growth has accelerated in 2014, starting at 4.4 percent in January, rising to 8.7 percent in February and reaching nearly 10 percent in March.