U.S. travel agencies in August processed through ARC 2.9 percent fewer total air transactions than they did a year earlier,

according to ARC data. Domestic transactions declined 3.3 percent while international ones slipped 1.7 percent. Year-to-date total transactions were down 1.2 percent from the same period in 2012. Meanwhile, August total air sales including refunds and exchanges grew by 1.5 percent year over year, according to ARC. Airfare sales increased 0.9 percent (with domestic up 2.9 percent and international down 1.3 percent) while processed airline fees jumped 5.5 percent and taxes and non-airline fees edged upward 1.6 percent.