Total U.S. travel agency sales in 2008 were down marginally from a year earlier on 7 percent fewer transactions

, according to the Airlines Reporting Corp. Though total transactions also were down in 2007, ARC had not reported a total annual sales decline since 2003. Total monthly sales in December 2008 dropped 7 percent year over year, marking the fourth month in the past five to show a decline. Total transactions were lower year over year in 10 months of 2008.