Total corporate air trips sold by U.S. agencies increased for a second month in a row, the first time that has happened since October 2024, according to Airlines Reporting Corp.'s latest monthly report.
March trips sold by travel agencies with at least 70 percent self-reported corporate and government business counted by ARC increased 5 percent year over year. In February, that number also increased, albeit at the low rate of 0.27 percent.
Those travelers are paying more for their trips, as the March average price for a U.S. domestic roundtrip ticket shot up 16 percent year over year to $623, according to ARC, its highest level since May 2022. The average price in February 2026 was $601.
The March average price for an economy-class ticket increased 21 percent compared with March 2025 to $570. The average premium-class ticket was $1,444, up 17 percent.
U.S. air ticket sales in March totaled nearly $10.5 billion, representing a 12 percent increase year over year. The total number of passenger trips was up 3.5 percent to more than 28.1 million. Domestic trips accounted for 17.7 million of that total, an increase of 5.5 percent compared with March 2025, while international trips held steady at 10.4 million, an increase of just below 1 percent versus a year prior.
First-quarter U.S. air ticket sales totaled $30.1 billion, an 11 percent increase year over year, while total passenger trips for the period were 82.3 million, up 6 percent compared with Q1 2025, according to ARC.
New Distribution Capability transactions in March accounted for 20.8 percent of total ARC-settled transactions, up from 20.3 percent in March 2025, with 1,197 travel agencies reporting NDC transactions.
"For the second time this year, total monthly ticket sales surpassed the $10 billion mark, with gains in both domestic and international trips," ARC chief commercial officer Steve Solomon said in a statement. "The passenger growth we've seen this month and quarter suggests travelers are actively planning around geopolitical uncertainty rather than pulling back on air travel."
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