After posting a slight year-over-year increase in September, the number of corporate trips sold by U.S. agencies declined again in October, Airlines Reporting Corp. reported Wednesday.
October trips sold by travel agencies with at least 70 percent self-reported corporate and government business counted by ARC decreased 5.3 percent year over year. This figure has dropped each month in 2025 except for September.
Meanwhile, for the fourth consecutive month, October U.S.-based travel agency air ticket sales settled by ARC set a monthly record, according to the company.
Total October U.S. ticket sales exceeded $8.6 billion, a 6 percent increase year over year. Passenger trips totaled nearly 24.6 million, a 3.8 percent gain compared with October 2024. Domestic trips increased 1.5 percent for the period to more than 15.7 million, while international trips rose 8.2 percent to nearly 8.9 million.
"Uncertainty caused by the U.S. government shutdown may have had a short-term negative effect on corporate and government air travel in October, but overall, U.S. air travel had another positive month," ARC chief commercial officer Steve Solomon said in a statement.
New Distribution Capability transactions accounted for 20.6 percent of October ARC-settled transaction, up from the 19.1 percent a year prior. In October 2025, 1,144 travel agencies reported NDC transactions.
The October average price for a U.S. domestic roundtrip ticket was $576 compared with $557 in October 2024 and $558 in September 2025.
The average price in October for an economy-class ticket declined 2 percent year over year to $513. The average price for a premium-class ticket was $1,404, an increase of 8 percent for the same period.
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