The average U.S. roundtrip ticket price in April declined year over year, the first such drop since February 2021, according to Airlines Reporting Corp.
The April average ticket price of $551 was 6 percent lower than April 2022’s $585. The average price also dropped from $559 in March 2023.
ARC-accredited air ticket sales in April totaled $8.7 billion, a 13 percent year-over-year increase, but were down 9 percent month over month. April was the fourth consecutive month of sales exceeding $8 billion, and sales for the first four months of the year were at the highest level seen since the same period in 2019, according to ARC.
“Monthly sales totals through the first four months of 2023 point to a potentially record-setting year for travel agency air ticket sales,” ARC chief commercial officer Steve Solomon said in a statement. “Despite slight month-over-month declines in sales and passenger trips, corporate and leisure air ticket purchases continue to outpace 2022 levels, and international travel demand remains strong.”
Total April passenger trips settled by ARC increased 5 percent year over year to more than 23.5 million but were down 9 percent month over month. Domestic trips were down 0.4 percent year over year to nearly 14.5 million and down 8 percent month over month. International trips increased 13 percent from April 2022 to more than 9 million but declined 11 percent from March 2023.
April electronic miscellaneous document sales, which include fees for such ancillary products as upgraded seats and checked bags, increased 70 percent year over year to nearly $25.2 million, but were down nearly 6 percent from March’s $26.7 million. Ancillary transactions increased 63 percent to nearly 366,000 over the same period, representing a nearly 2 percent decrease from March.
