Air Ticket Sales Down 4%, Biggest Drop Since June ’24

U.S.-based travel agency air ticket sales dropped 4% year over year in April 2025, marking the third straight month of declines and the largest decrease in 10 months.

The figures, released this week by the Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC), come as the U.S. travel industry faces growing uncertainty around passenger demand.

Over the past few weeks, several airlines pulled their earnings forecasts, citing an inability to provide accurate guidance due to market unpredictability. At last month’s Seatrade Cruise Global conference, cruise line CEOs said that consumer uncertainty was “absolutely” having an impact on the industry as well.

The drop in sales is showing up mostly in average ticket prices, which fell 3% year over year to $536. Passenger trips—both domestic and international—were up 1% in April. Despite the decline in revenue and continued uncertainty, the increase in passenger trips points to the industry’s resilience, said Steve Solomon, chief commercial officer at ARC.

“Business travel contended with increased economic uncertainty and the Easter holiday falling in late April, which affected year-over-year corporate passenger trip comparisons,” Solomon said. “Despite some macroeconomic headwinds, overall passenger trips for domestic and international travel remained above 2024 levels, showing the resilience of travel demand.”

Since the beginning of 2023, ARC has recorded just five months of year-over-year declines in air ticket sales—three of which have come this year.