ARC Data: January 2025 Air Ticket Sales Surge by 5%

The U.S. travel industry’s strong streak is continuing into 2025.

Data from the Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC), released Thursday, showed that January 2025 air ticket sales totaled $9.3 billion, up 5% from January 2024 and significantly higher than December 2024. It marked the seventh straight month of year-over-year gains for the travel industry.

Every data point ARC tracks was up year over year, including total passenger trips, which rose 4% to 26.7 million; domestic trips, up 3% to 16.4 million; and international trips, up 6% to 10.3 million.

The average air ticket price was down 1% month over month to $557, staying within the range it has maintained over the past 12 months. The low for 2024 was $515 in August, and the high was $576 in June. While the January figure was down from December, it was up 2% year over year.

The biggest change in pricing was for premium-class tickets, which dropped 2% year over year to $1,224, the lowest in more than three years—good news for travelers looking to upgrade their flights, ARC Chief Commercial Officer Steve Solomon said.

“Our sales data showed that the average price for airline premium seats in 2024 was the lowest it’s been over the past three years. This is great news for travelers looking to upgrade their air travel experience without breaking the bank,” Solomon said. “With business and leisure travel demand remaining high in January, travel agencies have plenty to be optimistic about to start 2025.”