ARLINGTON, Va., April 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ARC, the financial settlement link between airlines and travel sellers, reported today that the consolidated dollar value of airline tickets sold by U.S.-based travel agencies rose 4.55 percent^* year-over-year in the first quarter of 2014 compared to the same period last year, totalling $24 billion versus $23 billion in 2013.

March 2014 ticket transactions increased 2.57 percent over the same period in 2013 to 39.5 million. Year-to-date passenger segments increased 2.4 percent to 87.3 million compared to 85.3 million in 2013.

More detailed information is available at https://www.arccorp.com/news/stat/2014-03.jsp.

About ARC:
ARC powers the U.S.-based travel industry with premier business solutions, travel agency accreditation services, process and financial management tools, and powerful data analytics. In 2013, ARC settled $86 billion worth of carrier ticket transactions for more than 9,400 travel agencies with 15,000 points of sale. By providing world-class business services and products, ARC enables participating agencies and 191 carriers to focus on what's important—increasing their revenue. Established in 1984, ARC is headquartered in Arlington, Va. For more information, please visit www.arccorp.com.

Notes for Editors:
*Ticket Sales

• Results based on monthly sales data ending March 31, 2014 from 13,446 U.S. retail and corporate travel agent locations, satellite ticket printing offices and online travel agencies.
• Results do not include sales of tickets purchased directly from airlines.
• Total sales are equal to the total amount paid for a ticket, which includes taxes and fees.

©2014 Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC). All rights reserved.

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SOURCE ARC