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 increased 6.45 percent* year-over-year in the first eight months of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010, and 29 percent over the same period in 2009. January throughAugust 2011ticket sales totalled$57.2 billion, compared to$53.8 billionin 2010, and$44.5 billionin 2009.

Year-to-date passenger segments for the first eight months of 2011 fell 2.5 percent – at 253.1 million segments, compared to 259.5 million in 2010 – while reflecting a 4 percent increase over the same period in 2009. Ticket transactions for January throughAugust 2011were down slightly, at -2.04 percent compared to the same period in 2010, while up 6 percent over the same period in 2009.

More detailed information is available athttps://www.arccorp.com/news/stat/2011-08.jsp