Spring Break 2022 Flight Ticket Sales Skyrocket

New data suggests far more people are booking spring break travel in 2022 as the number of coronavirus cases continues to drop and restrictions are lifted domestically and internationally.

According to a report from the Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC), year-over-year consolidated airline ticketing volume variances have skyrocketed during the busy spring break booking period compared to the totals from 2021.

The data represents sales generated by travel agencies in the United States and processed through the ARC settlement system compared to the same period the previous year. For the week ending March 6, ticket variance was up 84.1 percent and sales variance increased 190.9 percent.

ARC also broke down variances in tickets sold by segment for all itineraries, with corporate representing 248.5 percent last week, online representing 34.1 percent and leisure/other representing 137.8 percent.

Spring break data also showed that Florida is the most popular destination for 2022, with six of the top 10 most-improved markets in the state. The study found that Key West and Sarasota are outperforming pre-pandemic levels.

Between January 23 and February 6, ticket variance exceeded pre-pandemic levels for all travel heading to Florida. In addition, Orlando and Miami make up two of the top five most-booked destinations and travel to these locations has improved year-over-year.

The 52-week rolling average for tickets issued for all itineraries was up 150.8 percent for ticket variance and 217.6 percent for sales variance.

Earlier this week, a new study by Allianz Partners found that spring break bookings for 2022 have increased by a staggering 134 percent over 2021 totals. Americans are planning trips to warm-weather destinations, with 81 percent of respondents taking trips traveling domestically.