Airline Ticket Agent Q&A

Airline Ticket Agent Questions and Answers

• What does an Airline Ticket Agent do?
  Check people in, check luggage, process tickets, makes reservations and changes to them. Occasionally works the gates.
• Why did you become an Airline Ticket Agent?
  For the flying benefits.
• Would you encourage others to become involved? Why?
  Yes, if you are interested in travel and people.
• How does one prepare for this career? (Training, certificate, degree, etc.)
  Have a customer service background, and learn to deal well with people.
• What skills or abilities do you think someone should have before entering this field?
  Customer service and sales experience.
• What do you enjoy most about your job?
  Flying around the world and meeting all kinds of new people.
• What is the most frustrating thing about your job?
  You do not always have a set schedule, and the rules changed quit frequently.
• What pleasant things happened that balance the stress of this job?
  Meeting interesting people and your coworkers.
• How do you deal with the stress involved in working with angry airline passengers (suggestions for others)?
  Try to empathize with them and kill them with kindness.
• How is math used on a daily basis? Please provide an example.
  Most things are computerized.
• What is the most unusual thing that has happened to you as an Airline Ticket Agent? 
  Meeting famous people and making good friends.
• How is communication used daily? Can you provide an example of a problem with communication/listening and how you solved it?
  You are constantly dealing with others and communication is not the same with all people.
• How are decisions part of your daily job? Please provide an example. How would an Airline Ticket Agent make such a decision?
  Without having a supervisor, many times you have to decide what is acceptable and what is not.
• What do you find rewarding about your job?
  Happy customers, and making them happy.
• What stereotypes or misconceptions exist about this field (and what is the truth behind them)?
  That it is a glamorous job, but it is a lot of hard work.
• Do you have a personal work philosophy that has driven you to accomplish what you have?
  Do your best, no matter what the situation is.
• What advice would you give someone pursuing this field?
  Don't give up, work hard, you will be rewarded in the end.
• What future do you see with this field? (The Occupational Outlook Handbook suggests this field is overloaded with people. Do you agree? Why or why not?)
  No. There is a very high turnover rate in this field.
• What is the average starting pay for an Airline Ticket Agent?
  $7.00-$9.00
• Do you think the use of computers will help this field grow, or require fewer Airline Ticket Agents?
  I think it will help it grow. There will always be problems that actual people have to deal with.