National
| Median wages (2008) |
$14.94 hourly, $31,070 annual |
| Employment (2006) |
165,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2006-2016) |
Little or no change (-2% to 2%)
|
| Projected need (2006-2016) |
38,000 additional employees |
43-4181.00 - Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
Make and confirm reservations and sell tickets to passengers and for large hotel or motel chains. May check baggage and direct passengers to designated concourse, pier, or track; make reservations, deliver tickets, arrange for visas, contact individuals and groups to inform them of package tours, or provide tourists with travel information, such as points of interest, restaurants, rates, and emergency service.
Sample of reported job titles:
Reservations Agent, Customer Service Agent, Customer Service Representative (CSR), Reservationist, Station Agent, Tour Sales Representative, Airline Ticket Agent
Tasks
- Plan routes, itineraries, and accommodation details, and compute fares and fees, using schedules, rate books, and computers.
- Make and confirm reservations for transportation and accommodations, using telephones, faxes, mail, and computers.
- Prepare customer invoices and accept payment.
- Answer inquiries regarding information such as schedules, accommodations, procedures, and policies.
- Assemble and issue required documentation, such as tickets, travel insurance policies, and itineraries.
- Determine whether space is available on travel dates requested by customers, assigning requested spaces when available.
- Inform clients of essential travel information, such as travel times, transportation connections, and medical and visa requirements.
- Maintain computerized inventories of available passenger space and provide information on space reserved or available.
- Confer with customers to determine their service requirements and travel preferences.
- Examine passenger documentation to determine destinations and to assign boarding passes.
back to top
Tools & Technology
Tools used in this occupation:
| Airline ticket or boarding pass ATB printers — Airline ticket printers |
| Cash registers |
| Personal computers |
| Public address systems — Public address PA systems |
| Special purpose telephones — Multi-line telephone systems |
Technology used in this occupation:
| Calendar and scheduling software — Property scheduling software |
| Data base user interface and query software — Amadeus Altea Reservation; Microsoft Access; Sabre Airline Solutions SabreSonic Ticket; Worldspan Go! Reservation System software |
| Electronic mail software — Email software; Microsoft Outlook |
| Office suite software — Microsoft Office software |
| Word processing software — Corel WordPerfect software; Microsoft Word |
