Airline Travel Specialist: Duties & Salary
by Dawn Papandrea
What does an airline/travel specialist do?
If you’ve ever booked a vacation or business trip, you know that things can get complicated – especially when there are so many options. That’s where airline travel specialists come in. These travel pros know the deal when it comes to getting the best bang for your vacation buck. They also know what various destinations have to offer tourists, can recommend things to do and places to stay, as well as book anything you want in advance to save you the hassle. Airline travel specialists in short provide the service of making all travel arrangements from mode of transportation to the smallest details.
More specifically, airline travel agents provide clients with advice on how to plan the best trip to suit their needs. They have intimate knowledge of what various airlines, hotels, resorts, and other travel industry services have to offer, and they are able to convey their opinions to customers. In addition, good airline travel specialists can take it to the next level by recommending tourist attractions, dining options, and more. Specialists who book overseas travel can help travelers make arrangements for the proper travel documents, and give them information and advice about foreign matters such as currency, what customs will be like, vaccinations needed, and more.
Because they must be up on the best prices and offers, airline travel specialists will know how to work with many sources of information and know how to use them, including departure and arrival times, airfares, accommodation options, and more.
How much do airline travel specialists get paid and what kinds of airline/travel specialist jobs can I get?
Airline travel specialists have the opportunity to earn a good salary, although they may start out in the $30,000 range. Earnings will depend on where you are based, the size of your company, and the type of travel specialty that you have. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top 10 percent of airline travel specialists earned more than $46,270 in 2006.
Travel agents held about 101,000 jobs in May 2006 with nearly two-thirds of those working for travel agencies, reports the BLS. Opportunities can be found throughout the country. Airline travel specialists can work for airline carriers to book flights and provide service to customers, or they can work for cruise lines, resorts, tour groups, or large travel agencies. Some airline travel specialists choose to go out on their own and offer private services. For most private travel agents, there might be a specialty that they handle, such as dealing with a specific destination or type of travel.
Because they are essentially travel experts, in addition to salary, most airline travel specialists enjoy wonderful travel perks, like discounted airfare, free resort stays, and more. After all, travel is your work, and going on vacation is your research – what’s better than that? IN fact, this perk is often why people decide to pursue airline travel specialist jobs.
If you’ve ever booked a vacation or business trip, you know that things can get complicated – especially when there are so many options. That’s where airline travel specialists come in. These travel pros know the deal when it comes to getting the best bang for your vacation buck. They also know what various destinations have to offer tourists, can recommend things to do and places to stay, as well as book anything you want in advance to save you the hassle. Airline travel specialists in short provide the service of making all travel arrangements from mode of transportation to the smallest details.
More specifically, airline travel agents provide clients with advice on how to plan the best trip to suit their needs. They have intimate knowledge of what various airlines, hotels, resorts, and other travel industry services have to offer, and they are able to convey their opinions to customers. In addition, good airline travel specialists can take it to the next level by recommending tourist attractions, dining options, and more. Specialists who book overseas travel can help travelers make arrangements for the proper travel documents, and give them information and advice about foreign matters such as currency, what customs will be like, vaccinations needed, and more.
Because they must be up on the best prices and offers, airline travel specialists will know how to work with many sources of information and know how to use them, including departure and arrival times, airfares, accommodation options, and more.
How much do airline travel specialists get paid and what kinds of airline/travel specialist jobs can I get?
Airline travel specialists have the opportunity to earn a good salary, although they may start out in the $30,000 range. Earnings will depend on where you are based, the size of your company, and the type of travel specialty that you have. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top 10 percent of airline travel specialists earned more than $46,270 in 2006.
Travel agents held about 101,000 jobs in May 2006 with nearly two-thirds of those working for travel agencies, reports the BLS. Opportunities can be found throughout the country. Airline travel specialists can work for airline carriers to book flights and provide service to customers, or they can work for cruise lines, resorts, tour groups, or large travel agencies. Some airline travel specialists choose to go out on their own and offer private services. For most private travel agents, there might be a specialty that they handle, such as dealing with a specific destination or type of travel.
Because they are essentially travel experts, in addition to salary, most airline travel specialists enjoy wonderful travel perks, like discounted airfare, free resort stays, and more. After all, travel is your work, and going on vacation is your research – what’s better than that? IN fact, this perk is often why people decide to pursue airline travel specialist jobs.
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