Career Overview
Make and confirm reservations for transportation or lodging, or sell transportation tickets. May check baggage and direct passengers to designated concourse, pier, or track; deliver tickets and contact individuals and groups to inform them of package tours; or provide tourists with travel or transportation information.
Also Known As
- Customer Service Agent
- Reservation Agent
- Reservations Agent
- Ticket Agent
Alternate Job Titles
- Aircraft Agent
- Aircraft Cabin Agent
- Airline Agent
- Airline Reservation Agent
- Airline Reservationist
- Airline Station Agent
- Airline Ticket Agent
- Airport Agent
- Airport Sales Agent
- Auto Club Travel Counselor
- Automobile Club Information Clerk
- Automobile Travel Club Counselor
- Baggage Agent
- Baggage Clerk
- Boarding Agent
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Examine passenger documentation to determine destinations and to assign boarding passes.
- Trace lost, delayed, or misdirected baggage for customers.
- Check baggage and cargo and direct passengers to designated locations for loading.
- Provide boarding or disembarking assistance to passengers needing special assistance.
- Confer with customers to determine their service requirements and travel preferences.
- Announce arrival and departure information, using public address systems.
- Determine whether space is available on travel dates requested by customers, assigning requested spaces when available.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Public Safety and Security
- Transportation
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Service Orientation
- Social Perceptiveness
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Speech Recognition
- Speech Clarity
- Information Ordering
- Written Comprehension
- Near Vision
- Written Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Dependability
- Cooperation
- Social Orientation
- Attention to Detail
- Self-Control
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Relationships
- Support
- Independence
- Achievement
- Working Conditions
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months
Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Airline ticket printers
- Cash registers
- Credit card processing machines
- Desktop computers
- Laptop computers
- Multi-line telephone systems
- Personal computers
- Private automatic branch exchange PABX systems
- Public address PA systems
- Ticket printing machines
Work Environment
- Contact With Others
- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $34,550 |
| Median | $41,460 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $75,050 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 127,440
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Travel Agents
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $48,450
Flight Attendants
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $67,130
Passenger Attendants
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $37,560
Baggage Porters and Bellhops
Education: Less than a High School Diploma
Median Salary: $36,020
Counter and Rental Clerks
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $38,540
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.