Airline ticket and service agents
Career Overview
Airline sales and service agents:
- Issue tickets and provide fare quotations
- Make reservations and do passenger check-in
- Trace missing baggage
- Arrange for cargo shipments
- Perform other related customer service duties to help airline passengers
- Work for airline companies
Load planners, who plan the positioning of cargo on aircraft, are also included in this group.
Job Titles
Duties
Airline passenger and ticket agents:
- Help customers plan travel time and routes
- Prepare and issue tickets
- Assign seats, prepare boarding passes and check baggage
- Work at boarding gates
- Assist pre-boarding passengers
- Provide information on fares and flight schedules and routes
Airline baggage agents:
- Trace lost, delayed or misdirected baggage for customers
Airline cargo agents:
- Weigh cargo and compute freight costs
- Calculate charges for services and insurance
- Process freight bills, cargo manifests and other documents
- Trace lost or misdirected cargo and maintain shipping and other records
Airline reservation agents:
- Reserve seats for tour companies, travel agencies, wholesalers and the general public using computerized systems
- Provide information on airline passengers
- Process mileage points
Airline station agents:
- Complete pre-flight documents relating to passenger and cargo load, catering count, special requests and other flight information
- Relay operational messages to operations control and downline stations
- Also perform duties of ticket, baggage and cargo agents
Airline load planners:
- Calculate load weights for compartments of aircraft using charts and computers
- Plan load to distribute and balance cargo
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
1,460% Employed Full Time
41%Key aspects of work in this occupation:
- Work takes place in a travel office or airport.
Career Pathways
Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.
Depending on the size of the airline or airport, the duties of workers in this unit group may overlap.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
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For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- Completion of secondary school is usually required
- Several weeks of on-the-job and classroom training are provided for all occupations in this unit group
- Airline station agents usually require experience as a ticket, baggage or cargo agent
- Load planners require a restricted radio operator's licence and usually require airline operations experience
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Academic/Basic Upgrading
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
1,460Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 35 | 2.4% |
| Kootenay | 15 | 1.0% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 1,140 | 77.8% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 35 | 2.4% |
| Northeast | 25 | 1.7% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 70 | 4.8% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 140 | 9.6% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
1,180Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 30 | 1.4% |
| Kootenay | 10 | -0.2% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 940 | 1.2% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 40 | 2.4% |
| Northeast | 20 | -0.1% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 30 | 0.5% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 120 | 1.3% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 1,090 |
| Business, Building and Other Support Services | 40 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 20 |
| Wholesale Trade | 10 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 10 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.