Call Centre & Customer Service
Airline Customer Service Officer
Airline customer service officers make and confirm reservations, sell tickets, check baggage and direct passengers.
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Entry-level education
Senior secondary school certificate or equivalent
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Job outlook
What does an Airline Customer Service Officer do?
Airline customer service officers make and confirm reservations, or sell tickets. They may check baggage and direct passengers; contact individuals and groups to inform them of package tours; or provide tourists with travel or transport information. Airline customer service officers are sometimes known as passenger service officers or check-in assistants.
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Work activities
As an airline customer service officer, your daily tasks would usually include:
- dealing with passenger enquiries about flight departures and arrivals
- checking passengers in, and giving seat numbers
- providing boarding passes and luggage labels
- informing passengers about luggage restrictions
- weighing baggage and collecting any excess weight charges
- taking care of people with special needs, and unaccompanied children
- calming and reassuring nervous passengers.
You may sometimes help passengers through immigration and customs, or escort passengers who have flight connections.
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Key skills and interests
To become an airline customer service officer, you would need:
- excellent customer service skills
- strong written and spoken communication skills
- a polite and professional approach
- the ability to solve problems
- the ability to deal tactfully with upset or angry passengers
- computer skills.
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Working hours and conditions
Working Hours
Airports usually operate 24 hours a day, so you would normally work on a shift system which may include evenings, weekends and public holidays.
Conditions
You would mainly work at a check-in counter or information desk, and your employer would provide you with a uniform. You would usually work for an airline, or for a ground services agent on behalf of an airline.
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How to become an Airline Customer Service Officer?
Entry Level Education
You can work as an airline customer service officer without formal qualifications. Employers generally require you to gain your senior secondary school certificate or equivalent, with good results in English and maths. Prior experience in a service industry, such as hospitality or retail, may be highly regarded.
You would undergo initial in-house training, covering service standards and protocols, reservations and check-in systems and security training.
You can also become an airline customer service agent through a traineeship in Aviation (Ground Operations and Service). Entry requirements may vary, but employers generally require junior secondary school or equivalent.
All employees in the airline industry must satisfy security clearance requirements.
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Job outlook
As technology is used increasingly in airport check-in, information and operations, the number of available roles in this occupation will continue to decline.
Airline customer service officers may still be required to interact directly with the public with regard to providing information and directions in airports, and for some ticketing matters.
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