Career Opportunities- Air Transpo

• In the 2019 Economic Performance Report of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), employment growth remains strong and jobs in the industry reached 2.9 million in 2019, a 3% increase from a year before.
• Large carriers are organized according to:

  1. Line Personnel involved directly in producing or selling air transportation.
  2. Staff Personnel helps line people to work more effectively in accomplishing the primary objectives of the firm.
• Large Carrier Organization

  A) Management

  B) Finance and Property

  C) Information Services

  D) Personnel

  E) Corporate Communications

  F) Economic Planning

  G) Legal

  H) Medical

  I) Flight Operations

  J) Engineering and Maintenance

  K) Marketing

  
• Marketing Department

  A) Advertising

  B) Marketing Services

  C) Services Planning

  D) Sales Planning

  E) Food Services

  F) Sales and Services

  
• Advertising


  Provides expertise on promotional messages, copy media & timing. Building brand awareness is an important responsibility of corporate advertising departments. Ad departments may create desire and action in their advertising by showing how their products work, and offering special deals if people purchase within particular time frames.
• Marketing Services


  Designs the carrier’s products and determines the firm’s market opportunities. Major divisions are market research, forecasting, pricing & schedule planning.
• Services Planning


  Responsible for the development of the in-flight and ground services. These include reservations & ticketing services to in-flight entertainment and dining services.
• Sales Planning 


  Concerned with the means by which a carrier’s products and services are delivered to consumers.
• Food Service


  Major business for any large carrier. Flight kitchens, located throughout the system at major airport hubs, serve thousands of meals a day not only to the carrier’s flights but also to those carriers that contract with the major carrier.
• Sales and Services


  Concerned with the implementation of the plans formulated by the planning staff.
• Under sales and services are the following jobs:

  A) Regional VP Sales and Services

  B) Area Manage Sale and Services

  C) Manager Flight Attendants

  D) Reservations and Ticketing Manager

  E) Customer Services Manager

  F) Sales Manager

  G) Supervisor Reservations

  H) Supervisor Ticker Sales

  I) Reservation Agents

  J) Station Managers

  K) Ticket and Customer Service Agents

  L) City Terminal Manager

  M) Ticket and Customer Service Agents

  N) Travel Agency Interline Sales Manager

  O) Sales Representatives Cargo and Passenger

  P) Station Supervisor Flight Attendants

  Q) Flight Attendants

  
• Flight Attendant or Cabin crew


  The primary role is to ensure the passengers’ safety. Second to that is providing excellent customer service.
• Reservation Agents


  • Provide travel information over the telephone to customers of the airline.
  • Airline reservation agents also make flight reservations and accept phone payments for ticket purchases.
  • They answer customer questions and quote airfares.
  • Employees operate a telephone headset and use one of a variety of airline reservation systems on a computer network.
• Ticket Agents 


  • Are the “front lines” of the airline.
  • They handle airline ticket sales, reservation changes, and provide information on aircraft boarding.
  • Some ticket agents work at the airline’s offices off-site of the airport, airline’s ticket, or baggage counter.
  • Other ticket agents may work at the gate collecting tickets.
  • Depending on the airline’s size, they may work at all of the above locations.
• Passenger Sales Agent


  • Focuses on working directly with the airline passengers and does not work on the aircraft itself.
  • Their duties include issuing refunds to passengers, computing fares, preparing and selling tickets, collecting charges for excess baggage, checking baggage, and providing travel information.
• Sales Representatives 


  • Promote their airline to companies that are in the business of traveling.
  • It is their responsibility to ensure that their airline comes to mind whenever someone considers taking a trip.
  • May offer special package rates to companies or organizations hosting conferences or other large events.
  • They may also negotiate with other airlines so the two companies can work in tandem for passengers who may need to fly more than one leg to reach their destination.