Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks

Career Description: Make and confirm reservations and sell tickets to passengers and for large hotel or motel chains. May check baggage and direct passengers to designated concourse, pier, or track; make reservations, deliver tickets, arrange for visas, contact individuals and groups to inform them of package tours, or provide tourists with travel information, such as points of interest, restaurants, rates, and emergency service.

Industry: Office and Administrative Support

Other Job Titles for Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks:

• Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
• Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Plan routes, itineraries, and accommodation details, and compute fares and fees, using schedules, rate books, and computers.
• Make and confirm reservations for transportation and accommodations, using telephones, faxes, mail, and computers.
• Prepare customer invoices and accept payment.
• Answer inquiries regarding information such as schedules, accommodations, procedures, and policies.
• Assemble and issue required documentation, such as tickets, travel insurance policies, and itineraries.
• Determine whether space is available on travel dates requested by customers, assigning requested spaces when available.
• Inform clients of essential travel information, such as travel times, transportation connections, and medical and visa requirements.
• Maintain computerized inventories of available passenger space and provide information on space reserved or available.
• Confer with customers to determine their service requirements and travel preferences.
• Examine passenger documentation to determine destinations and to assign boarding passes.
• Provide boarding or disembarking assistance to passengers needing special assistance.
• Check baggage and cargo and direct passengers to designated locations for loading.
• Announce arrival and departure information, using public address systems.
• Trace lost, delayed, or misdirected baggage for customers.
• Promote particular destinations, tour packages, and other travel services.
• Provide clients with assistance in preparing required travel documents and forms.
• Open and close information facilities, and keep them clean during operation.
• Provide customers with travel suggestions and information sources, such as guides, directories, brochures, and maps.
• Contact customers or travel agents to advise them of travel conveyance changes or to confirm reservations.
• Contact motel, hotel, resort, and travel operators to obtain current advertising literature.
• Sell stamps and money orders.
• Provide assistance with events, such as police department auctions of abandoned automobiles.
• Prepare reports on civic needs.
• Accept and check containers of mail or parcels from large volume mailers, couriers, and contractors.
• Release packages or letters to customers upon presentation of written notices or other identification.
• Answer inquiries regarding shipping or mailing policies.
• Use equipment such as forklifts and automated "trains" to move containers of mail.
• Sell mail products, and accept payment for products and mailing charges.
• Operate embossing machines or typewriters to make corrections, additions, and changes to address plates.

Emerging Tasks

• Archive documents, conduct research, and read copy using the internet and various computer programs.
• Consult with authors and editors regarding manuscript changes and suggestions.
• Typeset and measure dimensions, spacing, and positioning of page elements (copy and illustrations) to verify conformance to specifications, using printer's ruler or layout software.
• Write original content such as headlines, cutlines, captions, and cover copy.
• Manage reserve materials by placing items on reserve for library patrons, checking items in and out of library, and removing out dated items.
• Open and close library during specified hours and secure library equipment, such as computers and A/V equipment.
• Perform accounting and bookkeeping activities such as, invoicing, maintaining financial records, budgeting, and handling cash.
• Perform clerical activities, such as answering phones, sorting mail, filing, typing, word processing, and photocopying and mailing out material.
• Prepare library statistics reports.
• Repair books using mending tape, paste, and brushes, or prepare books to be sent to a bindery for repair.
• Schedule, supervise, and train clerical workers, volunteers, student assistants, and other library employees.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• answer customer or public inquiries
• answer questions from employees or public
• calculate monetary exchange
• calculate rates for organization's products or services
• collect payment
• communicate with customers or employees to disseminate information
• compute financial data
• develop travel itinerary
• direct passengers to designated locations
• ensure correct grammar, punctuation, or spelling
• estimate travel rates or expenses
• fill out business or government forms
• identify best itinerary based on knowledge of routes
• inform clients of travel restrictions
• maintain account records
• make travel reservations
• obtain information from individuals
• obtain travel information for clients
• operate business machines
• prepare billing statements
• process or prepare travel forms
• provide clients with travel information
• provide customer service
• provide customers with travel assistance
• provide travel suggestions
• read maps
• read travel rate schedule
• receive customer orders
• request reports or records
• sell insurance policies
• sell products or services
• use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
• use knowledge of international travel regulations
• use knowledge of written communication in sales work
• use passenger rate schedules
• use telephone communication techniques
• write business correspondence
• measure, weigh, or count products or materials
• obtain information from individuals
• operate business machines
• operate calculating devices
• operate duplicating equipment
• organize legal information or records
• perform office equipment maintenance not requiring service call
• prepare bank deposits
• prepare meeting agenda
• prepare or maintain employee records
• prepare tax reports
• prepare travel vouchers
• process account invoices
• process invoices
• process medical records
• process payroll documents, records, or checks
• proofread printed or written material
• provide customer service
• receive or disburse cash related to payments received
• resolve customer or public complaints
• route multi-line telephone calls
• schedule employee work hours
• schedule meetings or appointments
• select software for clerical activities
• sell products or services
• sort books, publications, or other items
• sort mail letters or packages
• take dictation
• take messages
• transcribe spoken or written information
• type document from machine transcription
• type letters or correspondence
• understand technical operating, service or repair manuals
• use accounting or bookkeeping software
• use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
• use library or online Internet research techniques
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use relational database software
• use spreadsheet software
• use telephone communication techniques
• use word processing or desktop publishing software
• write business correspondence

Overall Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a teller might benefit from experience working directly with the public, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be a teller with little difficulty.

Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees.

Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.

Examples
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include sheet metal workers, forest fire fighters, customer service representatives, pharmacy technicians, salespersons (retail), and tellers.

• Average hourly wage (2007) -$14.34
• Average annual wage (2007) - $29,820.00

• Projected growth (2006-2016): 1.08%
• Projected need (2006-2016): 1,782
• Employment (2006): 165,345

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