People working in travel agencies, tourism centres, on cruise ships, for tour companies, and in the airlines get to travel all the time. With good pay, benefits, and up to 75% off world travel, it’s a lifestyle you just can’t beat. Sound good? It is!

This is a fabulous industry and one that you will want to stay in for a lifetime. Many people say that once they have started in the industry they never leave.

Whether you are preparing for work in the travel industry, looking for a career change, or even if you are already working in travel and have a requirement to upgrade your skills, you will find this Course provides an opportunity to gain that edge.

Breaking into the travel or airlines industry is a lot to do with having the right approach, knowing how to prepare travel itineraries, understanding fares and ticketing, and using the computer reservations system. With the Travel Consulting & Airline Reservations Course you will be learning what you need to know in order to get into the industry, and you’ll cover both travel consulting and airline reservations.

You'll also take a look at holiday destinations, the cruise industry, passenger check-in procedures, and arrivals and departures. And you will learn how to apply for jobs in the industry and how to prepare yourself for job interviews.

This is the most specific and industry-focused Course available that teaches you about travel consulting and airline reservations. Our course contains all the relevant modules and the important fares and ticketing components; but it does not contain the basic workplace subjects (such as, how to operate a computer, use photocopiers and office equipment, talk to other people in the office, understand safety legislation, etc.) that are contained within our larger International Travel Consulting Course

This comprehensive course also provides training in airline Computer Reservation Systems (CRS), also known as Global Distribution Systems (GDS). Being able to use CRS is essential in the travel industry and airlines industry. With our Course you may choose to learn your CRS components with either Galileo or Sabre. These are the main CRS software systems used by travel agents and airlines in Australia and overseas. If you have no specific preference we recommend Galileo, as it is the most widely used computer reservations system in Australia..

The online CRS component (around 50 hours) begins about halfway through the course. At this time you will need to have access to a computer. You can learn at home, at work, in an Internet cafe, in a library or anywhere else provided you have a computer with Internet access. The CRS section of the course covers the five key components required by the industry:

• Airline Reservations
• Automated Fares and Ticketing
• Car Rental Reservations
• Hotel Rental Reservations
• Tour Reservations

Career opportunities include: Travel Consultant, Airline Reservations Officer, Tourist Information Officer, Airline Customer Service Officer.

Industries include: tourism, airlines, hospitality.

Travel Consultants provide information, advice and booking services for people wishing to travel. A travel consultant can focus either on local travel, domestic travel, and/or international travel. A travel consultant may:

• provide literature and information to clients concerning local, interstate and international tours, travel routes, accommodation, fares and travel regulations
• discuss client requirements and advise on suitable options
• plan, prepare and cost out travel itineraries for clients
• make travel, accommodation and related bookings using a computerised reservations system
• confirm bookings and notify clients of luggage limits, insurance, medical, passport, visa and currency requirements
• issue tickets for travel, accommodation vouchers and all relevant documentation
• collect payments and maintain records of transactions
• assist with changes to travel arrangements and bookings as required

Most travel consultants work on a salary plus commission and travel rewards. Hours may include Saturdays.

Airline Reservations Officers assist airline passengers between flights with boarding and flight procedures, locating luggage, giving directions and chaperoning unaccompanied children in transit. An Airline Reservations Officer may:

• issue and check tickets and travel documents, check in passengers for their flight and allocate seats
• check baggage for size and weight
• direct passengers to customs, immigration and/or departure gates
• attend to passengers who are flying standby
• provide information on flight arrival and departure times and give messages to arriving and departing passengers
• direct passengers to baggage areas and when reporting lost luggage
• help passengers requiring special assistance, such as VIPs, disabled passengers, parents with infants and younger passengers travelling alone

Airline Reservations Officers can work day shifts, evening shifts or rotating shifts dependng on the role. Uniforms and other benefits are provided.

The travel, airlines and tourisms industry is highly customer focussed so presentation, grooming, communication and customer service are all requirments in this career.