Airline Online Travel Agent Training
In 2010, the $772 billion travel industry continues to increase revenue figures despite global economic woes. Airlines and travel companies are turning their employee resource focus to streamlining and becoming more efficient instead of all out growth and expansion. One cost efficient method is becoming the work from home contracted employee who performs reservation functions that normally are office or station based. Just as these jobs are becoming home based via accessibility allowed by the Internet age, so too is training now offered online to become a travel agent or airline reservation agent.
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Online Schools and Courses
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In 2010 most accredited travel schools offer online travel agent training course certification programs in addition to their actual classroom lab courses. Colleges and universities, such as University of Phoenix offer travel and tourism online degree courses in addition to their brick and mortar classroom settings. Curriculum is geared towards preparing the student to enter the travel industry field in numerous occupations from independent travel agent to airline customer service agent. Both airlines (such as Jet Blue) and online travel agencies (such as Travel Store USA) hire work-from-home reservation agents.
Computer Reservation Systems Training
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The bulk of curriculum within any good online travel agent training certification program is computer reservations systems training. Each school will be using a specific system such as Apollo (United Airlines) or Sabre (American Airlines) or Galileo by Travelport (Orbitz Worldwide, Inc.). Interactive reservation system training will have a multiple system focus in online tourism degree programs that often involve scheduled computer lab attendance one class session a week or require a certain amount of active hours logged in the school's computer lab during the course offering as a graduation requirement.
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Average Length of Course
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Aimed at those who work full time or have family obligations, these courses can last from as little as three months for a certificate program to 18-24 months for an online earned travel and tourism collegiate degree. The student sets the individual class scheduling with only a required date completed by to uphold. Tuition can range from as little as $100 for a short certificate program training on a specific computer reservation system to $3,000 to $5,000 for an intensive AA or BA university degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management.
Additional Employer Training
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Once a student has earned either degree or certificate, placement and job hunting assistance normally are included in the school's tuition fee. Upon hiring with an airline or hotel, the new employee will undergo extensive paid company specific computer reservation system training lasting anywhere from one week to one month. New employees hired by travel agencies or cruise line agencies often start with on the job training in an administrative capacity in a geographically located office. Online travel agents start out working right from home but also have somewhat limited support and training available compared to previously mentioned positions.
Salary Expected
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According to Pay Scale online salary tracking, the median annual entry level salary of an airline reservation agent ranges from $21,000 to $34,000 dependent upon size of the airline and its operation. The airline industry offers exceptional benefits to its employees including reduced rate or service charge only travel and medical/dental benefits which should be figured in when calculating salary comparisons between travel industry jobs the student is now qualified for. Salary for an at home independent online travel agent is normally commission based as they are independent contractors.
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References
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- Photo Credit yellow jet airliner image by Stephen Kirkby from Fotolia.com
