Airline reservation and sales agents issue tickets, attend boarding gates, make reservations, trace missing baggage and arrange cargo. Airline load planners plan the positioning of cargo on aircraft to distribute and balance the cargo. Reservation, sales and cargo agents quote fares and rates, issue tickets, make reservations, process cargo shipments and check baggage for bus, train and marine passengers. In addition to completion of high school, people in these occupations usually require a college diploma, government-approved training or other courses and experience in their field. They may benefit from occupational certification when available.
Most recent entrants have a high school or community college diploma.
Airline load planners require a restricted radio operator's licence and usually have airline operations experience. The proportion of women in these occupations has increased significantly over the last ten years. Over the next five years, this outlook is not expected to change, as the number of job openings is expected to be matched by the number of qualified job seekers. Conditions may vary widely among the various occupations in this group. Increasing use of computerized reservation systems and retrieval of information on destinations using the Internet will require persons in these occupations to develop the appropriate skills.