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why not be a buggy whip salesperson?
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Originally Posted by danielonn
(Post 21477527)
Back in July I enrolled in the Travel Specialists Career Program with Penn Foster and I'm really enjoying learning about the travel industry. They had modules on North American/International Air Travel, Geography, Culture, Hotels , Cruises, Rental Cars, Trains and now coming up I will be taking the Sabre training program.
A lot of the information I learned from FlyerTalk and other sources. When I was 11 I was interested in the Travel Industry and learned about EasySabre and got the opportunity to try it out. I also enjoyed reading the OAG and viewing online resources. My intention is to join a Host Agency and specialize in the cruise industry as well as plan trips for individuals with special-needs. It would be my dream to work onboard Cruise Ships or Airlines as their Special Services Coordinator assisting passengers with disabilities as well as book trips. I look forward to FAM trips, touring cruise ships, airports etc. I know the travel industry is changing but I know that my passion will lead me to the right position. I'm even looking at various options such as corporate travel for Silicon Valley Biotech Companies, Meeting Planning, Tour groups etc. I know I will take advantage of all the benefits of the travel industry flying on premium airlines and getting as many discounts as possible. I can't wait to learn Sabre and how the database system works. I also plan on joining ExpertFlyer and KVS tools as well. Any tips to help me with my future career in the travel industry are most appreciated. There is a heck of a difference between being e.g. a high street / mall travel agent booking cruises for people, to being on on-board ship customer service agent, to booking corporate travel. If you want to work for an airline or cruise ship, don't waste your time being a travel agent - go and work for the airline or cruise ship. Special needs travel is a subset of customer service, so go and work customer service for the company if that is what you want to do. That said, do you know the realities of working on a cruise ship? An inside, possibly shared cabin, incredibly long work hours, no flexibility on time off (you sail when the ship sails), and not great pay. If you want to book cruises as part of an agency, I'm betting you will spend the majority of your time behind a desk, not going to tour the cruise ships. There's a well known agency next door to my work, who do this sort of thing for holiday makers, I'm guessing they make around minimum wage, and they certainly don't get to travel much themselves (guessing they get 2 weeks vacation standard). Corporate travel, you either go work for somewhere that does it, or set up on your own with a customer base that can support you. Most of the people doing this sit at a desk, probably on the phone or email, and never get to see the places they are sending people to. If you want to actually go see the places, you need to be on the paying side of the line - working for a firm as their travel / conference / event person. Frankly though, judging by some of your posts, you don't strike me as a people person. Even less so when it comes to people who are going to ask dumb questions, assume they know more about something than you, and otherwise get on your every last nerve. Because they will - that's the joy of these sorts of customer facing roles. On another post you put "I was waiting at the airline lounge and the bar tender asked me what I would like to drink. I asked for a Martell's and got a blank stare. I tried pointing to it and the agent said oh a Cognak. No its Cognac. A Frenchman was sitting next to me and said to the agent next time learn your bar before you give that look to your customer. It was funny and a bit embarrassing at the same time" I don't think someone being rude to a bar tender is funny. I don't even know how you say the word 'Cognac' any differently to 'Cognak'. Is there never a word you haven't known immediately how to pronounce? You seem to take great delight at other people's misfortunate (such as people not understanding what a visa is, or that more pitch is not synonymous with a larger seat, or laughing at the thought people may be mis-directed and miss their flight, or at people who had been flown to the wrong airport for their destination). Most of the world are not frequent fliers, and I would not want you to be my point of contact when something went wrong, if this is your attitude - I don't know how you expect to empathize with someone in difficulties, when your first instinct seems to be to laugh at them. |
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