The Emirates thing might not be a bad general idea, as organizations in that part of the world are loaded up with expat labor. It's always funny to see the white western stews in the Gulf Air costumes.

I once thought of trying to get in the industry, but realized I wasn't really a "people person" and couldn't take the 50-66% pay cut from what I was doing. So I developed the MR-building skills (which was quite a different story to do with the tools available in the mid-90s) and kept hacking at it as an "outsider."

It could be that fuel will cause ticket costs to become less and less affordable. The airlines will shrink and possibly try to consolidate, and maybe the free-trip perks that come with some travel jobs would thus become more valuable, like they used to be. For now, though, at least in the U.S., you might hear some grumbling from people who can fly free or near-free as standby, but have had problems getting on planes.

I had a look at the Virtuoso website and there is only one agency in New Zealand. Might have to wait until I move overseas to explore that option. I enjoy luxury travel (both doing it and expanding my knowledge of it) so no problems with that part.

Problem with me going straight into something at this point is that I basically did the wrong degree at university and am stumped at how to get into marketing with a B Arts (major in sociology, minor in public relations). Basically it's really overwhelming trying to work out where to start and how to sell myself on these roles (let alone get in the door for a face-to-face interview which is where I feel I can shine).

What I've said above is part of the reason I want to go back to uni. I also love being at uni and love learning and studying. I'm really interested in doing some further studies in business and if I could somehow get into an organisation that would pay for part/all of it in a few years time that would be awesome.

Also re Dubai, how the heck do you get a job there?! I've done the odd Google search (haven't devoted a tonne of effort to it yet) but could only pull up some pretty crappy looking websites that didn't seem to offer much reliable info.

Anyway, thanks for the input - much appreciated.

I love Emirates. I'm crazyily obsessed with them. I do an almost daily Google News search on Emirates... Ask me just about any question about them and I can either answer on the spot or know where to look and get back to you in five minutes.

Re the second part... Just watch what happens as fuel runs out. Boeing and Airbus won't be happy that they are getting no orders for new planes and this will then go on to the engine makers like Rolls Royce and GE. I bet when this happens we'll see a whole new hybrid-type product launched. It's only a matter of time before fossil fuels run out and I refuse to believe that every major fuel eating industry does not have a back-up plan at least being researched as we speak. So from my point of view when the fuel dries up I don't think we'll notice it to the extent we're led to believe we will.

And yeah, I've heard the problems about getting flights. I've heard of ex-cabin crew being strandard in Bangkok for almost two weeks. Being a pilot is the way forward. Met an Emirates guy who flies 20 hours a month, gets all the great EK benefits and gets minumum business class confirmed personal travel whenever he wants.

look for big MNCs with local offices that also have offices in Dubai.

could also look into internship/coop opportunities through your uni.

sociology and PR can easily be leveraged into sales, if youve got good business relationship/networking type skills. just get out there interacting with people, even if its not in order to get a job.

First of all, welcome to FlyerTalk.

I've been in "the business" since 1983, mainly on the agency side, and can tell you that it's a rewarding career if you stick with it. However, you will never become rich in a monetary sense; although you can certainly make a decent living if you are good at what you do (I approach 6 figures in US$ annually.) I tried to "get out" in my early 30s, and came right back. This industry is something that is either in your blood, or isn't. Many, many folks here on FT are of the opinion that the majority of people in my industry, in particular travel agents, are worthless. Whilst this is true of those who see it only as a paycheck, there are those of us who do it because it's in our veins, and are very good at what we do. If you don't provide value, you are indeed useless.

I started with a job at World Airways in the charter division, landing a position in "operations" (i.e. hand-writing tickets) after my very first job interview. My boss said he saw a sparkle in my eyes when I talked about travel, and hired me despite the "6 months minimum experience" required for the job. I learned early on that there is a camaraderie in the airline industry that is hard to match, and moved to Pan American as a lowly telephone operator, begging to be trained in tariffs. In those days, PAA had the most experienced, knowledgeable reservations agents in the world, and I was in awe.

This was my first window on the world of non-rev travel, and I took advantage of it at every opportunity, traveling the Pan Am network to the ends of the earth. I remained until the bitter end on December 4th, 1991, when I moved to the agency side, working at a similar outfit to STA. There I gained my first experience of selling complex, international itineraries involving all carriers (not just Pan Am) and the ins and outs of the agency side of the industry. However, the pay and working conditions weren't for me, and I moved into the corporate side of the travel agency business, where I discovered that businessmen (and women) knew where and when they wanted to travel, and didn't dilly-dally around about price. Back then, the airlines paid commissions, and things were rosy since the agents took a share of the agency commission on all sales.

I worked like a dog for a couple of years, actually exceeding a 6 figure paycheck in 1993, but felt burned out and in a mid-life crisis (although I don't think I was technically in mid-life .) After toying with the idea of becoming a chef, or opening a B&B, I figured out that I was meant to be in the travel agency or airline business. I took a ridiculously low paying job at the airline then flying banners saying, "welcome to OUR friendly skies" specifically to take their extensive, intensive training on international rate and tariffs regulations. My calculated move paid off, and I scored a job at a large publishing company in their in-house travel department, responsible for faring all complex international itineraries, and being handsomely rewarded for my efforts (with a percentage of the money I saved the company.)

That job ended with layoffs after the dot.com boom, and I once again found myself considering the airline side. But I fell into my current position when I emailed an old boss from the early 1990s to advise that some calls may be forthcoming for a reference, and generally updating my resume. Well it turns out that the old boss had grown the company into one of the largest independent travel agencies in the United States since I'd been gone, and although still based in New England, the majority of the agents were now virtual. So here I sit, happier than ever in my career, making an excellent salary, and still in "the business."

So what am I saying with this anecdote?

I think the first thing is that if you feel it in your blood, then this industry is for you. And second, don't try to plan your career with definitive statements like, "only an agent for 2 years," etc. I think you'll find that if you love what you do, and are good at it, the universe will provide. I can certainly tell you that it's harder and harder to travel by air on industry tickets. So much so that I now make 1K status on United each year on my own dime, but I make it with the minimum amount of expenditure thanks to my skills, FlyerTalk, and my airline computer. The perks from hotels, cars and cruises are still worthwhile. I'm happy being a travel agent, but you have to be really good at what you do to make a comfortable living. There are management roles on both the airline side and the agency side that pay well too.

So welcome to the industry, and good luck in your endeavors. We have lost many, many people with drive and passion over the difficult past years, and it's nice to see that replacements are on the way. I hope that your fascination with "all things Emirates" leads to a long and successful career, with that world class airline, or elsewhere.

also a BTW, check out these magazines, in addition to Conde Naste >

Elite Traveler
Centurion
Departures

Well I thought I'd do an update...

It is my fifth day as an agent today. I've had four days in the office and today will be my second day on Amadeus training (we use Amadeus, Dolphin and some program called Squirt to put A and D together).

I ditched STA Travel at the final hour (more like final five minutes before close of business on Friday) and took at job at a Kiwi owned company called House Of Travel. HOT is a mid-market agency sitting a tier about Flight Centre. My office is located in a nice area of Auckland so I should be getting some nice bookings.

Amadeus is a total b!tch for a newcomer, but I'm learning quickly which is great - I can already book and price a not-too-complex booking (ie. don't ask for a round the world including stops in Cuzco and Bologna!).

So yeah... Going well so far and pretty happy with my first week in the travel industry - this move is going to be my big stepping stone! Only think I don't like is that (a) my base pay has been halved - almost died when I checked my account this morning (b) my commission is quaterly.