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What does a passenger service agent do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a passenger service agent do

Passenger service agents are professionals who work inside airport terminals to provide assistance and related customer services to the airlines they serve. These agents are required to issue airline tickets for clients while checking if their requested dates of flights are available and then prepare their itineraries accordingly. They must assist passengers with airport check-ins and examine their ticket, passport, and other identifying documents. Passenger service agents must also answer inquiries from passengers as well as handle complaints.

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Passenger service agent responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real passenger service agent resumes:

  • Help troubleshoot and fix technology problems over-the-counter with clients while offering professional services to help achieve business goals.
  • Computerize check-in, verify documentation, ticket, seat reservations and seat assignments for passengers traveling on international flights.
  • Operate tugs, belt loaders, jet bridge and carts.
  • Operate tugs, belt loaders, power units, and fuel trucks.
  • Work in various kinds of weather elements and may be responsible for de-icing aircraft which requires using equipment to apply chemicals/compounds.
  • Arrange travel and issue tickets for all DoD personnel who perform official travel from Goodfellow.
  • Assist passengers through arrivals and check-in processes, including passengers with special needs and VIP passengers.
  • Communicate with worldwide AMC terminals, collecting fees, and updating weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports.
  • Assist and escort VIP's, ill, handicap, elderly, injure and unaccompany minors who need special assistance.
  • Process and move passenger's ranging from all branches of military to DOD, CIA, FBI, and etc.
  • Facilitate servicing aircraft as needed (aircraft lavatories, portable water, window wash, de-icing and commissary items).
  • Maintain TSA security requirements during all passenger interactions.
  • Brief passengers on safety requirements and supervise deployment of FAA regulations.
  • Collaborate with TSA to analyze and input passenger information into security database, as needed.
  • Maintain safety during ramp operations through oversight of FAA procedures during loading/unloading passengers/aircraft process from the ramp and/or tarmac area.

Passenger service agent skills and personality traits

We calculated that 55% of Passenger Service Agents are proficient in Reservations, Reservation System, and Passenger Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Integrity, Organizational skills, and Communication skills.

We break down the percentage of Passenger Service Agents that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Reservations, 55%

    Created/modified reservations according to passengers/operational needs.

  • Reservation System, 11%

    Inputted information taken from customer service, operations and reservation systems.

  • Passenger Service, 8%

    Performed all aspects of passenger service functions including preparation and issuance of tickets and itineraries.

  • English Language, 4%

    Provide exceptional service to over 300 customers daily in the Japanese and English language !

  • Ticket Counter, 4%

    Completed international ticketing program in preparation for International ticket counter duties.

  • Customer Service, 3%

    Assisted with flight management to include organizing flight operations, providing ticketing support to passengers, and providing quality customer service.

Common skills that a passenger service agent uses to do their job include "reservations," "reservation system," and "passenger service." You can find details on the most important passenger service agent responsibilities below.

Integrity. The most essential soft skill for a passenger service agent to carry out their responsibilities is integrity. This skill is important for the role because "information clerks, particularly human resources assistants, have access to confidential information." Additionally, a passenger service agent resume shows how their duties depend on integrity: "provide trustworthy, comfortable, and plasant customer service. "

Organizational skills. Another essential skill to perform passenger service agent duties is organizational skills. Passenger service agents responsibilities require that "information clerks must be able to retrieve files and other important information quickly and efficiently." Passenger service agents also use organizational skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "practiced strong organizational, communication, and customer service skills to assist customers and insured with their memberships and insurance policies. "

Communication skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of passenger service agents is communication skills. This skill is critical to many everyday passenger service agent duties, as "information clerks must be able to explain policies and procedures clearly to customers and the public." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "achieved superior customer satisfaction through customer correspondence to minimize customer complaints by constant communication and verifying service with the passenger. "

Interpersonal skills. For certain passenger service agent responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "interpersonal skills." The day-to-day duties of a passenger service agent rely on this skill, as "information clerks who work with the public and customers must understand and communicate information effectively to establish positive relationships." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what passenger service agents do: "utilized computer and face to face interpersonal skills to assist air travelers with flight scheduling. "

All passenger service agent skills

The three companies that hire the most passenger service agents are:

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Compare different passenger service agents

Passenger service agent vs. Customer associate

A customer associate is responsible for providing the best customer service by assisting the customers with their inquiries and concerns, as well as resolving their complaints, processing replacements, and issuing refunds as needed. Customer associates also sell products and services to the customers, demonstrating product features, and identifying business opportunities to drive more revenues and profits for the business. They must have excellent communication and organizational skills to process orders and payments timely and accurately.

We looked at the average passenger service agent salary and compared it with the wages of a customer associate. Generally speaking, customer associates are paid $3,314 higher than passenger service agents per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both passenger service agent and customer associate positions are skilled in customer service, customer complaints, and customer inquiries.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, passenger service agent responsibilities require skills like "reservations," "reservation system," "passenger service," and "excellent interpersonal." Meanwhile a typical customer associate has skills in areas such as "sales floor," "product knowledge," "phone calls," and "customer calls." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Customer associates tend to make the most money working in the telecommunication industry, where they earn an average salary of $33,698. In contrast, passenger service agents make the biggest average salary, $28,828, in the transportation industry.customer associates tend to reach similar levels of education than passenger service agents. In fact, customer associates are 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Passenger service agent vs. Customer engagement specialist

A client engagement specialist is in charge of devising strategies to build positive relationships with clients that will translate to sales. Their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to identify client needs, finding new sales leads and opportunities, and coordinating with team members. They must also reach out to clients through calls, correspondence, or face-to-face interaction to offer products and services, discuss specifications, secure sales, process payments, and perform follow-up calls. Moreover, a client engagement specialist must answer inquiries and address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently.

A career as a customer engagement specialist brings a higher average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a passenger service agent. In fact, customer engagement specialists salary is $11,339 higher than the salary of passenger service agents per year.A few skills overlap for passenger service agents and customer engagement specialists. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "customer service," "customer complaints," and "customer inquiries. "

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that passenger service agent responsibilities requires skills like "reservations," "reservation system," "passenger service," and "excellent interpersonal." But a customer engagement specialist might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "brand awareness," "appeals," "wine," and "customer satisfaction."

On average, customer engagement specialists earn a higher salary than passenger service agents. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, customer engagement specialists earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $48,710. Whereas passenger service agents have higher pay in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $28,828.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Customer engagement specialists tend to reach similar levels of education than passenger service agents. In fact, they're 2.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Passenger service agent vs. Customer support coordinator

A customer service coordinator is an individual who motivates and supervises customer service teams for business performance maximization. Customer service coordinators make sure that customer loyalty and satisfaction are met. They analyze complaints, design and implement campaigns for customer retention, and develop new procedures. The skills needed for this job include procurement management, accounting, and finance skills, documentation management, and organizational skills. They should also have strong communication and interpersonal skills.

On average scale, customer support coordinators bring in higher salaries than passenger service agents. In fact, they earn a $7,461 higher salary per year.By looking over several passenger service agents and customer support coordinators resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "customer service," "customer complaints," and "customer inquiries." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from passenger service agent resumes include skills like "reservations," "reservation system," "passenger service," and "excellent interpersonal," whereas a customer support coordinator is more likely to list skills in "pos," "front end," "customer support," and "customer interaction. "

Customer support coordinators make a very good living in the technology industry with an average annual salary of $37,939. On the other hand, passenger service agents are paid the highest salary in the transportation industry, with average annual pay of $28,828.When it comes to education, customer support coordinators tend to earn similar degree levels compared to passenger service agents. In fact, they're 2.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Passenger service agent vs. Agent

Agents are individuals who are employed by their clients to represent them in various dealings. Agents are usually employed by people in the show business industry, such as actors, writers, or directors. They meet people who are interested in dealing with their clients. They listen to the plans and vision for the project and assess if the project fits their clients' interests or public image. In the case of agents whose clients are actors, they send their clients to auditions upon review of the project details. Agents are also responsible for negotiating terms on behalf of their clients, such as salary, royalties, and set benefits, among others. They also inform the project leaders of their clients' demands on set. Agents are expected to be business-savvy and good negotiators.

Agents typically earn higher pay than passenger service agents. On average, agents earn a $8,189 higher salary per year.According to resumes from passenger service agents and agents, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "customer service," "customer complaints," and "customer inquiries. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A passenger service agent uses "reservations," "reservation system," "passenger service," and "excellent interpersonal." Agents are more likely to have duties that require skills in "insurance products," "life insurance," "hr," and "inbound calls. "agents reach similar levels of education compared to passenger service agents, in general. The difference is that they're 1.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of passenger service agent

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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