Profile -- by Nick Gaudet

Imagine it's Friday night, you've just finished your last shift for the week and now it's time to begin your weekend, what do you do? Call up some friends and go to the same old hangout spot? Contemplate which overpriced movie you're willing to see? Or just stay at home because there's nothing fun to do?

Now imagine that 'weekends' meant jumping on a plane and flying to any number of destinations within North America practically for free, to enjoy the sites and sounds of a new and exciting location. For Roger Currie, this is not just a dream, it's reality. As an Airline Ticket Agent for Air Canada, it's Roger's job to ensure that passengers are not only accounted for, but that they also have the necessary information to arrive at their final destination. Airline Ticket Agents are responsible for ensuring that the aircraft takes off at the scheduled time, because even small delays can end up being very costly. As Roger puts it, "You know that old saying, time is money, well it's especially true in the airline industry. Just think about how much fuel a 747 burns while idling on the tarmac, even a few minutes (late) can end up costing a lot of money."

For the last twenty-seven years, Roger Currie has been perfecting his craft as an Airline Ticket Agent and says that, "Even after all this time I'm still running into new situations and challenges that keep the job fun and exciting from shift to shift." He was originally attracted to this job when he was twenty-two years old and living four thousand miles away from his family. "After doing a job that I really didn't like for about two years I decided to give this a try. It would allow me to see my family more often, and at twenty-two the idea of getting to travel is very alluring." Although his job can entail a variety of different tasks, he generally works as a Gate Agent, focusing on the arriving aircraft. Roger has to make sure passengers know where their connecting flights and luggage can be found. He also assists individuals who require extra help de-planing and answers customer questions. According to Roger, it's this aspect of helping a person out and really making their day that can prove to be a tremendous source of job satisfaction. After all of the arriving passengers have exited the aircraft, he is then in charge of boarding new passengers. This involves making seat changes, up-grading passengers, and trying to find seats for people flying stand-by. One of the hardest parts of Roger's job, and the most stressful, is trying to get all of this done while at the same time ensuring that the aircraft takes off at its scheduled departure time. Roger explains that, "you not only have to think about the cost of extra fuel, but also the fact that if one aircraft is delayed it will then cause the connecting flights to be delayed. The whole thing can then end up snowballing for the rest of the day, then the airline can incur overnight expenses and the cost of extra meals."

On a typical workday Roger will begin by checking in and receiving a list of his duties for that day. He begins by noting which flights he is responsible for, how many people are on board each flight, as well as their scheduled arrival and departure times. Next, Roger takes note of any special duties required of him, the connecting flights of the arriving aircraft and if there have been any delays.

As airlines tend to operate on a twenty-four hour basis, Ticket Agents are required to be flexible because they may need to work a variety of shifts. Currently Roger is working a five and two shift. This means that for every five days on, he gets two days off. Shifts are usually eight hours long. Employees are allowed to choose the type of shift they want to work, whether or not they get that shift is based on seniority and availability.

Employees are entitled to two fifteen minute breaks and one thirty-minute break, but these are flexible and can be taken at one's own discretion. One of the nice things about being a Ticket Agent according to Roger is that there are usually equal amounts of really busy periods and really quiet times while on the job. "At one moment it can feel like you're being pulled in a million different directions at once, than just minutes later you're wondering what to do with yourself, it can take a little getting used to."

According to Roger, the two most important qualities a person needs to be a successful Ticket Agent are great interpersonal skills and an ability to remain calm under pressure. "Because you're on the front line interacting with customers daily, it's important to always remain positive and upbeat. You never know who you're going to run into, I've meet Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Hull, pretty much every National Hockey League team and various political figures, including former Prime Minister Jean Chretien. I've even met the national sumo champion, not very popular here, but he's huge in Japan . . .
no pun intended."

Meeting celebrities is just one of the perks of working for an international airline. For Roger the biggest advantage is getting to travel anywhere Air Canada flies at a fraction of the ticket price. For a round trip ticket to Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa Roger only pays $200.00, compared to the $2500.00 it would cost if he didn't work for the airline. "Just last weekend I finished work Thursday morning, arrived in Quebec Thursday night, toured around for a couple of days and was back in Calgary by Saturday evening, it was fantastic." Another bonus of working for an airline company is that his family can fly for free, "it's nice because my daughter lives in Victoria, B.C. and is able to fly home whenever she wants." These are the kinds of benefits that help Roger deal with some of the more stressful components of his career. "Sometimes it can just get nuts in there, like around Christmas time or during the summer months. At times it can get to be quite overwhelming and you just gotta step back from it all and take a deep breath." Another area of anxiety has to do with job uncertainty and the fact that Air Canada is going through financial difficulties right now. As Roger puts it, "the uncertainty of my job, whether it will be lost or not, is a source of stress, but it's not the first time an airline has had to deal with financial difficulty. Of all the airlines that were present when I started twenty-seven years ago, Air Canada is the only one still operating."

When asked about future opportunities for individuals interested in this line of work, Roger says that both here in Canada and abroad it is the low frills airlines, like Westjet and Tango, that are profiting, and therefore hiring the most people. Due to an aging work force, Air Canada may be hiring next year for a variety of positions including Ticket Agents. A typical starting salary is $10.00/hr, with a top salary of $20.00/hr. A minimum grade twelve education is required. Every six months employees receive a pay raise, up to a maximum of $20.00/hr after six years. There exists a tremendous opportunity for employee advancement within the company. "A person starting as a Ticket Agent, could advance to management if they choose to do so, . Air Canada likes to hire from inside, with many of the supervisors and managers working their way up through the ranks."

One thing is certain, there will always be a demand for aircraft transportation services, and therefore the demand for Airline Ticket Agents should remain a constant. For those people that are interested in getting involved in this kind of career, Roger recommends trying to develop some contacts within the industry. "The best way to find out about a job opening is to know someone on the inside." Another recommendation from Roger is to ensure that you are able to communicate effectively with other people, saying that any experience you can gain which allows you to develop and demonstrate those skills is good experience. The ability to speak a second language is also a definite asset, but not a necessary requirement in order to become an Airline Ticket Agent.

OCCInfo - Airline Ticket Agent

Airline Sales and Service Agents

Job Futures - Occupations in Travel and Accommodation

Job Futures - Travel Counsellors

Canadian Institute of Travel Counsellors

SAIT - Travel and Tourism Program

Medicine Hat College - Travel Counsellor

More information on Reservation and Ticket Agents (U.S. site)

David Neeleman - Founder and CEO, JetBlue Airways The poster boy for entrepreneurship and successful business leadership, David Neeleman has been starting prosperous companies since his early years of college. Attention deficit disorder made school difficult for David, but proved no challenge for him in the business world. Now working with his third airline, JetBlue profits continue to climb with customer and employee satisfaction at the highest levels in the industry. In this interview, David describes what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and leader, and why most companies fail by neglecting to treat their customers and employees as humans. - Interview provided by Kidz Online

Running Time Approx. 25:22