Lead Travel Advisor - Kisumu at Kenya Airways

Purpose

Reporting to Commercial Manager Retail & Emerging Accounts, the ideal candidate will be tasked with promoting and selling KQ products and value add services (ancillary) at both B2C & B2B level, provide personalized travel related services to internal and external customers and demonstrate ownership and execution of Sales process.

Responsibilities

Ticketing

This is an airline sales and ticketing role

• Display available flights; Check on best connections if more than one flight is involved, determine fare costs to maximize on revenue while helping passengers to save.
• Help customers find the right itinerary that fit their needs; apply upgrades on additional costs to generate more revenue.
• Provide with details and accurate fare quotes to all KQ clients to provide the best applicable fare and generate revenue.
• Handling special services vide SSR’s , cancel or change reservations when requested by clients, reissue, revalidate tickets and collect applicable fees thus generate income.
• Action queues appropriately and inform passengers on flight changes, confirmations, ticketing time limits, handle special requests like seats preference, meals, baggage requirements waitlists and confirmations, to ensure customers’ requests are met and reduce GDS costs.
• Highlight to customers the legal requirements covering their journey such as passports, visa, and health requirements, check in place, departure time and baggage allowance to avoid inconveniencing the passengers and ensure seamless service.
• Action EMD’s, selling excess baggage, handling cool fliers (student fares) to increase sales and passenger loyalty.
• Correct CRS usage and queue management to reduce cost and increase revenue generation.

Customer Service

• Actively build relationships with clients by offering good customer service to retain and recruit new customers.
• Support travel agents by efficiently assisting them with their general enquiries to improve relationship with the travel market and increase agent’s loyalty.
• Providing online assistance for reservation, check in, payment to maximize sales and ensure customer satisfaction.
• Actively involved in suggesting new ideas and providing recommendations on the improvement of services provided, this increases revenue and ensures KQ success as market leading airline.
• Handle customers complaints (denied boarding, baggage etc to ensure customer satisfaction and retention
• Facilitate and coordinate tracing of lost, delayed, or misdirected baggage for customers and ensure safe delivery of the said baggage to win passengers confidence.
• Handling GSA services –Ticket issue to increasing KQ network through joint ventures.
• Handle flight schedule disruptions to ensure passengers have a seamless service throughout their journey and Carryout service recovery.
• Handle general inquiries for both internal and external customers and develop and maintain customer database to enhance customer loyalty and market intelligence.

 Documentation

• Reconciling of sales returns to account for personal daily sales (DSR)
• Processing of direct refunds and BSP refunds ensuring passengers are advised accordingly on the amount refundable for reimbursement on unutilized tickets.
• Issuance of EMD’s (electronic miscellaneous documents) invoicing to ensure timely and accurate payment of issued ticket to both direct and indirect corporate.

 Sales

• Generate auxiliary revenue through sale of Travel insurance, KQ holiday packages and any other ancillary products that are available.
• Sell KQ products through telephone, e-mails to maximize on sales and enhance accessibility, airport and city ticket offices
• Handle group requests and respond within agreed SLA’s, follow through from inquiry to ticketing /sale closure

Skills

• Communication Skills

Qualifications

• Must have Airline fare and ticketing training.
• Must have ticketing experience with a bias to Amadeus 
• Groups handling experience
• IATA BSP experience will be an added advantage
• Over 2 years’ experience in a sales and ticketing role will be an added advantage.
• Sound knowledge of domestic & international travel requirements/trend/availability.
• Exemplary sales skill and customer-oriented approach.
• Good knowledge of computer reservation systems (CRS).
• Ability to interact, communicate & negotiate effectively.
• Fluency in English/multi-lingual.
• Initiative and pro activeness.
• Solution oriented.