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Airline Industry Career

Airline Industry Careers (Non-flying Careers) Even though the airlines are in business to transport people from one place to another, they could not function without the help of many people on the another ground, including those who take reservations and sell tickets, as well as those who help keep the airplanes operating on schedule.

In general, most airline jobs require a high school diploma. All workers, regardless of their jobs, are given some degree of on-the-job training. Some private technical schools offer courses in airline operations (such as reservations, ticketing, teletypist and flight attendant training). This training may give an applicant an advantage, but remember that each airline has its own training procedures. Therefore, you should check with the airline to which you are applying to find out what pre-employment training it requires.

Airline jobs are located in every city that airlines serve and even in a few they do not serve. Of course, the larger the city, the greater the variety of job opportunities. The largest concentrations of airline career opportunities are in New York, Chicago, St.louis, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Detroit, Washington,D.C. An applicant may obtain career information by writing directly to the airline. Foreign airlines flying into the United States hire Americans to handle their passenger and air cargo business and to service their aircraft during stopovers. These employment opportunities should not be overlooked.

Briefly described below are many of the jobs that must be filled to keep the planes flying. (Airline Industry Career - Non-flying Careers)

Flight Dispatcher

In cooperation with the pilot, the Flight Dispatcher furnishes a flight plan that enables the aircraft to arrive at its destination on schedule with the maximum payload and the least operating cost. The Flight Dispatcher considers en route and destination weather, winds aloft, alternate destinations, fuel required, altitudes, and traffic flow.

The dispatcher's signature, along with that of the pilot, releases the aircraft for flight. The dispatcher maintains a constant watch on all flights dispatched and is the go-between for the pilot and ground service personnel.

He or she keeps all personnel concerned with the flight informed about its status. The dispatcher must be familiar with navigation facilities over airline routes and at airports as well as with the takeoff, cruising, and landing characteristics of all aircraft operated by the airline. The flight dispatcher also must ride periodically in the cockpit with the flight crew to observe flight routes, conditions, and airports.(Airline Industry Career)

Aviation Meteorologist

The Aviation Meteorologist analyzes weather data and prepares weather reports for the flight dispatcher, pilots, and other airline personnel concerned with weather information. He or she assists the flight dispatcher in preparing flight plans.

Aviation Schedule Coordinator

The Aviation Schedule Coordinator keeps track of the whereabouts of aircraft and crews; receives and relays reports of delays due to weather and mechanical problems; estimates times of arrival; gives orders for substitution of aircraft when required, and handles the scheduling problems that arise when flights must be diverted to alternate airports.

The Schedule Coordinator makes decisions affecting the seating arrangements of planes, turnarounds, estimated times of arrival, and unscheduled stops.

He or she also determines aircraft availability, based on servicing and maintenance requirements. In scheduling crews, the schedule coordinator must consider many factors: sick calls, vacations, days off, flight hour limits, types of aircraft for which a crew is trained, and seniority bids or choices of flights selected by crew members. (Airline Industry Career - Non-flying Careers)

Airline Ticket Agents

The Airline Ticket Agents answers inquires about flight schedules and fares, verifies reservations by phone, figures fares, writes tickets, and handles payments. Agents who work at an air terminal ticket counter may check in passengers' baggage. The Ticket Agent is most often the first employee the passenger meets after entering the airport. They assist passengers in:

Purchasing tickets
Seat assignment
Directions to the gate
Baggage check in
Other duties very similar to that of the Reservation Sales Agent

The Ticket Agent must be able to lift checked baggage, which can weigh up to one hundred pounds. The Ticket Agent is similar to the Reservation Sales Agent although this is a highly visible position and usually requires a uniform. The ticket counter usually operates 24 hours at the airport, and offers a wide variety of work schedules. Ticket counters are located in every city in which the airline serves. (Airline Industry Career - Non-flying Careers)

Airline Station Agent

The Airline Station Agent works the arrival and departure gates. This is most often the second employee the passenger meets after entering the airport, and venturing down the concourse. The Station Agent assists the passenger in:

Additional check-in- requirements
Seat assignments
Boarding, arrival, and departure announcements
Gate-checked baggage
Answering questions and offering information on airline and airport related topics

The Station Agent is similar to the Ticket Agent, although they do not actually sell tickets. This is also a highly visible position, and usually requires a uniform. The gate area of some airports operates 24 hours, and offers a wide variety of work schedules. The arrival and departure gates are located in the concourse area of every airport that particular airline serves.

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