Reporting to the Commercial Manager, the Lead Travel Advisor will lead, guide, and motivate a group of Travel Advisors to provide excellent service to Kenya Airways (KQ) customers. The primary objective is to ensure customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention at the lowest cost within the scope of the KQ sales business plan.
Key Responsibilities
Customer Service
- Offer exemplary service to improve customer satisfaction and retention.
- Oversee office functionality and customer comfort by liaising with IS and Maintenance & property to keep Air conditioning, lighting, and computers fully functional at all times.
- Manage Special Service Requests (SSR) such as special meals, wheelchairs, and advance seat requests to ensure seamless service.
- Empathize with and assist customers affected by flight disruptions (misconnections, denied boarding, delays) through rebooking and rerouting as per approved procedures.
- Resolve customer complaints, escalating to Customer Relations when necessary and following up on feedback.
- Act as a role model in providing professional customer care.
- Communicate KQ products, schedules, and fares accurately to maximize sales and meet revenue targets while observing good CRS practices to reduce costs.
Ticketing
- Oversee ticket issuance within the team, ensuring adherence to approved tariff schedules and fares to maximize revenue.
- Verify passenger details, booking classes, seasonality, and names against passports.
- Facilitate Special Service Requests and servicing for direct corporate and group requests.
- Handle EMD, VOID, and Refund reporting and facilitation of partner tickets.
Reporting and Analysis
- Prepare and produce weekly/monthly sales reports to measure performance and account for activities related to IS, RM, Security, Safety, and Maintenance.
- Produce, reconcile, and sign off on daily sales reports.
- For direct corporate accounts, produce statistical information on a weekly basis to evaluate team efficiency and inform service improvements.
Sales and Promotion
- Create and maintain customer profile data to assist in the distribution of special promotional fares.
- Promote online processes including online booking, payment, and check-in to maximize sales.
- Generate ancillary revenue through the sale of KQ merchandise (e.g., Rugby T-Shirts) and extra legroom seats.
- Promote KQ value-add products, loyalty programs (Flying Blue, Kool Flyers), and KQ Holidays.
Safety and Risk Management
- Uphold safety and security standards for the office to safeguard company resources.
- Manage risks associated with the card acceptance policy.
Planning and Administration
- Prepare and administer shift and leave rosters for optimal resource utilization.
- Manage administrative matters including equipment maintenance, licensing, cleanliness, and brand image maintenance.
- Conduct staff appraisals as per KQ policy to measure performance.
- Undertake induction, training, and professional development/coaching for new and existing team members.
- Maintain daily opening/closing timings for the office and allocate resources appropriately.
- Ensure staff have the necessary systems, tools, and stationery to perform their duties.
- Identify and implement ideal processes for sales office activities.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree plus 2 years Sales experience OR a Diploma in a business-related field plus 4 years Sales experience.
- IATA/UFTAA Diploma/Intermediate to advanced Airline fares and ticketing.
- Minimum of 2 years of specific experience in Fares and ticketing.
- Demonstrated product and market knowledge.
- Superior team leadership, team working, and co-operation skills with the ability to drive change management.
- Good communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
- Ability to handle pressure and difficult situations with resilience, calmly and effectively.
- Must be a person of unquestionable integrity.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply online through the Kenya Airways career portal at careers.kenya-airways.com.
