Travel Specialist

In this Travel Specialist position, you will join a close-knit team of experts to provide exceptional customer service and enable our customers to have amazing travel experiences. You’ll be focused on developing genuine relationships with your clients and peers; and will keep up-to-date knowledge on our tour destinations, to provide informed advice. You’ll be part of a supportive team, where you’ll be provided with the opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge. Additionally, we are also looking for you to enhance our ticketing and BSP team which play a crucial role to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and optimal resolutions for an environment which demands intricate, detailed, and specialised knowledge.

**Key Responsibilities**:
**Direct customer service**: Provide expert travel advice, seek and book flights, accommodation, travel arrangements and connect customers to the world through our small group tours.

**Advise on travel requirements**: Guide and ensure customers are advised of essential information including visas requirements and insurance options to assist with international travel regulations.

**Partner Relationships**:Build strong relationships by engaging with clients and agents to understand their needs. Additionally, build and maintain friendly, respectful, and trustworthy relationships with primary preferred airline contacts. Expand relationships with relevant secondary carriers to boost alternative routing options.

**Maintenance of Key Contact List**: Upkeep contact, policy and carrier-specific booking and ticketing information, ensuring BDM and Rep details are always current.

**Monitoring and Actioning Airline Updates**:Remain up to date with all airline news, policy and fare changes, and distribute relevant information to Ticketing and Sales Teams.

**Negotiation of Airfares**:Work with key airline partners to negotiate complex wholesale airfares to reach a prime outcome for both parties, and passenger benefit.

**Airfare Development**: Exercise innovation and creativity to seek the best possible airfare routings and fares to match packaged land content for the benefit of clients and Bunnik Tours.

**Airfare Recommendations**:Provide airfare recommendations and alternatives to the Product Team to seamlessly connect with tour itineraries, especially for challenging destinations. This includes for new/potential tours, as well as reviewing existing tour itineraries.

**New Distribution Capability (NDC)**: Investigate, facilitate, and support the integration of NDC into the workplace and amongst employees. This program will enhance and customise how products are retailed through third-party systems.

**BSP Reporting**: Complete weekly BSP reporting to ensure the reconciliation and settlement of all airline tickets sold via IATA and our Global Distribution System (GDS). Any discrepancies or disputes are also to be investigated and resolved as efficiently as possible.

**Manage IATA Ticketing Limit**: Monitor the weekly sale and expenditure of airline tickets for the company, ensuring the limit is increased if necessary to avoid any disruptions to the ticketing process.

**Internal Airfare Training**: Provide advice and training to Sales team members on standard and advanced airfare knowledge to maximise outcomes for both the client and the business.

**Support Pillar**:Be accessible for staff to pose questions regarding ticketing and airfare related queries.

**Crisis Management**: Act competently and proficiently to re-organise flights for individuals or groups in the event of a crisis or incident overseas where clients need to be repatriated through illness, family emergency, political unrest/war/terrorism event, or natural disaster.

**Staff Travel**: Be flexible and agile when organising airfares and routings to meet the needs of staff travel.

**Ticketing and BSP Manuals**:Create and maintain internal manuals relating to ticketing and BSP reporting and reconciliation.

**Qualifications and Requirements**:

- Minimum of 5 years international experience within the travel industry
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience using advanced Amadeus
- Knowledge on International fares and ticketing
- Recognised IATA/Airline Fares and Ticketing qualification (if possible)
- IATA Passenger Fares and Ticketing (if possible)
- Exemplary attention to detail
- Possess creativity and innovation
- Ability to problem-solve
- Experience with Crisis Management in an Airline/Ticketing role (fi possible)
- Proficient time management
- Exceptional geographical knowledge
- Exceptional multi-airline product and fares knowledge
- Be able to understand and work well within a team environment
- Hold an open and growth mindset
- Be adaptable in a fast paced and ever-changing industry

**About you**:
Ideally, you will have established experience in a customer service-focused role within the travel industry and have a genuine passion for the work that you do. You will be driven by connecting your customers with exception