Do gate agents make good money?
Gate agents can earn a very competitive salary compared to other similar jobs. Often times companies pay employees that work in customer service very low wages. In the case of gate agents, airlines recognize how important their contributions are and pay competitively to retain them.
What do gate agents do when passengers are late?
In fact, gate agents are monitoring the record of passengers who might be en route to determine if they should give their seat away to someone else (but only if it is clear the passenger won’t make it). They even have a term for late passengers who scurry to the gate: “runners.”
What are the duties of a gate agent?
From opening the door of an incoming flight to coordinating assistance for wheelchair passengers and children traveling alone to preparing the same plane to depart again, gate agents have their hands full. They also deal with last-minute seat assignments, upgrades, customer questions, and crew or maintenance issues.
Why do airline gates have two agents?
Back in the good old days, gates were staffed with two agents so they could more efficiently assist passengers. In this age of cost cutting, a lone agent has to do everything from driving the jet bridge to meet the door of the plane to adjusting seat assignments.
What benefits do gate agents get?
They may get health, dental, vision and life insurance, vacation pay, retirement, and travel programs. Starting salary will usually be between $9 and $11 per hour, but some airlines do pay more than $16 per hour for more experienced people.
Do gate agents get travel benefits Delta?
This position requires standing for long periods of time. This position comes with comprehensive health and wellness benefits, profit sharing program, 401k with an automatic 3% company contribution plus 6% matching contributions, and Delta's industry-leading travel privileges (free flights!).
Is it hard being a gate agent?
Gate agents are amongst the hardest-working employees at an airline who are under tremendous pressure with every flight to which they are assigned. They have dozens of tasks which they must complete in order to get that airplane to depart on time.
Can gate agents give lounge access?
Most agents don't have access to airline lounge passes or drink vouchers, so attempts to finagle more goodies most likely will prove futile. However, you could politely request that the agent ask a supervisor if it's possible to offer more. Just don't get your hopes up.
Do gate agents get free travel?
Gate agents can receive free or discounted flights based on the policy of the airline they work for. This can include free flights, reduced fares, and in some cases you can even get these benefits for their friends and family.
Do Delta gate agents fly for free?
Being a gate agent is interesting work, most employees are helpful. The flight benefits are good free domestic travel, reduced cost for confirm and international travel.
Can gate agents change flights?
“Gate agents have to charge the fee that applies to your ticket class or airline elite status,” the publication explains. And they probably can't get you on a later flight for free, either. At least not if you want to voluntarily change your plans.
Can gate agents change seats?
Ask your gate agent about a seat change, but make sure to pick an opportune time (e.g., not during boarding). At check-in, see if any other seats are available. Ask very nicely, or even offer the gate agent some chocolate or other kind gesture and see where that gets you.
Can gate agents accept tips?
Charlotte confirmed that as airline employees, no — gate agents are not allowed to accept tips. Or kickbacks.
Why do gate agents type so much?
This leads to gate agents being forced to work with archaic computer programs that require numerous codes to perform simple functions. That explains why they always seem to be typing endlessly on their keyboards.
Are gate agents union?
The National Mediation Board said on Tuesday that of 12,518 valid votes cast from Delta passenger service employees, which include gate and ticket agents, customer-facing cargo agents and reservation sales workers, 3,772 favored unionization. That includes 3,638 votes for the machinists, while 8,746 chose no union.
What do gate agents do on daily basis?
Agents have a variety of duties depending on the size of the airline, including making boarding announcements, assigning seats, handling standby passengers, monitoring jet way doors during boarding and disembarkation, and assisting in customer service duties.
Pro: Flexible Schedule
Unlike traditional 8-5 jobs, airports are open and operating 24/7. This means that you can potentially work shifts at times and on days that most jobs won’t allow. For some people, this can be a real blessing. There are many people out there that have reasons why they would prefer to work hours that are typically considered non-traditional.
Con: Working Nights and Weekends
The flip side of that coin is that for many people working at night, on the weekends, or on holidays is very inconvenient. If you have a young family, for example, and want to be at home at night when your kids are done with school, this can make things very difficulty. The same goes for finding time to see friends and family.
Pro: Free Flights and Travel Discounts
Gate agents can sometimes have access to some pretty great benefits when it comes to getting free and discounted flights. Although each airline has it’s own policies that determine what you can get and how often, it’s not uncommon to be able to take advantage of these benefits.
Con: Dealing with Angry and Frustrated Passengers
If you’ve ever been to an airport, this one should need no explanation. There are a ton of situations that lead to passengers being angry, tired, and frustrated. Many times, passengers take out these feelings on the gate agent since that who is in front of them and assisting them.
Pro: Meeting New People
If you’re a people person, one of the best parts of being a gate agent is getting to meet a ton of interesting people.
Con: Awkward Sleep Schedule
Working non-traditional hours can also mean that you have to have a non-traditional sleep schedule. This is very common for many people who work in the aviation industry.
Pro: Career Growth Opportunities
If you love the aviation industry, you’ll be pleased to know that there are many opportunities for advancement if you work hard and do a good job.
Gate Agents Serve a Key Role
As you can imagine, being a gate agent is not an easy job. They have a large list of responsibilities that prepares passengers to board the aircraft for their flight. They also help with many of the logistical issues that come up in an airport that nobody else might be equipped to handle.
Trained Professionals
Gate agents are put through a training program that includes learning a variety of new skills. Some of the soft skills they work on and improve include conflict resolution, customer service, and de-escalating people.
Conclusion
Gate agents have a demanding and busy job that has them helping passengers with a variety of tasks. They really do play a large part in making an airport run and airlines would likely struggle to keep things running in an organized manner without them. They are a key part of the aviation system.
What Is a Gate Agent?
A gate agent works at the boarding gates of an airport. As a gate agent, you most likely work for a single airline and move to various gates as needed. Your job duties include checking boarding passes, assisting passengers onto flights, upgrading seats, accommodating tardy passengers, and other similar duties.
How to Become a Gate Agent
As a gate agent, you manage the boarding gates for your airline at an airport. You deal with passengers departing and arriving on flights. A career as a gate agent does not require post-secondary education, although you must have extensive customer service experience.
Do Gate Agents Get Travel Benefits?
Depending on your employer, you may receive travel benefits from your airline. These benefits range from reduced fares to free flights, and are sometimes transferable to friends and family. These benefits are usually only offered if you fly standby, which means flying outside of the busiest times, especially weekends and holidays.
Main Responsibilities of a Gate Agent
In order to help passengers get ready for their flight, gate agents have to take care of numerous items and assist both the flight crew and passengers. Here is a list of items they might have to help with:
Customer Service
One of the items listed above is customer service. It’s worth noting that this is one of the most important aspects of the job. It takes a lot of time to handle all of the questions and concerns passengers might have. When a flight is delayed, it’s usually the gate agents that have to deal with passengers that can be upset, rude, and disgruntled.
Additional Responsibilities
In addition to handling the needs at the gate before boarding your flight, gate agents can also assist with other tasks for their respective airline while at the airport.
Jack of all Trades
As you can see, being a gate agent requires knowledge of a number of different aspects of the airline you works for. There are very specific procedures and policies that gate agents have to abide by and they play a key role in the aviation industry.
Conclusion
As you can see, gate agents have quite a few responsibilities and job tasks they have to do every day. Airports can be very busy and crowded places and often times these gate agents find themselves dealing with hundreds of passengers on a daily basis.
Top Factors for Pay Rate
There are several factors that go into how much money you earn as a gate agent. Here is a closer look at some of the most important factors:
Compared to Other Similar roles
While some might read these salary figures and wish they were higher, keep in mind that comparable jobs in other industries tend to pay significantly less. Being a gate agent does not require a college degree or other specific training before you are hired.
Recent Increases to Pay (2021 Update)
Throughout 2020 and 2021 there has been a large shift in how much companies pay employees. This is due in part to a shortage of labor which caused companies to have to compete to find and retain employees. As recently as 2018 it wasn’t uncommon for a new gate agent to begin employment earning as little as $9/hour.
Additional Perks to Consider
In addition to competitive pay, you can also expect to have access to a competitive benefits package as a gate agent since you will be an employee of an airline. Here is a brief list of some of the benefits you might be eligible for:
Conclusion
As you can see, gate agents can earn a competitive salary when compared to many other customer service jobs. As an added bonus, being a gate agent also gives you the ability to get the benefits that airlines offer their employees as well the opportunity for advancement in the aviation industry.
What do Delta gate agents do?
They also deal with last-minute seat assignments, upgrades, customer questions, and crew or maintenance issues. When they seem like they’re tapping endlessly on archaic computers for no reason, they’re actually accomplishing countless tasks in limited time. Delta Air Lines management once required gate agents to make eye contact with anyone within five feet of the desk every five seconds. Delta agents will tell you just how tough that is. Check out the 13 things airlines don’t want you to know.
What is gate agent monitoring?
In fact, gate agents are monitoring the record of passengers who might be en route to determine if they should give their seat away to someone else (but only if it is clear the passenger won’t make it). They even have a term for late passengers who scurry to the gate: “runners.”.
How often do Delta gate agents make eye contact?
Delta Air Lines management once required gate agents to make eye contact with anyone within five feet of the desk every five seconds.
Gate Agents Serve A Key Role
- As you can imagine, being a gate agent is not an easy job. They have a large list of responsibilities that prepares passengers to board the aircraft for their flight. They also help with many of the logistical issues that come up in an airport that nobody else might be equipped to handle. Related: What do gate agents do? Airlines choose who they hi...
Trained Professionals
- Gate agents are put through a training program that includes learning a variety of new skills. Some of the soft skills they work on and improve include conflict resolution, customer service, and de-escalating people. For the job itself, they learn how to use several complex software programs used to book passengers on flights as well as all of the aviation specific and airline specific proc…
Conclusion
- Gate agents have a demanding and busy job that has them helping passengers with a variety of tasks. They really do play a large part in making an airport run and airlines would likely struggle to keep things running in an organized manner without them. They are a key part of the aviation system.
Related Links