Travel Advisor

About the Role: Travel Advisor at Corporate Travel Management (CTM) Group

Corporate Travel Management (CTM) Group is seeking a dedicated and experienced Travel Advisor to provide exceptional travel services for VIP/Executive business travelers. This role involves arranging domestic and extensive international air, ground transportation, hotel, and any other travel services as requested. You will utilize strong communication skills and teamwork to deliver optimum service and achieve high customer satisfaction, as well as develop strong collaborative relationships with clients and vendors. This position also offers the opportunity to provide mentoring for less experienced travel counsellors.

Schedule / Shift

The standard shift for this position is 10:30am - 9:30pm CT / 11:30AM-8:30PM ET.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Confidently communicate with customers in verbal and written form to determine destination, mode of transportation, travel dates, financial considerations, accommodations, and other required services.
• Interpret vague or nonspecific instructions from clients to draw clear conclusions and assemble accurate travel arrangements, utilizing additional resources when necessary.
• Arrange all travel-related services, including but not limited to, bookings for air, rail, car, car service, hotel, seat assignments, and any other accommodations requested.
• Understand, manage, and execute the use of upgrades and loyalty programs, ensuring follow-through for delivered services.
• Demonstrate strong working knowledge of unique requirements for complex international travel, including routing, fares, pricing, multi-destination trips, available resources, and travel documentation.
• Possess the knowledge to select and recommend foreign carriers for safety and reliability, and make special arrangements (hotels, showers) to accommodate international flight schedules and time zones.
• Be proficient in international offerings, including airport lounges, day rooms, local currency, local customs, and available resources for international travel bookings.
• Utilize available resources such as RADIUS, Virtuoso networks, eGlobalfares, and VerifyMyTrip to stay current on international and global affairs, benefits, and offerings.
• Act consultatively with customers and proactively anticipate client needs to produce optimum results, executing travel plans with high accuracy and overcoming unanticipated obstacles.
• Display self-confidence and respect, acknowledging the hierarchical level of VIP/Executive travelers and/or their administrative assistants.
• Compute costs of travel-related services using the GDS (Global Distribution System) or other booking tools and resources.
• Quality Control each reservation before queuing to the relevant ticketing/quality control queue.
• Empowered to resolve customer service issues, using resources through leadership and/or vendor representatives when necessary, and obtaining approval from leadership for monetary guidelines.
• Review incoming correspondence and materials, prioritize, summarize, and respond in a timely manner.
• Communicate all necessary information to travelers and travel arrangers to ensure expectations are met, including itineraries, fare rules, confirmation numbers, cancellation policies, prepaid arrangements, code shares, upgrades, passenger preferences, industry updates, client travel policies, and credit card verifications, as well as destination and delivery information.
• Maintain all reservations in a completed state, regardless of whether authorization to ticket was received at the time of the call.
• Monitor assigned queues and tasks throughout the workday to ensure reservations and tasks are accurate and complete.
• Responsible for ensuring all tasks within their team are completed or reassigned by the end of the shift.
• Work with the leadership team to identify opportunities for process improvement and continual enhancement to the travel program.
• Collect payment from customers for travel services according to Client’s Travel Policy and Travel and Transport Policy and Procedures.
• Read daily briefings and industry announcements to keep abreast of industry developments.
• Participate in training opportunities to maintain and expand travel knowledge and customer service skills, including monthly international expert calls and International Academy certification.
• Research and advise on visas/passports for international travel to ensure compliance with international regulations.
• Maintain a comprehensive working knowledge of GDS and any other product used for specific accounts (e.g., BARTT, Online Booking Tool, Quality, Banx).
• Maintain productivity goals as set by leadership.
• Ensure strong intra-departmental communication, display positive team spirit, and ensure exemplary customer service.
• Develop trusting relationships with executive administrators and executive travelers while demonstrating superior customer service.
• Build collaborative relationships with vendors to reach targeted goals.
• If participating in Travel and Transport’s mentoring program, responsible for coaching and mentoring other travel counselors in their career development.
• Ability to work outside regular shifts during special events or times of crisis.
• Monitor flights of executive travelers using available resources, such as eTTek Preview and Flight Stats/PNR Monitor.
• May require booking personal travel for executives, their family members, or other travel companions.
• Arrange travel for small corporate groups and secure special group rates for airlines and hotels at the best price.
• Conduct initial introduction and interview of executive traveler profiles, which could include client onsite visits, and responsible for ongoing profile updates.
• Must maintain regular and reliable attendance.
• Other duties as assigned.

Leadership Responsibilities

This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

Required of all CTM Positions

• Embrace CTM’s core values of Connect, Evolve and Deliver.
• Professional, collaborative and supportive interaction with employees, clients, suppliers and vendors.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Appropriate and professional written and verbal communication.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, handle and prioritize simultaneous requests.
• Creative and analytical thinking with strong problem-solving and consultative skills.
• Demonstrates calm under pressure – is a proactive contributor and eager to learn.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to do basic math.
• Ability to read and interpret information.
• Attention to detail.
• Regular and reliable attendance.

Education and Experience

• High School Diploma or equivalent is required.
• Minimum of 2 years travel counselor experience booking corporate/business travel.
• Sabre GDS proficiency.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Strong interpersonal skills and capability to work effectively with all levels.
• Demonstrates professionalism and skills to maintain a positive image.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to keep confidential any information, observations, or viewpoints regarding business matters.
• High degree of motivation with driving sense of responsibility, accountability, and responsiveness.
• Working knowledge of technology and PC literacy.
• Proficient on GDS.
• Strong ability to prioritize and multi-task.
• Geography knowledge.
• Ability to read and interpret documents.
• Strong communication and customer service skills.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standard situations.

Flexible Work Arrangements and Benefits

CTM NA is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. Flexible work arrangements are available, with options for onsite, hybrid, or fully virtual roles depending on location and business needs. The company offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits program, tailored to support employees at every stage of life. Benefits include company-paid basic life & AD&D insurance, short-term disability, a robust wellness program with incentives, various medical/dental/vision plan offerings, HSA with company core contribution and match, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 9 company paid holidays including the day after Thanksgiving, generous paid time off programs for vacation and sick days, an Employee Assistance Plan with access to Talk Space Therapy, Family Medical Leave, Paid Parental Leave (4 weeks), Maternity benefits, Bereavement Leave, a 401(k) Retirement Plan with a generous match, and Student Loan Payment Match.

Key skills/competency

• VIP Travel Management
• International Itinerary Planning
• Sabre GDS Proficiency
• Executive Customer Service
• Complex Problem Solving
• Corporate Travel Booking
• Vendor Relationship Management
• Global Geography Knowledge
• Attention to Detail
• Loyalty Program Expertise