How To Become A Reservations Agent: What It Is and Career Path

What is a reservations agent and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A reservations agent works in the travel and tourism industry booking reservations for flights, hotels, rental cars, and other travel-related services. They assist customers with inquiries, provide information on travel options, and make recommendations based on their needs and preferences. Reservations agents use computer systems to check availability, make reservations, and process payments. They also handle cancellations, changes, and refunds. Good communication skills, attention to detail, and customer service skills are essential for this role.

ScoreReservations AgentUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $31,591

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

8.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.11%

Asian 6.38%

Black or African American 7.44%

Hispanic or Latino 23.14%

Unknown 5.89%

White 56.04%

Gender

female 77.01%

male 22.99%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress Level

8.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

4.8

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.3

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Reservations Agent?

Pros

Discounts on travel and accommodations
Paid training and benefits
Constant interaction with people
Commission opportunities for upselling
Opportunity to learn about the travel industry

Cons

Dealing with difficult customers
High-pressure environment during peak season
Low salary compared to other customer service positions
High stress levels due to strict deadlines and quotas
Working in a call center can be isolating and uncomfortable

Key steps to become a reservations agent

Explore reservations agent education requirements

Most common reservations agent degrees

Bachelor's

36.6 %

High School Diploma

25.7 %

Associate

22.6 %

Start to develop specific reservations agent skills

Skills	Percentages
Reservations	50.66%
Customer Service	7.25%
Booking	5.51%
Data Entry	3.45%
Front Desk	3.31%

Complete relevant reservations agent training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New reservations agents learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a reservations agent based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real reservations agent resumes.

Research reservations agent duties and responsibilities

Utilize OpenTable to take and manage reservations both from incoming calls and ones request online.
Manage computerized bookings and reservations, corporate and private account management, credit card authorizations, billing, and discrepancy resolutions.
Provide exceptional level of customer service to incoming callers while focusing on sales by booking reservations consistently and correctly.
Used signature sales techniques to determine needs of guests, rates, and upsell.

Prepare your reservations agent resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your reservations agent resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a reservations agent resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Reservations Agent Resume templates

Build a professional Reservations Agent resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Reservations Agent resume.

Apply for reservations agent jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a reservations agent job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do reservations agents rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Reservations Agent reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019

Pros

I like building relations with other companies, keeping customers satisfied and growing in all areas,

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019

Cons

Non caring employer's , standing on my feet all day, working weekends, low pay

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019