Travel Sales Advisor

Travel Advisor

The Travel Advisor role is responsible for providing exceptional travel sales and support experiences to our Members. Advisors must be self-sufficient and self-motivated in order to succeed and should possess world-wide travel knowledge while being able to work with a high level of accuracy. Travel Advisors act as consultants, tailoring our AAA products and services to create unique and memorable vacation experiences. Products/Services Handled: Full Service International Cruise & Tour bookings; Air, Hotel, Car, & Rail ticketing; and all related Member Servicing (primary) - Membership Sales & Servicing (secondary).

This is a full-time, onsite, 5-day a week position at our AAA San Francisco Lakeshore branch, with Saturdays included.

Essential Functions

• Sales
  • Owns the relationship with the member from beginning to end of each travel related transaction.
  • Sells International & Domestic vacation packages, cruises, tours, hotel, car rental, rail and air travel.
  • Initiates contact with members, past customers, and community prospects to generate new business and encourage repeat business.
  • Maintains minimum production goals in the following areas: Travel sales, sales of Travel Partner and proprietary products (Sojourns, AAA Vacations).
  • Cross-sells products such as credits cards and membership - both independently and by collaborating with specialized team members.
• Member Experience
  • Researches, evaluates, and compares AAA Travel Partner packages to match member needs and deliver exceptional experiences.
  • Stays current with world events and latest travel industry developments and trends to provide relevant information to members.
  • Investigates and responds to travel-related member questions/complaints, and recommends solutions.
  • Acts as a consultant, tailoring products and services to create unique and memorable vacation experiences.
• Operational Support & Compliance
  • Processes and interprets travel documents for members purchasing travel products with AAA and inform them of governmental requirements.
  • Handles ticketing for air, hotel, car, and rail, along with primary member servicing.
  • Utilizes industry-specific systems (e.g., GDS/Apollo/Galileo) and computer applications (Google Workspace) to manage transactions.
  • Applies good judgment and decision-making to identify customer needs and ensure high accuracy in all bookings.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Strong working knowledge of computer applications (e.g., Google Workspace), with effective telephone skills. Familiarity with industry-specific systems (e.g., Galileo, VAX, etc.) preferred
• GDS experience preferred (Apollo/Galileo/Travelport)
• Strong consultative selling skills with the ability to listen to members' needs
• Self-motivated sales drive and documented sales success
• Detailed knowledge of travel products
• Knowledge of worldwide geography, the ability to read and interpret maps and brochures
• Ability to identify customer needs and recommend solutions
• Application of good judgment and decision making
• Ability to work efficiently both independently and as part of a team
• Bilingual communication skills are a plus

EDUCATION / COMPETENCIES / CERTIFICATIONS / LICENSES

• Minimum Qualifications
  • High school diploma or equivalent
  • 3+ years of general sales experience
• Preferred Qualifications
  • 3+ years of recent experience selling international and domestic travel services

Work Environment/Physical Requirements

This is an in-branch position. Saturday availability is required, along with occasional evenings for special events. Work consist of sitting at a desk, table or computer workstation for extended periods of time. May travel by car, plane or other form of transportation to attend business meetings or conferences. Approximately 70-80 percent of the time spent on the job involves the use of a personal computer.

This role is subject to an incentive compensation plan. While top performers earn more, we expect most employees to earn between $0 and $38,000 annually in incentives, contingent upon performance.