Senior VIP Business Travel Consultant
Al Arabia Travel services – Jeddah -KSA
Total years of experience :17 years, 10 Months
*Handled Travel requirements of Celebrities, VIPs and juries of Redsea International Film Festival for four consecutive years successfully .
*Handled travel requirements of VIPs and supporting team for Riyadh season and Formula One held in Jeddah.
* Lead a team of group ticketing for Saudi Binladin group.
* Handing end -to-end booking of Air, Hotel, car and ensuring accuracy cost effectiveness and compliance with corporate travel policies .
*Utilize advance knowledge of global distribution system and other booking platforms to facilitate smooth and efficient travel arrangements.
*Manage inquiries and troubleshoot issues related to all bookings promptly and ensuring exceptional customer service satisfaction.
*Communicate with clients by telephone, email and in person in a professional and friendly manner giving them the confidence that their inquiry will be handled immediately and to their satisfaction .
* Promote corporate deal fares offered by the Airlines and apply them effectively to maximize profit level of the company.
* Negotiate with Airline and other service providers for spot discounts and group fares.
* Being available after working hours and weekends for emergency enquirers and assistance.
* Monitoring queues frequently and checking flight disruptions, cancellations, misconnections and suggesting convenient alternative options to the clients in a timely manner without effecting cost and their schedule.
* Comparing online and NDC fares with GDS and apply the lowest channel to maximize profit level wherever applicable.
*Cross checking different routing combinations to find lowest fares for a desired itinerary ensuring non violation of Airline and GDS policies.
* Being updated about global travel environment and advising clients regarding travel restrictions, baggage, travel documents, stop over and transit policies.
*Provided detailed, tailored travel advice and bookings for customers, meeting individual needs and budgets.
* Planned and managed branch budgets, keeping expenses low to maximize profits.
* Assisted customers with varied enquiries, upholding exceptional customer service standards with each interaction.
* Took part in familiarization visits to new destinations to gain information on issues and amenities of interest to consumers.
* Analysed customer feedback to make necessary improvements to service delivery processes.
* Mentored and trained new staff members, leading by example to provide optimum customer satisfaction.
* Liaised with travel partners to manage bookings and schedules.
* Arranged work rotas for staff and allocated tasks to complete required tasks on time.
* Held meetings to motivate team to meet sales targets.
* Delivered sales presentations, confirming content consistency with other marketing communications and suitability to nature of audience.
* Led team to exceed sales targets by reducing waiting times at counters and changing item locations.
* Obtained required information from travelers and stored to promote new products and packages.
* Worked with sales and marketing to identify possible gaps in company offerings, generating new ideas to promote business all year round.
* Monitored and reported on sales activities and trends, providing relevant information to team members.
* Sourced products and destinations to meet consumer demands for bespoke travel and sustainable tourism
* Handled calls and emails from corporates for group and individual bookings .
* Handled enquiries from Travel agencies, assisted with group bookings and general enquiries regarding schedule, baggage, penalties and travel restrictions etc.
*Informed schedule change, flight cancellations and suggested alternative options.
* Reissued or re validated tickets for walking clients and Travel agencies and ensured payment .
* Visited potential clients and Travel agencies and maintained an excellent relation with them .
* Circulated travel updates and promotional fares through different channels and ensured their acknowledgment by the clients and agencies.
* Maintained excellent relation with Airport operation team and ensured the best service to our clients.
* Organised and communicated needs of VIP guests, paying extreme attention to detail.
* Monitored local events and local market news to forecast impact on demand calendars.
* Assisted with dinner and entertainment bookings, Identifying customer preferences and providing solutions to match.
* Handled calls and emails from corporates for group and individual bookings .
* Handled enquiries from Travel agencies, assisted with group bookings and general enquiries regarding schedule, baggage, penalties and travel restrictions etc.
*Informed schedule change, flight cancellations and suggested alternative options.
* Reissued or re validated tickets for walking clients and Travel agencies and ensured payment .
* Visited potential clients and Travel agencies and maintained an excellent relation with them .
* Circulated travel updates and promotional fares through different channels and ensured their acknowledgment by the clients and agencies.
* Maintained excellent relation with Airport operation team and ensured the best service to our clients.
* Organised and communicated needs of VIP guests, paying extreme attention to detail.
* Monitored local events and local market news to forecast impact on demand calendars.
* Assisted with dinner and entertainment bookings, Identifying customer preferences and providing solutions to match.