Senior Travel Operations Specialist - Operations OneTeam

Our Group Operations Division is looking for Senior Travel OperationsSpecialists for the Customer Support Team, which is known as One Team!

(These roles are planned to be based in Gardens, Cape Town (South Africa))

About the Role

The Senior Travel Operations Specialist is responsible for delivering exceptional end-to-end travel support and operational excellence across multiple customer communication channels. The role serves as a subject matter expert in complex ticketing, amendments, schedule changes, refunds, reissues, and airline policies, ensuring seamless customer experiences while minimising operational and financial risk.

As a senior member of the Operations team, the incumbent acts as a trusted advisor to customers, colleagues, and airline partners, leveraging advanced Amadeus expertise, NDC knowledge, and industry best practices to resolve complex travel scenarios efficiently and accurately.

Key Responsibilities:

Customer Experience Excellence

Multi-Channel Customer Support

• Deliver professional and efficient customer support via Voice, Email, WhatsApp, and other approved communication channels.
• Resolve customer enquiries at the first point of contact wherever possible.
• Manage customer expectations through proactive communication and case ownership.
• Provide accurate travel advice and guidance relating to bookings, changes, cancellations, refunds, and airline policies.

Customer Advocacy

• Liaise directly with airlines, consolidators, and suppliers to negotiate the best possible outcomes for customers.
• Escalate and manage complex travel disruptions, schedule changes, and irregular operations.
• Ensure customer issues are resolved within agreed service standards.

Service Quality

• Consistently achieve and exceed quality assurance standards and customer satisfaction targets.
• Deliver service aligned with company brand values and customer experience objectives.

Travel Operations & Ticketing

Complex Ticketing Management

• Process and manage complex domestic and international reservations.
• Execute ticket reissues, exchanges, refunds, voids, cancellations, split PNRs, and schedule change management.
• Interpret and apply fare rules accurately across multiple airlines and fare types.
• Manage NDC and GDS bookings in accordance with airline and company requirements.

Queue Management

• Monitor and action operational queues within defined service level agreements (SLAs).
• Prioritise urgent customer cases and operational escalations.
• Ensure no customer request remains unattended beyond agreed turnaround times.

Financial Accuracy

• Process payments and fare recalculations accurately.
• Ensure ticketing and reissue calculations are correct and compliant with airline requirements.
• Minimise debit memo exposure through accurate fare construction and ticketing practices.

Risk Management & Compliance

Airline Policy Compliance

• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of airline fare rules, policies, procedures, and industry regulations.
• Apply domestic and international airline policies accurately.
• Ensure compliance with company operational procedures and quality standards.

ADM Prevention

• Identify and mitigate potential Agency Debit Memo (ADM) risks.
• Investigate and resolve ticketing discrepancies proactively.
• Support operational initiatives aimed at reducing financial losses and errors.

Operational Governance

• Adhere to internal controls, audit requirements, and operational standards.
• Maintain accurate records of customer interactions and booking activity.
• Escalate risks and operational concerns appropriately.

Team Contribution & Continuous Improvement

• Support onboarding and training initiatives where required.
• Contribute to process improvements and operational efficiencies.
• Stay informed of industry developments, airline updates, technology enhancements, and NDC advancements.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)
• Quality Assurance Scores
• First Contact Resolution Rate
• SLA Adherence
• Productivity Targets
• Ticketing Accuracy
• Refund and Reissue Turnaround Time
• ADM Reduction and Prevention
• Compliance with Operational Standards

Job Requirements:

Qualifications & Experience

• Industry Tenure: Minimum of 6 years of core travel industry experience (Senior/Wholesale or high-volume retail environment preferred).
• GDS Expertise: Advanced proficiency in Amadeus (Cryptic) is non-negotiable.
• Modern Tech Savvy: Hands-on experience with NDC platforms and multi-channel CRM/chat tools.
• Communication Mastery: Impeccable verbal and written English communication skills-capable of crafting empathetic emails and professional WhatsApp responses.
• Education: High School completion (Grade 12 / NQF4 / A-Levels) is required; a relevant travel tertiary qualification is highly beneficial.

Personal Competencies

• The 'Unshakeable' Mindset: Calm under pressure, highly adaptable, and thrives in a fast-paced environment.
• Analytical Precision: Exceptional attention to detail; you catch the fare rule nuances that others miss.
• Proactive Problem Solver: You don't just spot a schedule change issue; you present the solution.

About the team

The One Team is the engine room of our Group Travel Operations. We support multiple global regions and brands, managing complex customer interactions and fulfilment. Utilising our robust in-house system (TCC), we collaborate as a unified front to ensure that buying and modifying air travel is a seamless experience for thousands of clients daily. We value expertise, sharp wit, and a shared passion for the aviation and travel industry