I started as an Air New Zealand check-in agent, becoming team manager a year later. Air New Zealand’s people are awesome. It is such a vibrant atmosphere, and no two days are the same. Every day we come together as a team and work hard to give our customers the very best experience. I really like being a part of that.
One of the great things is helping first time travellers. They can be really nervous. Ensuring that their check-in process is as stress free as possible is so important. These little things make all the difference and are rewarding. There is also the perk of being able to access staff travel. I have been able to travel a lot around New Zealand as well as to the Islands and Australia.
I also get to meet some famous people. I have checked in and escorted Usher to his plane. My daughters really like that I got to do that. We also fly The Warriors and All Blacks so talk to them quite frequently.
Best way to get on-board
For young people wanting to work for Air New Zealand, a good subject to study at school is tourism, and good results in the core subjects such as maths and English will also help. Our passengers do not always speak English so knowing a second language would also be a definite advantage.
It’s also important to explore the requirements of the position that you are interested in. For example, it if involves shift work, you’ll need to be able to demonstrate time management, punctuality, and taking responsibility. This could be shown by having worked in a part-time role while at school, particularly something requiring good customer service skills such as a job in retail or hospitality.
I also recommend completing a qualification in tourism
Air New Zealand’s Aviation Institute offers a Certificate in Airline Customer Service that includes a National Certificate in Tourism and a National Certificate in Aviation – Core Skills. This course is open to the public and is specifically designed to provide people with the core knowledge and skills required to work in the aviation and wider tourism industry.
On the job training is something that we’re big on. The new National Certificate in Aviation (Airline Check-in) is a great qualification. It provides a goal for our staff to work towards. It’s also a really big bonus that it is NZQA based, and our staff will have a transcript of their learning available on their NZQA Record of Achievement.
For more information, please contact ServiceIQ on 0800 863 693 or email intel@ServiceIQ.org.nz