IATA Airline Customer Service

Objectives

Upon completion of this course you will be able to:

• List and describe techniques of effective communication and customer contact
• Summarize and set out the characteristics of the various social styles and cultural differences of airline customers
• Describe new trends in customer service

Key topics

• Improved standard of customer service
• Verbal and non-verbal communication skills
• Customer contact techniques
• Cross-cultural awareness
• Managing stress

Course format

This course requires approximately 45 hours of study to be completed in 12 months from the purchase date (enrollment validity). After the enrollment validity expires, the users will not have access to the course content and will not be able to take the exam. Student performance will be based on an examination.

Exam information

Online exam with remote supervision. You will be given 3 hours to complete 100 multiple-choice questions. Passing grade is 60%; 90% is needed for a distinction. You will be given 2 attempts to successfully complete the final exam.

Table of contents

The airline industry today, the regulatory and business context

• The airline industry
• Economic and social impacts
• Regulatory bodies
• Main industry features of passenger airlines

A better standard of customer service

• Airline industry changes
• Customer service in the age of the customer airline customer service

New trends in customer service

• New trends in customer service channels
• Multichannel customer service
• Customer service points

Customer perception

• Customer service and communication
• The importance of listening in customer service
• Verbal and non-verbal communication

Customer contact techniques

• Meet the customer
• Non face-to-face communication in customer service
• Social media—new ways of reaching out to customers

Social styles and tact

• Know yourself first
• Social styles and customer service
• Cross-cultural awareness in customer service

Dealing with complaints

• Understanding complains
• Managing complains
• Disengagement and aggression

Managing stress and pressure

• Understanding stress and pressure
• Managing irregular working hours

• Students and graduates in tourism (bachelor + master) 
• Ticket office, reservations, check-in, traffic, operations, baggage service and information desk staff
• Cargo reservations and receiving staff
• Public relations and sales support personnel
• Flight attendants

Self-study

The Covid period has taught us how comfortable it can be to work from home and we are happy to build on this momentum. So no travelling, taking leave or endless evenings attending classes: the IATA course is offered to you completely online. This allows you to learn the course at your own pace and rhythm, wherever and whenever you want. No group lessons are organised, either physically or online. For any practical questions, you can of course always contact us.  Good to know: the courses are very clearly structured, which makes self-study much easier. After each theoretical chapter, you immediately get the chance to put this into practice by simulating your chosen GDS. All learning material is described in great detail and each chapter ends with numerous repetitions.

Start

You start whenever you wish and choose your own exam time. Note: from the moment you are enrolled, you have one year for all this. Keep that deadline in mind!

Exam

IATA provides 6 exam moments per year specifically: in January, March, May, July, September and November. Usually, the exam is scheduled in the last week of these months and always takes place digitally. This can be done at our Mechelen campus or from home.

Cost price

The cost price varies per course. Under 'how to register' you will find the link to register online. When you do this, you will get the overview of the prices of the different courses.
Thomas More students and Thomas More alumni (max 2 years after graduation) enjoy a discount. This has already been taken into account in the registration link.  Each time, you can opt for an e-book or for a printed version, in which case shipping costs will be charged. The price also includes 2 exam moments each time.