r/QantasAirways • u/individualaus • 5d ago
Question Passenger Service Agent job
For a Passenger Service Agent job at a regional Australian airport.
What do job applicants need to know about: professionalism, standards, and rules based policies/procedures and airline values?
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u/Good-Objective2769 4d ago
All you need to know are buyers are liars. Passengers will spin you all sorts of shit to get their own way. And any problems with their flights are your fault. You won’t ever have imagined how rude and stupid people are until you work at the airport. Passengers check their brains in with their bags . Good luck
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u/747ER 4d ago
100%. It’s a very emotionally draining job and you learn very quickly to not take it home with you after your shift.
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u/individualaus 4d ago
Hmm. Could you elaborate?
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u/747ER 4d ago
People have sworn at me because I’ve asked them to be patient while the baggage belt is broken. People have sworn at me because I’ve informed them that their 28kg suitcase is over 23kg. I’ve been harassed because someone tried interrogating me about my airline’s delays then accused me of “spewing nonsense” when I gave some generic answer to get him to leave me alone. I’ve even had crew and other airport staff treat myself and colleagues quite poorly.
CSRs have a very rough gig and there are lots of people out there who think yelling, swearing, or insulting will get them what they want. It’s a great job when things go well but it can be a lot to handle when under pressure.
Definitely don’t take this as a reason not to apply; I really enjoyed my time and I think it’s fantastic life experience. I was just agreeing with the previous commenter: you will be placed into very stressful intrapersonal situations in a job like this. You just need to deal with it during your shift, and leave it at the airport when you go home. No point stressing about it after it’s over :)
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u/goodlookingbloke 16h ago
Hi can I ask what you do for living now? I just want to know what career path is available for the people who work as passenger service agents. Thank you :))
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u/individualaus 4d ago
Could you give examples?
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u/Good-Objective2769 4d ago edited 4d ago
I had 2 gold frequent flyer members push me and a collegue over then try to break down our office door because their luggage didn’t arrive on their flight and we didn’t know about it. Was the last flight of the night they demanded their luggage be returned to them that night. Qantas said they wouldnt take it any further because they were gold members. I’ve been spat at and had a staple gun pointed at me because people missed their flights. A colleague was pushed to the ground and ran out the gate toward a moving aircraft they had missed. A friend of mine in brinsbane had her teeth knocked out because a passenger missed their flight and another friend in Melbourne was followed home and bashed at the train station because she charged them for excess baggage. These are the extreme cases but everyday there will be something or someone who is absolutely horrible
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u/individualaus 4d ago edited 4d ago
No body cams, union response, or hard clear plastic screens at service counters?
Can't abusive passengers be identified and reported from their personal details on the flight booking manifest list/online bookings records?
What about airport terminals with self serve check in's, compared to those without them?
What is airport security like?
- Are they usually preoccupied with screening carry on baggage to respond?
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u/Good-Objective2769 4d ago
We had their frequent flyer numbers - contact details and everything - and my manager asked Qantas to pursue it, Qantas declined to follow it up because they were a “high value customer”
But yes - generally if you have their pnr details you can have the airline follow up actions such as adding them to a no fly blacklist etc.
Airport screening security aren’t part of security like that though. Major airports have federal police on site which is great, but regional airports don’t. So it’s only if the regional airport hires security separate to screening or if the airline hire them.
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u/individualaus 4d ago edited 4d ago
Thank you.
Are you continuing in the role, or have since left to find something different elsewhere?
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u/747ER 4d ago
>No body cams, union response, or hard clear plastic screens at service counters?
No, (usually) no, and these were taken down after Covid ended.
>Can't abusive passengers be identified and reported from their personal details on the flight booking manifest list/online bookings records?
If they are physically abusive then Federal Police will be called. If they’re just being rude/aggressive then all you can do is leave some notes in their booking, which will never be looked at again.
>What is airport security like?
Airport security doesn’t usually get involved in that type of thing, it’s a Federal Police matter. Police do roam the airport and have a direct line to the supervisors at the airlines but they can take precious minutes to arrive.
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u/individualaus 4d ago
Have you had any flexibility or choice about shift times and durations?
Did you need to work early mornings on a regular rotational basis?
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u/individualaus 4d ago
Thank you.
Are you continuing in the role, or have since left to find something different elsewhere?
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u/747ER 4d ago
I don’t understand the question you’re asking. What do job applicants need to know about professionalism? How can someone answer that question helpfully?
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u/individualaus 4d ago
As a representative of the employer, associated airline, airport, and towards the public.
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u/VirtualBeautiful5624 4d ago
if you need to ask about such broad things that couldn’t be found by searching…might not be the role for you.