Gate agent

Gate agents work at the boarding gates of airports where passengers board their flights and arriving planes drop off passengers.

About

Shifts vary with the particular airline's flight schedule, and, like ticket agents, gate agents must wear uniforms and put on a pleasant face for the public. Agents have a variety of duties depending on the size of the airline, including making boarding announcements, assigning seats, handling standby passengers, monitoring jet way doors during boarding and disembarkation, and assisting in customer service duties.

Gate agents are in a very hectic environment and are constantly staying busy. There is little time for breaks and resting. This fast-paced job is what most gate agents enjoy. Gate agents board air marshals first and they are almost always sitting in an aisle seat in first class.

Gate agents have the ability to upgrade people's seat if they have the desire to. Typically, on an oversold flight, gate agents will move someone up to first class who is courteous, patient, and well-dressed. They do not want to seat someone who is poorly dressed next to their best customers in first class. If the flight is not oversold, gate agents are not able to upgrade people's seats because the process is entirely automated and the computer decides who gets the upgrade based on elite status.

Gate agents are able to see everything about each customer's flight ticket. They are able to tell how much someone paid for it, where it was bought, and when it was bought. They are also able to see how many miles someone has, when their birthday is, and even their address.