Travel Services Lead – Sabre & GDS Specialist

WNS; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

WNS is seeking a Travel Coordinator in Cape Town to respond to customer inquiries via phone, email, and chat, assisting with bookings, changes, and policy guidance. Proficiency with Sabre and GDS is required.

The role involves handling cancellations, rebooks, schedule changes, and refunds, documenting interactions, and ensuring service quality. French and English language skills are a plus; a high school diploma and 1+ year call centre experience in hospitality or travel preferred.

Qualifications

• Experience with Global Distribution Systems (GDS).
• Knowledge of travel products and geography.
• High School Diploma, GED or equivalent.
• 1+ year of experience in a call centre with experience in hospitality, tourism, or related field preferred.
• Ability to speak French and English.

Responsibilities

• Respond promptly and appropriately to customer inquiries via phone, email, and chat regarding bookings, itineraries, and travel policies with a goal of customer satisfaction.
• Assist customers with pre-booking questions and errors encountered when booking flights, hotels, rental cars, and activities.
• Assist customers with travel cancellations and modifications following correct processes for specific client’s program.
• Handle customer issues and complaints, working with team members and suppliers to find appropriate and timely solutions.
• Document all interactions of customer requests and actions taken following correct processes for the GDS and ADM systems.
• Reply to customer and supplier emails using correct processes, structure, and grammar to convey a professional and caring tone and sense of urgency.
• Advise customers on fare rules, refund eligibility, exchange fees, and credit use to help them make informed decisions.
• Cancel customer flights following the correct processes and order for air ensuring that fare rules and restrictions are verified, manual fees are added or waived, and that refund and credit options are presented to the customer prior to cancelling.
• Re-book flights for customers in the ADM using air travel credit certificates following correct processes for payment and queueing.
• Assist customers with flight schedule change options, checking availability for requested flight changes, passing necessary information to the exchanges team with urgency, and setting appropriate expectations with the customer.
• Queue place bookings in Sabre for all flight bookings worked.
• Available for weekend rotations as scheduled.
• Assist agents with escalated customer issues and complaints, working with team members to find appropriate and timely solutions.
• Ensure bookings and issues requiring follow-up are entered on the appropriate channel and tracker for action and ownership.
• Work issues and escalations from the tracker daily providing timely customer updates and closure.
• Provide clear and accurate information to customers on refund and change options and timelines, cancellation policies, fees, and credit options.
• Process complex ticketing adjustments in Sabre, including voluntary and involuntary changes, reissues, cancellations, and refunds ensuring refunds and add/collect are processed correctly in the CRM.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical or fare-related issues within Sabre, ensuring smooth transaction processing.
• Complete credit card refunds only after verifying that the actions on the booking were completed correctly, fees are accounted for correctly, and the amount is due to credit card and not another form of credit or adjustment.
• Create Travel Certificates after verifying any applicable manual fees adjustments were made and that all amounts, fields, and documentation are entered correctly before emailing the itinerary with the certificates to the customer.
• Redeem Travel Certificates following correct processes in both GDS and the booking CRM.
• Work Sabre Queues through the day ensuring escalations and follow-up are completed.
• Work Schedule Changes from the Sabre Queues following correct processes.
• Work the Daily Task Tracker as assigned and ensure Refunds and Balance Due bookings are settled correctly.
• Assist with daily auditing of bookings, cancellations, exchanges, and refunds to ensure correct financial processes are followed in line with airline and supplier policies.

Skills

GDS experience

Travel products knowledge

Bilingual French & English

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Job description

WNS is seeking a Travel Coordinator in Cape Town to respond to customer inquiries via phone, email, and chat, assisting with bookings, changes, and policy guidance. Proficiency with Sabre and GDS is required.

The role involves handling cancellations, rebooks, schedule changes, and refunds, documenting interactions, and ensuring service quality. French and English language skills are a plus; a high school diploma and 1+ year call centre experience in hospitality or travel preferred.