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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Ancillary Revenue Representative

💰 $35,000 - $60,000

Airline OperationsCustomer ServiceSalesRevenue Management

🎯 Role Definition

The Ancillary Revenue Representative is a customer-facing revenue specialist focused on maximizing ancillary sales (baggage, seat assignments, upgrades, in-flight retail, priority boarding, pet fees, insurance, and other paid services) while delivering excellent service. This role combines proactive sales, transactional accuracy, revenue recovery, and partnership with revenue management and product teams to improve attachment rates, yield, and customer satisfaction across channels (call center, email, chat, web support, and airport points of sale).

Key SEO & LLM keywords: ancillary revenue, ancillary sales, upsell, cross-sell, airline ancillary products, baggage fees, seat upgrades, revenue optimization, CRM, customer support, call center sales.


📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Call Center Agent / Customer Service Representative with sales experience
  • Ticketing Agent or Airport Customer Service Representative
  • Hospitality Sales or Retail Sales Associate

Advancement To:

  • Senior Ancillary Revenue Representative / Team Lead
  • Revenue Optimization Analyst
  • Ancillary Product Manager
  • Sales Supervisor or Contact Center Supervisor

Lateral Moves:

  • Revenue Management Analyst
  • Customer Experience Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Proactively identify and close ancillary sales opportunities across channels by recommending relevant add-ons (baggage, seats, upgrades, insurance, priority boarding, in-flight retail, lounge access) based on customer profile, booking details, and propensity-to-buy signals.
  • Achieve and exceed monthly and quarterly ancillary revenue targets and key performance indicators (attachment rate, conversion rate, average ancillary revenue per passenger, revenue per call/chat).
  • Handle inbound and outbound customer interactions via phone, email, chat, and social media to process ancillary purchases, modifications, refunds, and exchanges while maintaining high standards of customer service and compliance.
  • Use CRM and reservation systems (e.g., Sabre, Amadeus, Navitaire, Salesforce) to update passenger records, issue ancillary charges, reconcile transactions, and document interactions for auditability and follow-up.
  • Educate customers about ancillary product features, benefits, and restrictions to increase understanding and reduce post-purchase disputes and chargebacks.
  • Validate payment and eligibility details, process secure payment transactions, issue receipts, and follow PCI-DSS requirements to protect customer data and minimize fraud risk.
  • Resolve disputes, chargebacks, and refund requests related to ancillary purchases by investigating reservation history, supporting documentation, and policy guidelines to protect revenue and maintain customer trust.
  • Collaborate with revenue management, commercial, and product teams to provide frontline feedback on ancillary product performance, pricing sensitivity, bundling opportunities, and promotional ideas to drive incremental revenue.
  • Execute targeted upsell campaigns and outbound sales pushes using scripts, call lists, and CRM segmentation to monetize high-value segments (frequent flyers, corporate travelers, families, long-haul customers).
  • Monitor and report on daily and weekly ancillary sales performance, trends, and anomalies using Excel or reporting tools; escalate variances and propose corrective actions to leadership.
  • Identify at-risk transactions and perform revenue recovery (voids, reissues, fare adjustments, ancillary reinstatements) in accordance with company policies and regulatory requirements.
  • Support dynamic packaging and bundling initiatives by testing offers, tracking conversion metrics, and recommending pricing or itinerary-specific adjustments to increase attach rates.
  • Ensure accuracy of seat assignment and upgrade inventory by coordinating with inventory control and airport operations to avoid overselling and customer dissatisfaction.
  • Assist in post-travel revenue reconciliation, auditing ancillary sales logs, and coordinating with finance to resolve billing discrepancies and ensure correct ledger entries.
  • Train and coach junior revenue agents and partners on selling techniques, ancillary product knowledge, objection handling, and transactional processes to improve team output.
  • Maintain up-to-date product knowledge of airline rules, baggage policies, pet policies, refund and reissue rules, tax and fee structures, and regulatory changes that affect ancillary products and pricing.
  • Support e-commerce and merchandising teams by validating content, pricing displays, and checkout flows for ancillary products on web and mobile platforms and reporting UX obstacles that reduce conversion.
  • Participate in continuous improvement initiatives (process documentation, knowledge base updates, call script refinement) to shorten handle times and increase sales effectiveness.
  • Work with airport and on-board teams to support day-of-travel ancillary sales and last-minute upgrades, ensuring smooth execution and revenue capture at gates and onboard.
  • Maintain professional, empathetic communication with customers experiencing service disruptions; identify ancillary revenue opportunities created by irregular operations (reroutes, cancellations).
  • Ensure compliance with local, national, and international laws (taxation, consumer protection, data privacy) and airline policies when promoting and processing ancillary products.
  • Support loyalty program integrations by recognizing member benefits, upsell opportunities tied to points redemption, and coordinating with partnership teams to monetize co-branded offers.
  • Participate in A/B tests and pilot programs for new ancillary products or pricing models, capture qualitative feedback from customers, and support quantitative performance measurement.

Secondary Functions

  • Assist with ad-hoc data extraction and analysis to help the commercial team identify low-conversion points and prioritize product enhancements.
  • Contribute frontline insights to the ancillary product roadmap and help prioritize features that improve conversion or reduce customer friction.
  • Work with marketing to validate promotional offers, ensure accurate messaging in outbound campaigns, and help segment target audiences for upsell outreach.
  • Participate in cross-functional sprint planning and feedback sessions when new ancillaries or booking flows are being developed.
  • Support internal audits and compliance reviews by supplying transaction logs, call recordings, and reconciliation details upon request.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • CRM and reservation system proficiency (Salesforce, Sabre, Amadeus, Navitaire, AirVend or equivalent).
  • Strong transactional payments knowledge, including PCI-DSS best practices and payment dispute/chargeback workflows.
  • Proficient with Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, basic formulas) and experience with reporting tools (Tableau, Power BI, Looker) for daily performance tracking.
  • Familiarity with ancillary merchandising platforms, dynamic pricing engines, and e-commerce checkout flows.
  • Basic SQL or comfort working with exported datasets to run ad-hoc queries or support analysts (preferred).
  • Knowledge of airline ticketing rules, taxes, fees, and fare structures that impact ancillary pricing and bundling.
  • Experience with call center telephony systems, omnichannel support platforms, and workforce management tools.
  • Ability to process refunds, reissues, and revenue recoveries accurately in financial and reservation systems.
  • Understanding of loyalty program mechanics and how points/cash redemption affects ancillary attach rates.
  • Data-driven sales approach: ability to interpret KPIs (attachment rate, conversion rate, ARPP) and apply findings to improve performance.

Soft Skills

  • Consultative sales and upselling skills with strong objection handling and persuasive communication.
  • Customer-first mindset with calm, empathetic problem-solving during disruption or dispute situations.
  • Strong attention to detail and accuracy when processing transactions and documenting interactions.
  • Ability to prioritize tasks and manage high-volume interactions while maintaining quality.
  • Collaborative team player who partners effectively with product, commercial, operations, and finance teams.
  • Adaptability to rapid product, pricing, and policy changes in a fast-paced travel or retail environment.
  • Resilience and target-driven focus with a growth mindset oriented toward continuous improvement.
  • Clear written and verbal communication, able to create concise transaction notes and customer emails.
  • Analytical curiosity to identify trends, root causes, and opportunities for revenue improvement.
  • Time management and organizational skills to balance sales outreach, customer support, and reconciliation tasks.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent; strong emphasis on customer service and sales experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Business, Hospitality Management, Aviation Management, Marketing, or a related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business Administration
  • Hospitality & Tourism Management
  • Aviation / Airline Management
  • Marketing, Sales, or Communications

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 1–5 years in customer service, call center sales, ticketing, or retail sales; 2+ years preferred for mid-level roles.

Preferred:

  • Previous experience in airline ancillary sales, hospitality upselling, or travel retail.
  • Demonstrated track record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets, proficiency with reservation systems and CRM, and experience with transactional payment processing.