At the age of 82, Jeanette Bank from XL Oceanair Travel has seen the travel industry transform from a largely paper-based business built on personal relationships to a fast-moving, technology-driven sector. Having started her career in the mid-1980s, she has had to adapt to decades of change, keeping up with the industry’s daily developments.
Bank’s journey into travel began with a longstanding interest in the sector. While working as a teacher, she regularly visited travel agencies to collect brochures. In the mid-1980s, she saw an advert for a six-month course and decided to pursue her interests.
She recalls ticketing being a hands-on process, in which you had to print the tickets and hand write in them. However, she said the work as relatively straightforward compared with the complexities agents face today.
“Life was much easier in comparison to today. Booking flights involved fewer complications. I do not remember dealing with the volume of schedule changes that agents now have to manage and the complexities of getting these sorted.”
Then and now
One of the biggest differences for Bank is the level of direct support available to agents. In the early days of her career, most airlines had representatives based in Durban who regularly visited travel agencies. Agents could pick up the phone or meet representatives in person.
“What’s missing now is that it’s hard to get through to airlines. Some carriers no longer have dedicated local reps, while others have staff covering several regions. This can leave agents struggling to find assistance, particularly when a passenger is already stranded at an airport.”
She believes this has signified the airlines’ shift to deal directly with the client.
Visa applications offer another example of how much the job has evolved. Instead of fully online applications, Bank recalls completing lengthy paper forms for clients by hand.
“I used to complete visa applications by hand. I would go to a client's office, fill in all the forms, gather the supporting documents and send everything off with their passport.”
Staying informed
Despite the changes, Bank continues to adapt by staying up to date with the latest industry developments. She keeps up with developments by checking travel updates, following discussions on OpenJaw and regularly monitoring industry news online.
“No matter how long you have been in the industry, things are constantly changing and it is important to stay up to date.”
For those considering a career in travel, Bank advises gaining practical experience alongside formal training. While courses in systems such as Galileo or Amadeus are important, she believes aspiring agents should first spend time observing an experienced consultant.
