Despite the development of technologies for selling tickets through the websites of airlines and their counterparties, most people still continue to buy tickets at regular ticket offices.
The availability of the location of air ticket offices and the demand for their services involuntarily suggests the idea that the business idea of opening an air ticket office is very promising, especially during the season of mass transportation.
At first glance, opening an air ticket office seems to be a simple and not too expensive business, since all the equipment of an air ticket office consists of an operator’s workplace with a computer, printer, safe and other office equipment, and communications equipment.
However, in fact, becoming a member of the airline ticketing network is not so easy. First of all, you need to take into account that airlines do not enter into agreements for the sale of tickets with small private companies. After all, the airline contractor must commit to buying a certain number of tickets every month, regardless of the demand for tickets. Only a large network company can afford such conditions.
Therefore, a private entrepreneur will need to conclude an agreement with one of the airline’s contractors and become a member of the general network on the terms of the counterparty. In particular, it is necessary to undertake the obligation to timely and promptly transfer funds for tickets sold, and to keep a minimum balance of funds on the account of the counterparty. It is also necessary to organize a strict accounting of air ticket forms, as well as train staff and connect to the program of online access to the ticket sales system. By the way, the right to access the program is paid and entails certain monthly costs.
Much attention should be paid to the level of qualification of the staff, as the system of ticket sales is constantly changing, various promotions are being held that affect the cost of tickets; there is a cancellation, consolidation of flights, introduction of new routes. There are also many nuances regarding fares and conditions for returning and exchanging tickets.
All this makes the business of selling air tickets rather complicated, with a large number of risks, requiring a careful and responsible attitude to business.
When opening an air ticket office, it is extremely important to choose the right location for it, as well as to conduct advertising campaigns informing about the emergence of a new point of sale. It is often beneficial to open an air ticket office near a travel agency or as part of it. This allows you to get a constant influx of customers and combine efforts to advertise your services.
It is also very profitable to open an air ticket office at transport interchanges, in the offices of large enterprises, on the territory of bus stations, and so on.
For the correct choice of the location of the air ticket office, it is necessary to conduct marketing research in order to assess the level of demand and competition.
The initial costs of opening an air ticket office include the cost of equipping the premises and purchasing the necessary equipment and software. They can be valued at several hundred thousand dollars. It should be noted that it is necessary to take a responsible approach to ensuring the security of the air ticket office, its fortification, the presence of a security alarm and video surveillance. The main part of the initial costs will be the costs associated with the conclusion of the contract and the fulfillment of the requirements of the counterparty.
In terms of income, the income of the air ticket office is about 7-8% of the cost of air tickets and allows you to ensure the profitability of the air ticket office, in case of a sufficient influx of customers and the correct conduct of business.
On our website you can order a high-quality and detailed business plan for opening an air ticket office, which contains all the necessary calculations and recommendations for creating your own business in this line of business.