How to open an airline ticket office? Air ticket office business plan: necessary documents and equipment. How to open a ticket office for selling train tickets

High rhythm modern life every day the business associated with transport transportation is becoming more and more relevant. One of the relatively simple types activities in this area are the opening of a cash register and.

Tickets for air flights are always in demand, and modern technologies for issuing them make it possible to sell them even to those who do not have a large starting capital. To find out how to open an airline ticket office and how much you can earn from it, read on.

There are currently two ways to open an airline ticket office.

The first and more complex one is concluding an agency agreement directly with the carrier airline and direct sale of tickets. This option allows you to get the most favorable terms of cooperation (minimum cost of tickets), and therefore reach a good level of profit. But the agency agreement presupposes a number of strict requirements, which are quite difficult to meet, especially for a novice entrepreneur:

• with economic justification;
• compliance of the cash register premises with certain standards;
• availability of trained personnel;
• fulfillment of the sales plan, while most air carriers oblige agents to buy a certain volume of tickets broken down by destination.

This option for opening an airline ticket office requires about 600 thousand rubles. at the start. These funds will be used to prepare the premises, conclude the necessary contracts and agreements, train and improve the qualifications of personnel, etc.

The second way to make money selling air tickets is to enter into a subagency agreement with an existing airline agent.

The advantages of this format are the absence of serious requirements regarding the organization of the work process. In addition, an entrepreneur can enter into subagency agreements with several agents, which will allow him to choose the most advantageous offers for his clients.

To start working under a subagency agreement, a minimum of funds is required. 100-150 thousand rubles are enough to open. Approximately the same amount will be required for the first 2-3 months of work, until a permanent client base is formed.

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Features of the airline ticket sales business

If the question of how to open an airline ticket office is relatively simple - it’s enough to choose a large ticket sales agent and enter into an agreement with him, then further business activities may cause certain difficulties, which are not always obvious at the start of a business.

There is always a demand for air tickets, but in order to attract customers to your ticket office, you need to make some efforts. Experience shows that it takes three to four months to promote a cash register. Well chosen place, good advertising campaign, flexibility in working with visitors - ensure the formation of a circle of regular customers, which brings a significant part of the profit.

Important! Cash desks located in shopping and business centers, as well as in the immediate vicinity of such establishments, boast the highest sales.

There are certain nuances in the calculation of subagency remuneration; the following options for its calculation are currently used:

• fixed amount for each ticket;
• percentage of the cost of each ticket;
• percentage of total sales revenue for a certain period.

With the development of the electronic ticketing system, many air ticket offices began to work according to the following scheme. On the agent's booking resource, the subagent places a certain amount of money, which is debited when purchasing a ticket, and the subagent sets its own cost. The difference between the ticket price from the agent and the sale price from the subagent is the latter’s remuneration. As a rule, its size ranges from 2 to 4 percent of the ticket price.

By the way, the small amount of remuneration determines another feature of this business - the need for a large sales volume. On average, to cover the current costs of operating an air ticket office, it is necessary to sell at least two hundred tickets monthly.

Development prospects

The business of selling air tickets is quite specific, but at the same time, it is very interesting and promising. With sufficient attention to it, it will not only bring good profits, but will also provide an opportunity to reach new level.

Many of those who recently thought about how to open an air ticket office in Moscow are already confidently working and forming air ticket sales networks that extend beyond the Moscow Ring Road. By the way, launching such a business in the capital is practically no different from opening it in any of the regions, except that in Moscow there are more high level competition in this area.

This business is easy to replicate, so a well-thought-out operating strategy allows you to expand your activities in a short time, including by entering other regions.

In addition, the airline ticket office may eventually grow into a larger business in related industries. A couple of years ago some travel agencies gradually switched to selling air tickets as the only type of activity. Now the opposite trend is observed - air ticket offices are growing and are gradually turning into places for selling vouchers and tours.

This business has good prospects development, the opportunity to start working in small town. At the first stage, this may not be the case at all, because majority modern systems reservations only require the subagent to have access to the Internet and the ability to make payments to the client.

Selling air tickets is a direction available to everyone who wants to build their business in a popular and promising niche and is ready to put some effort into this.

The fast pace of modern life is impossible without the mass movement of people in space using planes, trains, and buses. Passes to vehicles are tickets that we purchase at the box office. Therefore, opening a ticket office as a way of doing business is a logical and attractive move. Already, more than a quarter of all travel documents are sold through commercial ticket offices. Moreover, the “lion’s share” of tickets are sold by travel agencies. This is especially true for international air travel.

It is not at all necessary to purchase a ticket “in addition” to a travel agency. Of course, organizing leisure time and booking a hotel are important components, but it is no secret that the air ticket makes up a significant share of the entire travel package (from 50 to 70%).

What do you need to open a cash register?! The main thing is to become an agent... or a super agent

At first glance, to open a ticket office you just need to rent a room and put a slightly trained cashier in front of a modern computer. In fact, the priority is access to information. To receive it, you need an agency or subagency agreement with the carrier company. But they are first accredited by the Transport Clearing House. If air transportation is carried out on international routes, then accreditation as an agent is required International Association carriers (IATA). In addition to the strict requirements for safe equipment and personnel qualifications, there is one more a big problem- IATA accepts financial guarantees from a narrow range of foreign banks. The situation is solved by a deposit of 20 thousand dollars, but such conditions are practically unrealistic for a small agency.

If all conditions are met, then the agency agreement allows you to use airline forms to issue tickets. The carrier strictly monitors the storage and use of forms, requires constant reporting, and in case of damage or loss, charges substantial fines (up to $500 per form).

An important aspect of the agency agreement is access to global network reservation systems (Galileo, Gabriel, Amadeus, Sirena, and for rail transport - Express). These systems provide operational communication between agents and air carriers and allow booking tickets for any flight from any agent point. A one-time connection, depending on the operator, costs from $40 to $100. Therefore, it is more profitable to have constant traffic with a monthly payment of $40-60.

To open a ticket office you need to be well prepared in organizing flights and having an established client base. Then the air carrier will show interest in you, and you will not fall for the “cheap tricks” of some “dubious” air carriers. Making smart use of the difference in ticket prices large companies, you can earn decent money (sometimes it reached $30 per ticket or $6-10 thousand per flight). The height of work - holidays. Then tickets are 50-70% more expensive and passenger traffic is higher.

Small travel agencies cannot become full-fledged agents. But our businessmen show flexibility, become subagents and work for “commissions”, amounting to about 6-7% of the ticket price. The companies are also not at a loss - they still have 5-7% of “commissions” left. The requirements for subagents have been slightly relaxed, but only slightly.

Selling air tickets through online ticket offices

Nowadays, no one will be surprised by the sale of tickets via the Internet. To stand out from competitors, agencies come up with various tricks. Some offer simultaneous hotel booking or subsequent car rental with the purchase of an air ticket. Others use exclusive programs to create optimal routes and flight conditions. And someone organizes home delivery of tickets anywhere in the country from the proposed catalog. True, this can take several days and will be paid separately from the ticket.

Also, many online ticket offices offer a wide selection of charter flights, tickets for which are cheaper than regular flights.

The supply market situation changes every moment. Therefore, for the sake of efficiency, it is very important to have modern technology and communication system.

"Highlight" from MPS

The situation with train tickets is somewhat different. The Ministry of Railways is a monopolist, therefore it dictates its own conditions, no less stringent than those of IATA. The agencies themselves, their locations and their staff are subject to accreditation. Only after this, a terminal for selling train tickets for routes across Russia is installed in the agency’s office. The contract is concluded not directly with the Ministry of Railways, but through intermediaries. For example, the Moscow Railway entrusted the signing of contracts to the MZA (Moscow Railway Agency). Since the contract does not provide for a “commission” remuneration, travel agencies do this on their own. From one ticket it reaches, on average, 120-150 rubles (and with delivery - even more expensive).

Prepared by editors: "Business GiD"
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All greater distribution receives a type of business such as selling air tickets through ticket offices. The reason for this is that today airline services are in great demand all over the world, and purchasing air tickets directly at the airport is usually accompanied by a lot of hassle. In order to avoid unnecessary problems, it is enough to buy a ticket at a separate ticket office. This situation gives quite serious reasons to assume that the opening of a private ticket office should bring tangible profits, especially if you consider that the sales of air tickets are growing every year, and until recently, all tickets were sold only at the airport.

Underwater rocks

At first glance, opening your own ticket office is a fairly simple project. However, its organization entails several specific problems that novice businessmen are unlikely to be able to solve. Firstly, many novice entrepreneurs have the wrong impression that the entry threshold into the airline ticket business is low. Setting up a ticket office initially requires a large amount of investment, and in addition, the first months of an airline ticket office, as a rule, operate at a loss, since points of sale do not have strong promotion. Secondly, due to the fact that air tickets do not belong to the category of essential goods, in order to maintain the required sales volume, a large target audience is necessary. To organize an air ticket office, a businessman must have significant connections in agencies major airlines necessary for concluding more profitable contracts. An interesting option would be to enter into contracts with companies whose business travelers are forced to purchase air tickets, thereby creating a permanent customer base. The ability to maintain competitive prices can be confidently called another important factor, without which it is impossible to make a decision about opening an airline ticket office.

Conclusion of contracts

Currently, the organization of the work of the ticket office can be carried out in two ways, implying:

• Concluding a direct agreement with a company providing air transportation services;
• Concluding a subagency agreement with an airline agent.

Taking the route of concluding a direct agency agreement can only be recommended to established businessmen who have decided to invest money in a new direction, since large air carriers always put forward two strict conditions. The first is to comply with strict rules for equipping and organizing points of sale, which are problematic to comply with throughout the entire cooperation. Failure to comply with this requirement, as a rule, leads to various penalties, but the terms of the agreement may even provide for termination of the contract. The second mandatory condition is the constant repurchase of the agreed volume of tickets. Naturally, novice businessmen do not have the opportunity to sell all purchased air tickets due to the lack of a client base. Such requirements lead to the fact that most entrepreneurs initially have to enter into subagency agreements. The requirements of airline agents, although not as stringent, are nevertheless mandatory. In order to identify possible violations, agents carry out periodic inspections. Also, in case of damage to ticket forms, ticket office owners are subject to penalties, the amount of which is specified in the contract. To enter into an agreement with an airline agent, you must provide the following documentation:

• constituent documents, if an organizational and legal form such as LLC was chosen to carry out the activity;
• certificate of registration with the tax authority;
• certificate of state registration;
• documents confirming the company’s right to use the premises where it is planned to place cash registers;
• documents confirming the fact that points of sale comply with the requirements specified in the contract, as well as equipping them with the necessary equipment;
• list of personnel with documents confirming the qualifications of employees.

Providing documents on personnel qualifications is necessary to undergo mandatory accreditation of the air ticket office. Taking into account the fact that not everyone has the skills to use software products, as well as direct experience in ticket sales, many agents and airlines conduct advanced training courses.

Questions regarding the organization of air ticket office premises

Before purchasing necessary equipment it is necessary to carry out work on the arrangement of the premises where it is planned to sell air tickets. It can be recommended to adhere to providing comfort to visitors by providing full information access, for which you will need:

• a pair of monitors broadcasting aircraft schedules;
• chairs for waiting visitors;
• equipped with an air conditioning system;
• interior decoration in light colors;
• a stand with the ticket office operating schedule and the basic rules of air transportation, as well as other necessary information.

Among other things, agreements with agents, as a rule, contain requirements for the mandatory presence of a fire-fighting system and an alarm system with a panic button at ticket offices. To directly organize the operation of the point, it is necessary to purchase the following equipment:

• floor safe for storage in it Money and ticket forms;
• a personal computer with which reporting should be carried out;
• standard printer for printing documentation;
• a printer that supports printing on ticket forms;
• telephone.

Let's sum it up

Renting premises for an airline ticket office will cost approximately 30 thousand rubles. To purchase the equipment listed above, you need to allocate about 60 thousand rubles, for wages airline ticket office staff - 50-60 thousand rubles. You will have to spend up to 200 thousand rubles to conclude a subagency agreement. Promotion costs cannot be discounted, amounting to 20-50 thousand rubles. To organize the work of the ticket office, you must purchase access to systems that allow you to reserve seats. All well-known systems, in particular Galileo, Amadeus and Sirena, have a monthly paid access of approximately 3-6 thousand rubles. Thus, the initial investment will be about 400 thousand rubles. It is also worth noting that without the initial promotion of an air ticket sales point up to six months they can operate at a loss or on the verge of self-sufficiency, which automatically leads to an increase in the amount of initial investment.

Given the stable demand for services transport sector, developed highway network, railways and air corridors, entrepreneurs are actively exploring this profitable source of income.

How to open an airline ticket office from scratch? A business plan, risks and benefits, cost calculations, expected profit of the enterprise - these are the problems a business startup must solve before his idea begins to function effectively as a profitable project.

Business Features

So, is it profitable to open a ticket office and can you make money from it? Transport companies offer a lot of options for air and rail connections to different points around the world, and millions of travelers buy tickets for the desired flights every day.

But not every one of them is ready to risk their planned trip and purchase a ticket immediately before boarding; not everyone has the time and opportunity to pre-visit the airport ticket office or railway station. Modern technologies allow you to organize the sale of tickets in remote, conveniently located points and build on this profitable business.

Having asked the question of how to open an airline ticket office, an entrepreneur must realistically assess his financial abilities and carefully study all the “pitfalls” of the enterprise.

Launching a “ticket business” is associated with a number of specific problems:

1. Impressive volumes of start-up investments.
2. The need for significant advertising costs.
3. Availability of a wide network of contacts of large companies, agencies, tour operators, firms, etc.
4. Ability to maintain competitive pricing policies.
5. Possible loss of profit in the first months of operation.

Despite all the difficulties, many owners of successfully operating ticket offices in Moscow and throughout the Russian Federation are confidently developing their projects, outlining the following prospects:

• Wide possibilities for expanding activities.
• High probability of interaction in related industries.
• The opportunity to launch a project not only in a large metropolis, but also in a small town on the periphery, and even in a “home office” format in initial stage development through the use of the global network.

For those who are interested in taking a place in the promising niche of popular ticket sales services, are ready to invest and work “for results,” opening an air ticket office is great option profitable business startup.

You can download and use the data as an example for implementation own project.

Project implementation principle

You can organize and launch a “ticket business” in the following ways:

1. Concluding an agreement with the carrier company directly as an agent.
2. Subagency agreement with an airline representative.

The first option is the most profitable, since it involves the direct sale of tickets purchased from the carrier at the lowest cost. But to conclude an agency agreement, an entrepreneur must fulfill a number of high requirements:

• Develop a business plan with a sound economic justification.
• Organize a cash register facility that meets company standards.
• Hire qualified personnel.
• Strictly fulfill the sales plan and obligations to purchase a certain volume of tickets from the supplier.

It is practically impossible to implement such conditions at the start of a business without having a developed customer base and experience built up over the years. Therefore, entrepreneurs prefer to cooperate with existing supplier agents and build a business according to the following step-by-step scheme:

1. Conclusion of an agreement - before submitting an application for an agreement on the provision of services as a subagent, the entrepreneur is obliged to prepare a set of documents, which includes the constituent papers of the company, a certificate of state registration and registration with tax control authorities, written confirmation of the right to operate the cash register premises. You also need to make a list of employees and attach documents confirming the qualifications of the personnel, obtain a conclusion on the compliance of the technical equipment and arrangement of the point of sale of air tickets with the prescribed requirements of the carrier.
2. Preparing the cash register premises - when arranging the interior, special attention should be paid to the interior - it is better to decorate it in an unobtrusive light color, select comfortable furniture, provide open access to information about flight schedules, install a ventilation and air conditioning system. It is also necessary to take care of the safety of the premises, clients, employees and data - organize security, an alarm system, fire safety and video surveillance, install a button to call the police.
3. Purchase and installation of equipment for organizing sales - the ticket office must be equipped with personal computers, MFPs for printing documents and maintaining records (printers, scanners, copiers), telephones, devices for printing on tickets. Required condition supplier - availability of a reliable floor safe for storing stock (air ticket forms) and financial assets. You also need to take care of special stands with up-to-date information for visitors and clients about the agency, operating hours of the outlet, and air transportation rules.
4. Selection and training of personnel - the entrepreneur must not only hire qualified employees, but also ensure that staff attend special courses skill development, which is carried out by companies or their agents in order to train employees in effective sales and use of current software products.
5. Organizing access to the seat reservation system is carried out using the programs “Amadeus”, “Selena”, “Gabriel”, “Galileo”, the use of which is paid and ranges from 3 to 6 thousand rubles monthly.
6. Accreditation is a necessary procedure as part of the registration and launch of an air ticket sales point - accreditation of the ticket office. To do this, it is necessary to submit documents confirming the professional qualifications of the personnel to the commission.
7. Promotion of an enterprise - you can expand the audience of consumers by placing information about the agency on pillars and billboards, in offices, subways, gas stations, etc. BTL marketers and outdoor advertising specialists will help you organize an effective promotional campaign.

Entrepreneurs for whom the question of how to open an airline ticket office is relevant can take advantage of this step by step instructions to effectively launch your project.

Video: how do ticket offices work?

Financial calculations

Opening a ticket sales office requires significant investment at the start.

Subagent points operating with high productivity receive a reward for cooperation of up to 12%.

If we take into account payments to tax and other organizations, we can talk about the amount of net monthly income in the amount of up to 70,000 rubles.

But do not forget that the payback of this enterprise occurs no earlier than 6-8 months of its operation and depends on the level of competition in the location and the solvency of the city’s population, the cost of fuel, and the influence of the tourist segment.

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