Airline Representation and General Sales Agents (GSA)

General Sales Agent (GSA) at Geneva Airport

GVA Travel Services Sàrl offer a full set of services and products. We allow your airline avoiding an investment in own office and team by providing with a counter of international standards at the airport of Geneva with efficient and skilled staff.

Ground operations for your airline include passenger ticketing and check-in, baggage and gate area passenger boarding and deboarding.

GVA Travel Services Sàrl is responsible for seeing that Geneva Airport station's flights leave on time and follow Airline’s policy. As your GSA, we lead and manage your assigned ground operations employees.

We are also customer service manager and we do our best to keep travelers satisfied and happy. We ensure your flights leave on time whenever safely possible. We are also the Airline's liaison with local airport authorities and other service provider involved in the daily operation. In short, your Airline save money and the entire operation is operated by us

Duty station manager for supervising flights at the airport of Geneva

As part of the personalized representation services, GVA Travel Services supervise flights at the check-in and boarding

We maintain close contact with the handling agent and provide clear instructions on flight preparation as well as oversee on check in / boarding progress by means to ensure an on-time performance and good proceeding.

The service starts prior opening of check-in and continues until the aircraft is airborne, and a flight report has been sent to the airline.

We specialize in optimizing excess baggage collection, thus making sure that your business model is applied locally

Our ticket desk counter named Sunholiday is located in the main terminal of Geneva airport, so this enables us to be provided with a computer, printer, email, fax and maintain even closer supervision.

Pre-Flight Preparation

Before opening a flight for check-in, the following actions are considered and completed as appropriate for the operation:

Check all operational messages for the inbound flight, check parking/gate position
Review the information on the flight (type of pax / special requirements)
Confirm Passenger Name List (PNL) received from airline / charterer
Allocate seats to families and groups if the PNL is received in Departure
Control System and block seats as required by any instruction from the airline
Confirm the aircraft registration / matriculation
Check seating policy (allocated / free) and allocate seats in accordance with the seat plans which are located in the individual aircraft. Passengers in exit row seats must be able bodied and agents MUST NOT locate PRM, children/infants, elderly or obese passengers to these seats.
Check passenger list for any special passengers (WCH, UM etc) and assign seating in accordance with airline seating plans
Review boarding time, gate information and any other information (reason for any delay)
Flight briefing to the GHA supervisor and check in agents

Desks preparation

Check in counters are clean, presentable, properly and on time staffed
Start and test equipment, ensure scales are functioning
Ensure adequate supply of boarding cards/ baggage tags
Display Ariline’s logo / Tour operator / charterer airline signage + flight number, STD and destination.
Ensure that the routing of the entry of the check in is adapted and monitor queue flow
Ensure Dangerous Goods signage must be present in any of the following locations where:
Tickets are issued
Passengers Check-in
Aircraft are boarded

Check In

Passengers

Be visible and available to passengers, check-in agents and to the tour operators both in front and behind desk
Identify family groups with young children in the queue and allow a priority check in if possible
Special attention to be paid to the needs of PRM passengers
Special care to business class, silver and gold frequent travellers
Assist at the desk with problems regarding seating, passengers not in PNL, standby passengers
Make sure a thorough passport / visa check is done. If necessary, find the visa information from the IATA Timatic to obtain passport, visa and health requirements for countries or call the destinations immigration in case of any doubt.
Proper handling of PRM’s / UMNR / YPTA / MAAS / DEPU / DEPA / INAD’s / VIP / PETC, etc

Baggage

Active approach on excess baggage collection
Ensure handling agent performs correct baggage reconciliation process
Correct handling of any special baggage (Weapons, AVIH, Walking aids, etc)
Cabin baggage should be identified by GHA staff to ensure that it is not of excessive size/weight according to Airline’s policy.

Check-in Closing

Flights should close check-in at STD -45 unless otherwise following instructions of the Airline. Holding for late passenger will only be permitted after consultation with the GHA operations control and the Airline’s representative. In case of acceptance of a passenger after the closure of the flight, the baggage must be marked with mention “stand by” so as not to delay the departure of the flight in case the passenger would not arrive on time at the gate.

For closed charter operations, check-in shall remain open until it is confirmed that either all passengers are checked-in or the group leader has confirmed that no further passengers are expected. There will be no specified check-in close ‘time’ for such operations and flights may be delayed for some or all passengers.

Boarding Area preparation

Prior to the boarding process commencing the following should be check (as applicable):
Gate locations are clean, presentable, dangerous goods signage is present, properly and on time staffed
Check correct flight information is displayed at gate
Make sure manual bag tags are available in case we need to check in any bag or other item
If walking on apron, check route to aircraft is safe and clearly marked
For distant boarding from the gate to the aircraft by shuttle, make sure to have enough available shuttles and on time
For jet-bridge boarding secure and mark route to aircraft
Obtain clearance for boarding from crew

Boarding Process

The boarding process is as follows (as applicable):

Pre-boarding PRM’s and UMNR’s
PA calling for boarding passengers travelling on business class, gold and silver frequent travellers
PA calling families with young children’s first for pre-boarding, than by seating for a smooth boarding
Assist gate staff as necessary to help with timely and smooth boarding
Identify family groups with young children in the queue and allow a priority boarding
Verify each passenger’s identity, visual check of ID document photo against person presenting for travel, check name on boarding card against identity document
Retain boarding card stub or scan through DCS as appropriate
Apply cabin baggage policy as required (outsize items should be tagged and hold loaded / adjusted weight calculations should be advised to crew)
Check passenger numbers boarded against DCS or boarding cards/manifest
Confirm passenger number with crew (provide Passenger Information List (PIL))

Flight finalize

Reporting after each flight all figures and comments regarding the flight through our dedicated flight reports
Ensure all operational post flight messages are send correctly and within the agreed timeframe (PSM, LDM, MVT, PTM…)

Disruption Procedures

In the event of weather or technical delays, Airline’s operations should be contacted for instructions as to their requirements for passenger amenities and comfort. Meal vouchers are not to be used until authorisation is received in writing from the Airline’s operations. Similarly, in overnight delay situations, hotac should not be arranged without consultation with Airline’s Operations. For operations involving EU countries the requirements of EC Regulation 261/2004 will apply. Signage or information should be available at check-in points to advise passengers of their rights under this regulation.

Delay NoticePassengers should be advised on check-in of any known delay. At the gate, an announcement is done H-00:30 STD and the delay is displayed on the departure screen gate. Issue meal vouchers to passengers, either at check-in, or inside the departure lounge During delays, a member of GHA staff will be available in the departure lounge for information and questions