A Day in the Life of an SAT Ambassador

Meet Amy, she’s a San Antonio International Airport (SAT) Ambassador. If you’re like most people, you might be blissfully unaware of what those blued vested, cowboy hat wearing Ambassadors do. Lucky for you, we visited San Antonio International Airport to get the real story.

The San Antonio International Airport Ambassador Program consists of volunteers from throughout the San Antonio commu nity. Ambassadors are volunteers whose sole job is to make travel ing a little bit easier and whole lot friendlier. Navigating a new airport can be confusing and stressful. You’re tired, in a hurry, out of your element and worse, you’re away from home. Imagine if there were someone at the airport who could help answer your questions, someone you won’t have to wait in a line to speak to, and someone who is looking to help you, someone like Amy.

Amy and the other Ambassador volunteers at SAT provide friendly and informed assistance to the traveling public. Whether directing passengers to a connecting flight, helping to reunite lost loves, lost baggage, or lost family members it’s always an adventure. There is no task too big or too small and you can’t beat the people watching. We caught up with Amy so she could walk us through her routine at San Antonio International Airport.

First, a bit of background: Amy really loves people and she’s traveled the world while serving in the Armed Forces, qualities that make her especially helpful to passengers. While Amy also has a background in the tourism industry, SAT Ambassadors can come from a variety of careers including teachers, doctors, pilots and the military, everyone has a gift to share. The only real requirement is the desire to help. Amy volunteers on Thursdays from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. in Terminal A, but shifts and volunteer times can be easily accommodated because airports never close! When her schedule permits, Amy also brings her certified therapy dog Harry along. Harry is a part of SAT’s Pups & Planes Program which aims to make flying a little less stressful by providing dogs you can actually pet before your flight. Amy’s main focus is the departure gates, using her pleasant, insightful manner and friendly pup to put travelers at ease. It’s an effective and helpful service that can touch many lives.

“One day early into our volunteering, Harry and I were making our way through the airport terminals and stopped at the USO,” Amy remembers. “It was pretty full of enlisted folks waiting to make their way on to basic training. Harry and I walked in and a female service member approached us, dropped to her knees, and buried her face in Harry’s fur. Just then, she began to sob. [Because] Harry’s role is to put passengers at ease and make them feel good; I was worried that we actually enhanced her sorrow instead. I apologized to her for making her cry but she looked up through her tears and said she was feeling great – she just missed her own dog. After she composed herself and dried her tears, she thanked us for stopping by. It’s moments like that where you really know you make an impact.”

While you don’t have to be an Airport Ambassador to participate in the Pups and Planes Program, your dog must be a certified therapy animal. Amy admits it’s helpful to go through Ambassador training, as you have to have security clearance to go to individual gates and interact with travelers waiting to board. Often, petting a dog can calm the anxiety of nervous flyers or people who may be missing their own pups. “Petting a dog is a simple stress reliever and has been shown to lower blood pressure,” says Amy. Plus, who doesn’t want to hang out with a friendly pup while waiting for your plane to take off?

Ambassadors are trained not only in the workings of the airport, but also updated about what is going on in the city at any given time. “Our immediate supervisor, David Paredes, makes great efforts to keep us all informed and includes us in volunteer events and opportunities,” Amy explains. Since welcoming business and tourism is an important part of her service, Amy notes, “Ambassadors also receive behind the scenes tours on occasion from various tourism attractions to keep us current and knowledgeable.”

There are really many reasons people volunteer. Some people do it for the social aspects, the perks or the recognition. Others do it because they’re inspired by the cause. In Amy’s case, it’s about the service itself. “I honestly enjoy volunteering,” Amy says. “It comes from deep in the heart, Texas-style. I want to live between the dashes and simply serve.” There’s no more beautiful reason than that!

Over 10 million travelers came through San Antonio International Airport in 2018 alone. The need for volunteers to continue making SAT the best place to fly in and out of is your chance to give back to your beloved community! If you love helping people and are looking to volunteer, contact SAT Ambassador Program Coordinator David Paredes at 210.207.3546 or david.paredes@sanantonio.gov and become one of the 200 Ambassadors serving the San Antonio International Airport and the travel and tourism community!