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Redhot puts another Virgin Express employee under the microscope
Virgin Express operates an incredible 175 outgoing and 175 incoming flights from Brussels airport per week, managing so much activity is no easy task. We catch up with 27-year-old Steven Piessens to find out what it takes to be a flight scheduler
Where in Belgium are you from?
I was born in Ghent, one of the biggest cities in Belgium and I still live there. I drive to work at about 6.45am, but only at the beginning of the week to avoid the traffic otherwise it’s a later start at around 7.45am.
How did you become a scheduler?
I studied tourism at University in Bruges and in the third-year we had to do presentations about aviation in general and I got really interested in tourism and the aviation industry. The first job I applied for was in the reservations department. Many people start work there because you can get to know the industry from the roots up; from what the customer requires through to what management wants. In fact there are a lot of people in the commercial team who started in the call centre. It’s the best way to understand the way Virgin Express works.
When did you join Virgin?
In September 2000, as a reservations agent. In February of 2002, I moved into scheduling. I really had to hit the ground running because a senior member of the team, Daniella, gave birth earlier than was expected. I was very new to the position but I learnt things very quickly thanks to the support of Daniella (from home) and the rest of the scheduling team. There is always someone willing to help and I think that really represents the working atmosphere at Virgin.
What is the most important aspect of your job?
Slot Management. For every departure and arrival of each flight (there are four including outward and return legs) we have to ensure there is a slot. The Commercial Director gives us a frequency plan and my boss receives confirmation of the destinations we need to fly too. This is the first planning phase, where we find out the best network for the planes and the customer. The process is like attempting to complete a complicated puzzle by creating a good fit for all sides. You need to ensure every flight fits into the schedule and works for the consumer. For instance it’s better to schedule flights to and from Geneva in the morning and the evening, because it is a business destination. A flight to Malaga can go in between the two as there is no necessity for it to be at either of these times. After this phase we have to see what exact time slots are then available at the airports. Then we distribute the information about the flights, internally and externally (for example to the GDS – global distribution systems) that send information to travel agents, who then book their tickets.
What about your daily tasks?
We check the best commercial opportunities by changing the aircraft, from say a 733 to a 734, a 400 has 22 additional seats. So for example if there is a Nice flight doing particularly well, then we make the plane a 734 to cope with the extra demand. We also check for additional capacity, for instance with the Monaco Grand Prix there is always extra demand, so we look at planning and check to see if we can add another flight to Nice.
How has the role developed since you started?
The day to day jobs are mainly the same as when I started in 2002, but as we are now working closely with SNBA we have established some cross-capacity projects where we use SNBA (our sister company) aircraft to operate some of our flights.
Are there any schedule exceptions?
We still do the occasional ad hoc flight, for instance we recently had a flight to Rome rearranged to accommodate the times of an important football match (Club Bruges and Roma). We re-scheduled the outgoing flight a little bit earlier and the inbound a little bit later to accommodate the football fans, and give them extra time in case it went to penalties.
Have you had to rise to any other challenges?
When Holland qualified for the semi-final in Euro 2004 there was a huge demand for seats and we wanted to implement an extra Brussels[2212]Lisbon flight. Because we all sit together on the same floor we were able to communicate with the people in charge of the website, so they posted the info via a newsletter on the website. The flight was in the system by noon and it soon filled up with Dutch passengers. That was a very rewarding day for everyone.
Do you have a favourite Belgian city?
I studied in Bruges so I am a Bruges lover. It is a very romantic city full of beautiful old medieval buildings. They call it the “Venice of the North”. It’s nice to walk around the stores, or along the many rivers. I usually spend my nights out in Ghent. The city centre is very different to Bruges, even though there are three famous medieval cathedrals and churches, it has much more of a contemporary feel as it has a large student population. It has a dynamic, young atmosphere with lots of lively bars and restaurants.
What do you do in your leisure time?
I play as a defender for a regional football team in Ghent and train twice a week. At work we have a sports facility and play other companies about twice a month. Too much football would eventually annoy my girlfriend though, so there is always time for a glass of wine in front of a DVD, with her and the cat.
What are your favourite Virgin Express destinations?
Sunny cities like Nice and Lisbon, because Brussels can be too grey sometimes.
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