A bit about the role:
At HX our purpose is to awaken people to the beauty and fragility of the planet, with adventure that reignites a sense of wonder. We take curious travellers to incredible destinations, sustainably and in true expedition-style. We bring them off the beaten track, to special destinations across the Arctic, Antarctic, Galapagos, British Isles, Alaska, Northern Norway, and Central / South America.
As one of the core teams at HX, the Air Product Team owns a critical part of the guest experience, enabling us to help our guests reach destinations around the world. The Flight Planning Specialist will work closely with the Snr. Manager of Air Product and focus on flight planning, logistics, and purchasing activities, securing flight capacity in a cost-effective manner and ensuring the successful sales and delivery of our flight products and services across multiple internal and external stakeholders.
You will be asked to immerse yourself in the HX destinations, guest expectations, vendor relationships, and nuances needed to be effective in this role. Onboarding for this position involves extensive independent learning, an inquisitive and collaborative mindset, hands-on learning of various systems, and building relationships internally and externally. Attention to detail and clear communication is required every step of the way. While the team primarily follows standard working hours, there is a need for flexible hours to work across time zones.
This role will sit within an overall Land and Air group within the wider HX product department and will involve close collaboration and coordination with colleagues planning the land packages and services enabled by our air products.
Key Responsibilities:
· Evaluate, plan, and secure the flight capacity required to support HX’s regular operations around the world, including charters and allotments
· Ensure successful implementation and delivery of air products and services, in coordination with our overall tour operations, including creation and distribution of flight manifests, coordination across many internal and external stakeholders, and airport handling
· Develop and improve critical procedures for guests, staff, and suppliers
· Assist in negotiations and meetings with suppliers on behalf of HX (online & physical)
· Support pricing and loading of flights and supplements, working with Revenue Management and Loading department
· Monitor inventory and support capacity management, including identifying opportunities to reduce costs
· Identify and drive the execution of any potential areas of improvement to ensure effective and high-quality service delivery of our flight operations
· Assist with flights-related reporting and analysis to support flight planning and operations, Revenue Management, and Accounting
· Assist with ad hoc projects as needed
· Partner with finance to ensure effective cost controls by reviewing invoices for accuracy, approving invoices in a timely manner, and reporting of estimates compared to real costs.
· Proactively train and respond to questions from travel consultants and B2B commercial teams, to ensure our front-line sales team understand the design of our air products and our unique value proposition (vs competitors) in these products.
· Provide training, introduction, and support various stakeholders to increase Air Product knowledge. · Monitor trends within and outside of the expedition cruise segment to inform product design focus.
About you:
Education and experience required:
· 3-5 years of experience in the travel industry, with strong industry knowledge in flights and tour operations
· Knowledge of booking systems, documentation procedures, and other processes, with excellent knowledge of GDS (e.g. Amadeus, Sabre) and Reporting tools
· Fluent English; other languages beneficial
· Experience working with a global network of suppliers and agents
· Analytical skills and statistical background
· Proficiency in MS Office applications including Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.
Essential Knowledge & Skills
• Intermediate Excel proficiency to conduct calculations and references in tables.
• Comfortable learning new software and systems.
• Clear and effective communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge of fundamental accounting principles with a preference for candidates who have taken courses in management accounting.
• Ability to manage tasks and responsibilities in an ever-changing environment.
• Experience working in a multi-national organisation with a global guest mix.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize work independently, with ability to follow specified working schedule and tasks
• Strategic mindset, but comfortable drilling down into details and data
• Structured and analytical approach to problem-solving and decision-making
• Highly collaborative and a dedicated team player, with ability to collaborate across functions to deliver on business goals
• Clear and effective communication
• Effective and inspirational leadership and collaboration
Desirable Knowledge & Skills
• Experience with research, analysis and presenting key findings.
Key Personal Attributes/Behavioural Competencies:
• Approach work with an emphasis on attention to detail and accuracy to minimize mistakes.
• Effective & confident communication skills.
• Analytical Thinking.
• Problem Solving Skills.
• Organizational Skills.
• Adaptable and flexible in a changing work environment.
• Relationship building & influencing skills.
• Resilience when working under pressure.
Performance Indicators (metrics, KPIs, qualitative assessments):
• Be a role model for HX Spirit.
• Meet Service Level Agreements.
• Quality of Service & Reporting
• KPIs according to Team utilization, Employee satisfaction,
• Flight Service Implementation & improvement
HX Spirit:
· Passionate Explorers: We are proud of our history and are driven to create more.
· ‘Can-do’ Mindset: We jump-in and proactively contribute to the greater good.
· Humble Leadership: We have a short distance between leaders and teams.
· Genuine Interactions: We want all people to be their true selves.
· Supportive & Collaborative Teams: We are curious and generous with our knowledge. We Trust.
Passionate Explorers - We are proud of our history and are driven to create more.
‘Can-Do’ Mindset - We jump-in and proactively contribute to the greater good.
Supportive and Collaborative Teams - We are curious and generous with our knowledge. We Trust.
Genuine Interactions - We want all people to be their true selves.
Humble Leadership - We have a short distance between leaders and teams.
Since 1896, HX have championed sustainability in the expedition cruise sector. From launching the world’s first battery-hybrid expedition cruise ships to banishing heavy fuel oil and single use plastics from our fleet. We are at the forefront of driving sustainable practices in expedition cruises that prioritise greener travel.
For nearly 130 years we have been committed to continuously improving what we do for our guests but also for the people we work with.
We are a group of explorers who want to seek out the very best journeys for our guests but also for ourselves. We take our guests on big life-changing adventures, from the stunning wilderness of the Arctic to the incredible creatures on the Galápagos Islands all on our purpose-built expedition ships. Our HX fleet explore hundreds of destinations in over 30 countries across 5 continents.
Our ambition is strong and lofty – we want to become the number one sustainable expedition brand in the world. But we recognise we need passionate explorers, with can-do mindsets, humble leadership skills which bring people together for genuine interactions in a supportive and collaborative way.
As a newly branded company built on a 130-years heritage, HX is at an exciting new chapter and as we embark on this new journey, we believe your skills and passion could thrive. We are looking for talented explorers who want to join us on our exciting expedition to growth and success. This could include travelling and working in amazing HX hubs both on sea and land. From our impressive new Headquarters in London to our state-of-the-art Customer Service Centre just opened in Prague as well as various offices across Europe, the US and APAC.
One thing you’ll find whether on sea or land is a group of people, all connected with the same mindset and purpose - we want to explore more, champion sustainability and become the world’s very best expedition cruise operator.
Single-use plastic banHurtigruten was the first major travel company to have removed single-use plastic from its entire fleet and our hotels.
Hybrid Explorer shipsHX Expedition has two hybrid-electric powered expedition cruise ships that offer a 20% reduction of fuel consumption.
Beach cleanupsHX Expedition Teams encourage guests to take part in beach clean-ups, which results in several metric tonnes of trash every year being removed.
HX Expedition FoundationOur HX Foundation is a dedicated charity supporting local communities and environmental initiatives solely on the areas where HX’s Expedition ships sail, from the Arctic and Alaska to the UK, Galápagos Islands and Antarctica.
Anna Zítko | Contact Person