Finding a place to soar at Piedmont

After high school, Piedmont Crew Scheduling Supervisor Savannah Parsons didn’t have a career plan other than to secure full-time employment. When she came across a job posting for a cross-trained agent at the Salisbury Airport (SBY), she thought working in the aviation industry sounded interesting. Starting as an agent with Piedmont provided Savannah the foundation for career growth that led her to supervisory positions in two departments, Ground Handling and Crew Scheduling.

“I had only flown on a plane once and knew nothing about the aviation industry or what it had to offer as a career until I joined Piedmont,” shares Savannah. She started her Piedmont career in 2013 as a cross-trained agent in SBY unsure of what to expect. “I worked with a great team and learned a lot about the customer-facing operation.” Three years later, she was promoted to Customer Service Supervisor.

After learning the customer service side of the operation, Savannah wanted to learn more about the operations side of the airline. In 2018, she became a crew scheduler and a little over a year later was promoted to supervisor. Crew schedulers are responsible for communicating with crew members to provide guidance and answer their questions, ensuring adequate crew staffing on our aircraft to meet operational needs. “When I worked as an agent, I used to point to other departments for causing delays in the station,” shares Savannah. “When I started working in crew scheduling, I began to understand the many reasons for delays and why they occur. I have a greater appreciation for my position now that I better understand both sides of the operation. I realized that all Piedmont departments are on the same team with the same goal.”

Savannah enjoys working in crew scheduling and is glad to be able to use the skills and knowledge she gained in the station to make a difference in the operation. She works shifts of four days on with four days off and supervises up to five crew schedulers on a shift.

Every day is a different challenge from weather delays disrupting crew members’ flight duty period to finding reserve coverage if someone calls out sick. “The job of a crew scheduler is like putting together a puzzle,” Savannah shares. “My favorite part is being able to look at all our flying and try to move pilots around to prevent delays and cancellations. Our goal is to keep the operation running smoothly because at the end of the day, one delay or cancellation will impact our customers. I know what it’s like comforting crying passengers who are trying to get to a funeral and can’t because of a delay or cancellation. I understand the effects of delays and that makes me work harder to prevent them.”

Savannah encourages team members who are looking to grow within Piedmont to pursue it. “Even with a high school diploma and no secondary education, Piedmont hired me, trained me and my experience was valued when promotional opportunities became available,” shares Savannah. “I’ve found my place and love my job. A piece of advice to others, don’t be afraid to take a chance. Piedmont is more than just a job, you can make it a career.”

Piedmont is hiring crew schedulers. Interested in working in the heart of the operation with our crews? Learn more here.