Transat is us

Michael Schneider was selling medical products with his father’s company in his native Cologne, Germany when he realized he had another calling. “I wanted to change my vision,” Schneider, 33, says.

Twenty months later, Schneider is Sales Coordinator internal for Air Consultants Europe, based in The Hague, in the Netherlands. The company is Transat’s sole representative for sales of flights and holiday packages to Canada from Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg.

He started as a reservations agent, so Schneider knows first-hand about the challenges. The team’s prospects, even in less-than-certain economic times, are excellent, he says. “Canada is a good, solid destination,” Schneider explains. “People want to visit Canada and see family members.”

Schneider’s job includes strategizing with colleagues on other teams at the office, like accounting, IT and group sales. He also manages information about the client base and market changes and helps to plan clients’ outings in Canada.

“There are a lot of new activities,” he says, about tours and events, so he keeps in close contact with tour operators and Transat’s head office in Canada. “It’s very important that we do our best for our clients,” he adds. “We make sure they have a nice flight, with a special meal if they want, and a nice holiday to Canada.”

One of the ongoing career benefits for Schneider is, of course, the travel opportunities. And he has a special place in his heart for Africa, having visited Tunisia and South Africa. “African people are very kind,” he says. “They’re not materialistic. They live with what they have.”