Virgin has been in the position for the last decade of being the place most guys wanted to work for. Whispers of quick commands, solid work conditions and a generally positive atmosphere day to day have ensured a long line up out the door to a sought after slot in domestic. It was hard to find too many people who had much to say that was negative about the place.
Cut to 2015 however and a young workforce will ensure quick commands are a thing of the past. Qantas has always been this way however they pay handsomely so the wait, albeit frustrating, was well rewarded.
Virgin cannot provide this. The initial intake of SOs back in the day were generally fairly fresh GA guys who could take the pay hit (or raise in many circumstances) and stick around for their 2 years prior to their move onto domestic. The story now is very different, lots of highly experienced ex regional turboprop captains and even a handful of ex jet FOs and captains who would have taken a major hit to join the happy family.
The $72k you signed up for isn't looking so flash anymore. Reflect as you pax across the Pacific dressed in a suit sitting between two kids in seat 65B - a sea of names on the seniority list, little movement and little chance of any expansion or even a new jet within the next 5-10 years. You want to fly a 737 instead? Sure, move your family over to NZ for a similar amount of time, at the end of that you'll have earned your spot on an ejet. You'll now progress onto less pay than the lowest paid pilot at QF.
Ask anyone who has been through the recruitment process in the last 2-3 years and see what they think of Virgin. Months between updates, take it or leave it offers for people who were promised something and had no choice but to take something else. And people who had a job offer and never heard back again. Call it business, call it aviation in Australia but it's a peep through the keyhole at how you'll be valued on the inside.
Anyone who thinks a big QF recruitment drive wont affect Virgin is dreaming. Other than the lucky few (and good on them) who got in during the first 5 years, Virgin is a dead end. For those other guys who have experienced the Virgin 'flair' first hand, the next couple of years will speak volumes.
Always was and always will be low cost