SilverJet (Merged 30/05)
Join Date: May 2000
Location: London
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Yet, some idiot at British Airways thinks that starting the Openskies operation in June is still a good idea. I really hope that I am proven wrong in a years time, but I fear that many millions will have been spent and lost before it also goes to the wall. And then we have the other ridiculous planned BA operation to JFK from LCY (via SNN) with a lower standard of business class service in a tiddly 318. What next!??
With the BA London city service I think BA will have no trouble filling it, especially Eastbound non stop as they have some big corporate contracts in London that they could push across to it. And I think it is partly aimed at ex Concorde flyers who want the quickest route possible between London and New York. And Eastbound will certainly knock an hour or two off going via LHR.
Hope Silverjet pull through as they have the makings of a nice little earner but don't quite have the cash to get them through the initial difficult periods.
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Dorset
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Dealt With now. Hogg
Rather harsh. The CAA is not in the business of grounding airlines and there is a process which it has to undergo before it can actually pull an airline's licence which has appeals and checks in it. Although they will most certainly be concerned about SJ - for the pure and simple reason that customers may be about to lose money if the airline stops trading - it is far more likely that any decision to stop would be made by the directors under insolvency advice.
I'm sure your other comments about forward bookings drying up are probably right though. It does not help when you have a public warning sign like that which is transmitted throughout the stock market - coincidentally to many of the people who are your target customers.
Rather harsh. The CAA is not in the business of grounding airlines and there is a process which it has to undergo before it can actually pull an airline's licence which has appeals and checks in it. Although they will most certainly be concerned about SJ - for the pure and simple reason that customers may be about to lose money if the airline stops trading - it is far more likely that any decision to stop would be made by the directors under insolvency advice.
I'm sure your other comments about forward bookings drying up are probably right though. It does not help when you have a public warning sign like that which is transmitted throughout the stock market - coincidentally to many of the people who are your target customers.
Join Date: May 2000
Location: London
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Its good because the ground staff are employed by Servisair, and only contracted to Silverjet so pay day shouldn't be a problem. Yesterday was an interesting day for us in the lounge, lots of passengers with a lot of questions.
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Manchester
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Good luck ImPlaneCrazy. I hope things work out.
I had a great flight with Silverjet for valentines with my girlfriend. The lounge experience at LTN was great - not quite so good at DXB, but still good.
Hope Silverjet are still around next year so we can do the same.
I had a great flight with Silverjet for valentines with my girlfriend. The lounge experience at LTN was great - not quite so good at DXB, but still good.
Hope Silverjet are still around next year so we can do the same.
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: The Deep South (Sussex)
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Just checked and the flight I am booked on has an 80% load factor...and it's on the 30th of August ...some three months hence.
Let's hope that is a measure of how well Silverjet is doing and that finance will be found.
Fingers crossed for the Silverjet staff.
Let's hope that is a measure of how well Silverjet is doing and that finance will be found.
Fingers crossed for the Silverjet staff.
Lou,
Not sure what you mean here, the "load factor" of a flight is the percentage of seats on a given flight filled, it has no meaning prior to the flight departing. What is your source, anyway?
If you are right that 80 out of 100 seats on a flight in the late summer are already sold, I am afraid I would take the opposite view to you: that they can't make money even when they sell their product! This suggests that they have fundemantal issues with their business model - as many on this thread contend.
KP
Not sure what you mean here, the "load factor" of a flight is the percentage of seats on a given flight filled, it has no meaning prior to the flight departing. What is your source, anyway?
If you are right that 80 out of 100 seats on a flight in the late summer are already sold, I am afraid I would take the opposite view to you: that they can't make money even when they sell their product! This suggests that they have fundemantal issues with their business model - as many on this thread contend.
KP
Join Date: May 2000
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I see from some of todays papers that they are having difficulty getting fuel as some are becoming wary of not getting any cash for the fuel!
Also on a side note about their business model, Willie Walsh didn't see anything wrong with the business model of EOS and Maxjet.
"I just think they underestimated how long it would take to get to break-even. Any airline start-up is always going to struggle and it becomes even more difficult for a thinly capitalised competitor in these markets with oil at around $130 a barrel."
Imagine the same applies to Silverjet.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/mai...lverjet124.xml
Also on a side note about their business model, Willie Walsh didn't see anything wrong with the business model of EOS and Maxjet.
"I just think they underestimated how long it would take to get to break-even. Any airline start-up is always going to struggle and it becomes even more difficult for a thinly capitalised competitor in these markets with oil at around $130 a barrel."
Imagine the same applies to Silverjet.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/mai...lverjet124.xml
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: USA
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KeyPilot,
Hi, if you are booked on a Silverjet flight you are able to look at the occupied seats on the web site. I'm using them (I hope) to fly to the UK this July. So far my flight from Newark to Luton has about half the seats sold. The return flight has about 20 seats sold. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but I figure this week will be the make or break week for Silverjet.
Hi, if you are booked on a Silverjet flight you are able to look at the occupied seats on the web site. I'm using them (I hope) to fly to the UK this July. So far my flight from Newark to Luton has about half the seats sold. The return flight has about 20 seats sold. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but I figure this week will be the make or break week for Silverjet.
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: UK Home Counties
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We see many of the ingredients for a classic asset bubble, said Edward Morse, Lehman's oil expert.
This week has seen a dramatic surge in oil contracts dated as far forward as 2016. Futures have moved higher than the spot price, a rare event known as "contango". This can cut both ways: either as a sign of an impending supply crunch years hence; or that the futures market has become unhinged from reality.
This week has seen a dramatic surge in oil contracts dated as far forward as 2016. Futures have moved higher than the spot price, a rare event known as "contango". This can cut both ways: either as a sign of an impending supply crunch years hence; or that the futures market has become unhinged from reality.
This whole issue just stinks and is quite deplorable, and like the US sub-prime debacle, shows just what happens when reality goes out of the window.
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Ebenezer,
They were green suits actually not blue.
Companies that do not show flexibility in their thinking will always end up being amongst the weakest and by definition most likely to suffer. Like I said the principle is the same.
They were green suits actually not blue.
Companies that do not show flexibility in their thinking will always end up being amongst the weakest and by definition most likely to suffer. Like I said the principle is the same.
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Dre's mum's house
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Genhis, regrettably such flexibility in your BP wont raise the necessary funding at IPO. Silverjet identified a niche market, did their MR and produced a credible stratgey. Flexibility doesn't come in to it.
Join Date: May 2008
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May I second that.
I've flown with you, and you have a great product, exceptional cabin crew and a really really good service.
Unbeatable for the money, you deserve to succeed.
Good luck.
I've flown with you, and you have a great product, exceptional cabin crew and a really really good service.
Unbeatable for the money, you deserve to succeed.
Good luck.
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Didcot, England
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..and I'll third it (if that's possible)
Silverjet have a great product at a great price - I've used it. I really hope they can continue to fly.
Best Regards,
Atlantean
Silverjet have a great product at a great price - I've used it. I really hope they can continue to fly.
Best Regards,
Atlantean
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Slim,
I'm not suggesting that flexibility is the ONLY criteria for a succesful business. No one in their right mind is going to hand over the dosh on that basis alone. There are many other factors that come into the equation. All that I said was that any company that keeps plying the same old routine and does not wake up to the 21st century will end up going the way of the dinosaurs. This was a general comment based on previous posts and not aimed at SJ. For the record, I think that SJ have a good product and hopefully they will survive.
I'm not suggesting that flexibility is the ONLY criteria for a succesful business. No one in their right mind is going to hand over the dosh on that basis alone. There are many other factors that come into the equation. All that I said was that any company that keeps plying the same old routine and does not wake up to the 21st century will end up going the way of the dinosaurs. This was a general comment based on previous posts and not aimed at SJ. For the record, I think that SJ have a good product and hopefully they will survive.
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: 40,000 feet
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Implanecrazy, I'm sure the remark is a generalisation. All of our team that provide our customers with our Sivilised Service are exceptional at what they do. All of us, whether contracted to Silverjet (like yourself) or who are Silverjet employees are facing very difficult times at the moment. I'm sure you can agree we are all backing Lawrence and his team at the moment who are working 24/7 to try and ensure that the worst does not happen. I think any member of our team will agree that at the moment, we are striving to ensure all of our customers still receive the quality of service they expect and deserve from Silverjet...
The Silverjet experience starts from the moment you make your booking online, and everyone in our family (whether they are seen or not) are there to ensure the Silver standards are achieved and excelled wherever possible...
As part of the onboard team I would like to take the opportunity to thank all for their positive wishes, it means a great deal!
To anyone from the Silverjet family who may be looking at pprune... Keep on being your fantastic selves! We have faced many a challenge in the past, and whilst at the moment we are relying on matters that may be out of control, working together there isn't much we can't overcome!
Thinking of you all!
BoB
The Silverjet experience starts from the moment you make your booking online, and everyone in our family (whether they are seen or not) are there to ensure the Silver standards are achieved and excelled wherever possible...
As part of the onboard team I would like to take the opportunity to thank all for their positive wishes, it means a great deal!
To anyone from the Silverjet family who may be looking at pprune... Keep on being your fantastic selves! We have faced many a challenge in the past, and whilst at the moment we are relying on matters that may be out of control, working together there isn't much we can't overcome!
Thinking of you all!
BoB
Join Date: Nov 2000
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Genghis, you are absolutely right of course. Continuous review and reassessment is essential, and whilst pulling an airplane off a route and reasigning it is relatively straightforward re-configuring the airplane takes a tad longer.
For my part, I don't believe that a flat bed seat is essential for routes under 10 hours: the modern cradle seats are more than adequate for those sectors. If a flat bed is necessary Thompson Solutions provide a flat bed seat at 44 inch pitch allowing more seats in the airframe without compromising on the USP. More seats equates to more revenue, potentially, or lower unit cost.
For my part, I don't believe that a flat bed seat is essential for routes under 10 hours: the modern cradle seats are more than adequate for those sectors. If a flat bed is necessary Thompson Solutions provide a flat bed seat at 44 inch pitch allowing more seats in the airframe without compromising on the USP. More seats equates to more revenue, potentially, or lower unit cost.