Virgin - New Advert. Secret Weapon Staff

[Spotl]

Borghetti is promoting Virgin Staff as his secret weapon in newspaper advertisements, no doubt drawing customers attention to the morale problems experienced by staff at Qantas.

Notwithstanding, it is a good move to praise staff for their efforts no matter what business. He obviously realises that staff play an important role in attracting business.

Why can't AJ treat his staff in the same way?

[watch your 6]

Joyce is a Qlueless poltroon.
At Qantas,staff are the enemy.
Staff are a liability..just ask the Qlueless management

[jibba_jabba]

Sounds like rex management can also join in that philosophy of targeting staff as a liability.

its a shame that Virgin is the only employer that seems to value its staff..... dam shame.

[ohallen]

Why can't AJ treat his staff in the same way?

He could if he wanted to but he chooses not to.

I still don't get how a small group of elite claim to have the intellectual majority and NO ONE questioning it all.

All power to JB and DJ and lets hope they get some benefit to the bottom line soon.

I have vowed NEVER to get on Rat/Jstar again regardless of price.My few dollars don't count for much but feel the need to take a stand on all this garbage and make no more contribution to this type of management.

[TBM-Legend]

why does Virgin pay many of its staff less than QF for same jobs???

[Mr Leslie Chow]

TBM I think that is the whole problem.

As QF is a 'legacy carrier' it's staff are paid legacy wages, not only pilots but nearly each department has well paid long serving staff. Newer staff, not the case. Management see this and don't value what experience brings to a company, but also look at the numbers and want everyone to work for 10 cents a day.

Whereas Virgin was started on guys paying for an endo, low salaries and people willing to accept low conditions.

I wonder what the conditions will be like in another 10 years, given the looming Oceanic pilot shortage according to Boeing.

I guess QF are willing to piss all staff off so they MIGHT leave, rather than wait for the people that have made it a great company retire.

Finally, I wish someone would ask management/board at the AGM the above questions. They are valid.

[ALAEA Fed Sec]

why does Virgin pay many of its staff less than QF for same jobs???


If you treat your staff well, they are willing to work for less.

[S70IP]

I wonder what the conditions will be like in another 10 years, given the looming Oceanic pilot shortage according to Boeing.

Oh that's easy. It will run something like this.

DJ pilots will negotiate and hold the company to ransom given they need pilots and be paid Qantas wages.
After two EBA cycles Virgin will announce a low cost carrier offshoot called, something like "Virgin Go" or something along those lines. It's pay and consequently costs will be lower.
This new airline will slowly take over DJ services. DJ will die and presto, a new airline back on lower wages.
This cycle will just repeat. Sound familiar?

Pilots are their own worst enemies. How much money do we need to earn? There are things to negotiate other than pay. Oh forget about job security. No industry has that.
When DJ starts making $200 million then how about negotiate the love being shared. They make money the pilots and employees make money.

My two cents. Head above parapet.... Incoming.... :hmm:

[packrat]

That is 1000% correct.Treat people with dignity and respect and they will walk over broken glass for you and expect less pay for the privilege

[Arnold E]

If you treat your staff well, they are willing to work for less.Not so sure that is a good idea
Edit: Actually, I am sure that this is not a good idea.

The question should be, how much am I worth? not how well am I treated.
Being treated in a respectful manner should be a given.

[kiwi]

Ansett New Zealand did exactly the same thing.
A few years later they screwed the very same staff members that they held up as being their biggest asset.
It's a business ploy pure and simple, not a heart felt belief in the value of his staff I'm sure!

[Kenneth]

Or how about:
I love my job.... I get treated well (im not treated like a number or a liability).... I get good training.....My company values my opinion and I get paid reasonably well.

Isn't that what most of us are after?? (being paid well doing what we love) especially after a career of GA where we are exploited and taken advantage of? (well most of us)

I think the big message is:

LOOK AFTER AND LISTEN TO YOUR STAFF AND THEY WILL LOOK AFTER YOU!

Plain and simple, doesn't matter what industry your in.

[fl610]

No-one wants to feel wirthless! :E

[ad-astra]

I have personally attended 3 staff briefings that John Borghetti has run and listened to 4 Flight Crew conference calls that he has participated in.
He has just completed the second round of companywide briefings around Australia in approximately 1 year.

Within the first week of his appointment emails to every Captain provided an invitation to his office to discuss any issues and his personal phone number should we need to call him.
For the CEO to be that accessible and intent on being available to his staff is unique and much appreciated.

The cynics around here can scoff and pontificate on what may or may not happen in the future but it may be worth talking to a Virgin Australia employee or two to find out how John Borghetti is regarded.

The recent VAustralia EBA was negotiated without a lot of fuss and sure ALL employees want more than they are currently on but a continual improvement in T&C and a CEO that is 100% behind his staff goes an awful long way in keeping us motivated.

[Clearedtoreenter]

An airline is a SERVICE industry where image is everything... and so if the staff come over as demotivated, exploited, oppressed, miiserable pitiful wretches who'd obviously rather be somewhere else OR a bunch of money grabbing, fat, lazy company wreckers, it does not not do much for the airline's image... either way the airline management cannot win and probably not the unions either.... Both sides can only do damage in engaging this way. Time to bang heads together.

The bright, cheery, enthisiatic, attractive can-do image with fresh new branding might be a lot of hype, but its working. As for Australia's two 'last choice' airlines... who would not avoid them like the plague....if they could ? Caring and service are perceptions and not necessarily more expensive.

[E&H]

All the best companies I've worked for realise the value of their staff within the constraints of the dollar...All the worst companies I've worked for understand only the constraints of the dollar and are at war with their staff...as it would seem Allan Joyce and the staff of Qantas are...it's not going to be a happy ending...

John Borghetti is making a stand and is setting his stewardship of VB on the basis of an old fashioned concept that says staff are an important part of the airlines success (that's novel)....contrast this with Allan Joyces...I know who I would prefer to be working for...as I said it's not going to be a happy ending.

[On Guard]

I have personally attended 3 staff briefings that John Borghetti has run and listened to 4 Flight Crew conference calls that he has participated in.
He has just completed the second round of companywide briefings around Australia in approximately 1 year.

And I'm told from my mate at PB, they have not seen him once. Maybe an email or two, PB didn't even used to feature on the roadshow list. They are feeling like the Black sheep over their at the moment. Hopefully all will change, the guys are right behind JB and VAus, just feeling left out.

[Typhoon650]

I interact with Virgin cabin crew, ground engineers and the odd pilot when I'm working and they all seemed to be enjoying their jobs very much.
In fact, the Virgin staff make my day much more enjoyable, very understanding and willing to help when they can.

[Worrals in the wilds]

For the CEO to be that accessible and intent on being available to his staff is unique and much appreciated.It's not unique in other industries or even in many (not all) aviation companies. It would certainly be unique at Qantas.

The outsider's impression I get is that as an employer, Virgin does what it says on the tin. Less money but a largely a good place to be. No harassment, no bullying, no weird Wall Street style sub-plots; the company runs an airline and aims to sell as many tickets as possible. If they have industrial tiffs they seem to be sorted out in-house without a massive public punch up. Refreshingly simple, people like flying them and hopefully they'll get the balance sheet sorted out shortly. :)

However, interesting comment about PB. They certainly seem to be the emabarassing relative that only gets asked to funerals (and begrudgingly at that; sit at the back, Don't Make Trouble and we're not telling you where the wake is :}). No fancy new paintwork, no shiny new name...what's the grand plan for PooBlue?

[Goat Whisperer]

"...what's the grand plan for PooBlue?"

...close CHC base, keep profitable runs AKL to RAR/TBU/APW and some Tasman flown by AKL base of Virgin Australia (run like any other base, not some clown's personal fiefdom)

...crew other Aus-Pac Islands runs from VA Aus based 737 crew as 2 sector day trips (Mel-NAN still AKL based run).

A smaller Pac Bro, with jobs offered on the West Island to crew in excess.

[Sunfish]

Saw an example of word of mouth in action at the Yacht club bar this weekend...

A mate does a lot of business related air travel. He was recounting having booked a late VB flight home, then finishing his business early during the week.

He went to the airport and asked if there was an earlier flight back to Melbourne.

VB person: "Sorry, fully booked this afternoon Danny, but here is a free ticket to the lounge to make your wait a little more bearable."

VB just made Ten converts on the spot.

[UnderneathTheRadar]

...but it can all go wrong. Offering the statusmatch for frequent flyers is a great idea (and still on the website) but if you say you're going to respond within four weeks - then it's probably best to respond within four weeks.....

Got 10 sectors to book today- and had been looking forward to trying out the alternataive.

UTR

[Typhoon650]

I reckon the new business class will bring a few over as well:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v418/typhoonpud/Businessclass.jpg

[Servo]

That is the biggest airsick bag I have ever seen :p

Maybe they expect the BC guest's to drink the wine in excess :eek:

It certainly is a big improvement on the old "red" seats.

[Cactusjack]

its a shame that Virgin is the only employer that seems to value its staff
Hahahahaha! Now that is funny. Seems some of you either don't work at DJ or you do and you are mates of mates hence your 'excellent treatment'. The general feeling is not one of over the top enthusiasm, yet compared to QF of late there probably is much to 'rejoyce' in :E
In general the place is still governed my a third reich mentality and unless you cleanse the proverbial sphincter or you are related to a manager by blood then your career path is a path to nowhere.

[The Bunglerat]

Sorry you feel that way, Cactus. Can't say I share the sentiment though.

I don't have any friends in high places, nor do I consider myself amongst the favoured few of any group within the airline. I'm just a regular, garden variety line driver who is happy to be here, who enjoys working with my colleagues, & feels mostly positive about my work environment & where this company is headed. I've acknowledged on other threads that the place ain't perfect, & there are certain things that could be done better, but at the end of the day there's a lot more that I like about going to work here than what I don't.

Everyone, your good self included, is entitled to their opinion, but I guess it just reinforces the fact that there are two kinds of people: Those who see the glass as half-full ...And of course the other kind.

[S70IP]

but at the end of the day there's a lot more that I like about going to work here than what I don't.

Agreed.

Catus if you don't like the joint. Leave. Noone has a gun to your head.
China needs 30000 pilots in the next ten years.

[porch monkey]

Sorry Cactus, I'm with the last 2. Love working there, maybe it's a Brisbane thing of which you speak, I don't know.....

[ad-astra]

Cactus

I (like Bunglerat) seem to work for a very different airline than you.

My interaction with fellow staff at VA is positive and I have not seen a single negative sentiment against management since JB has arrived.
I have 9 years service and "no blood relatives" in management and I still enjoy the job and do not see why I would ever leave VA.

Disappointing..............you should enjoy the job

[industry insider]

I got a positive reply to my "status match" inside 3 weeks. Good result, now platinum on VA and CL on QF.

[MACH082]

Virgins secret weapon is not it's staff, derrrr :=.

It's Alan Joyce :D

[Mozzie75]

UTR...I also received a response to the status match within 2 - 3 weeks. Only silver FF with QF matched to silver with VA.

Mozz