Future of Tiger Australia without Virgin

[wheels_down]

Tiger Australia took quite a hit in the last quarter, S$12m loss. Tiger Singapore recorded a solid S$27m profit.

How long can this go on? It's a worry because they were on a trend that they were bleeding less and less but the last quarter they went backwards.

[somewhereat1l]

The problem is Tiger Australia head office don't know what they are doing.
Putting hundreds of seats on sale at $1 or a free return ticket when you book the outgoing is not going to generate profit :ugh:

[hiwaytohell]

Treating your customers like crap doesn't build repeat paying business and turn a profit either!

[somewhereat1l]

I agree, the whole Tiger experience is horrible. Maybe John Borgetti has plans to turn Tiger around.

[antheads]

Treating your customers like crap doesn't build repeat paying business and turn a profit either!

Tell that to Ryanair, Price is king for a many demographics.

[DainB]

Sorry, in what sense Tiger experience is that much worse then Virgin ? Unless you're row 1-2 flyer on company expenses they're essentially the same and waaaay better then Virgin ATR so called "experience".

[Twin Beech]

Are tou serious? Tiger goes out of its way, as does Jetstar to a large degree, to care about the customer's money as opposed to the customer, and make the distinction obvious.

Both companies have cynical policies in place to maximise looting the passengers wallet, but when flights are delayed or cancelled treat them with disdain.

The market is only so large here; you can't piss off a chunk of your customer pool at every opportunity.

I actually paid retail for a Tiger flight once. I still feel used and soiled by the experience.

Fare wars are only good for revealing how deep a carrier's pockets are-they don't expand the market permanently, they do not create brand loyalty, they create the expectation that any normal fare is unfair.

When a carrier stretches its resources to engage in a fare war you end up paying the customer to demonstrate what a crap airline you are. Great strategy.

[DainB]

What I'm trying to say is that putting all uniforms and lounges aside for someone not on duty or staff travel experience onboard Virgin and Tiger flight is pretty much the same, even seat pitch now similarly crampy after Virgin's creative refurbishment and for sure does not worth three times more on Virgin plane.

[Twin Beech]

Ah! I haven't travelled on DJ for a few years now. Are you saying that DJ has cheapened their product while trying to move upmarket? I'll take your word for it, but it surprises me.

[Ka.Boom]

Take his word for it...Virgin is an outstanding product on all levels.
Having recently flown on Tiger because of necessity...I wouldnt repeat the experience...its crap!!Take my word for it..

[ratpoison]

I still feel used and soiled by the experience.
Hahahaha, sums it all up perfectly. :D:p

[Ejector]

Treating your customers like crap doesn't build repeat paying business and turn a profit either!
Tell that to Ryanair, Price is king for a many demographics.

Antheads, with respect, I do disagree. People remember and tell their friends about being treated like crap. That is the reason I don't ever fly on JetStar. Just to many times I felt insulted.

[Trevor the lover]

I am absolutely with DainB on this.

I recently flew Brissy to Melbourne with Virgin.

Checked in - was just like Tiger check in

Boarded - no diferrent to getting on a Tiger jet.

Sat in seat and was cramped as buggary. Yes, that has most definitely changed for the worse. Lady next to me looked at me and commented on the advantage of being a shorty. So how is that better than Tiger.

F/As walked down the aisle. With trolleys selling junk food at stupid prices. Guess what, exactly the same as Tiger.

I think you get my point. Basically the experience was EXACTLY IDENTICAL.

I think where I may see a difference would be if my bag was lost or my flight was cancelled, or anything deserving of complaint. I think that's where Tiger goes and hides in the bushes.

I think we need to face the reality of the here and now. Air travel 25 years ago was about good service, comfortable flights, no gouging with baggage costs, check in fees, no paying for a snack on board etc etc . NOT ANY MORE. it has all changed and we are stuck with the 21st century model.

Mind you 25 years ago a return flight across the country was more than double what it is today.

[Jack Ranga]

Mind you 25 years ago a return flight across the country was more than double what it is today.

And the rest Trev, more like 5,6, 10 times as much.

[Twin Beech]

Yes, despite more expensive aeroplanes, fuel, amenities, carbon, executives, staff and every other damned thing air fares are cheaper.

Maybe.

Comparing like for like, once you add up all of the unbundled fees and charges the Low Class Carriers charge (That is what LCC means, isn't it:)) I'll bet the gap is less than we think.

That air fares should be cheaper at all is a mystery to me. I cannot think of another industry off the top of my giant head where prices in absolute terms have fallen, price wars aside.

[Jack Ranga]

Australian Manufactured Cars

[KRUSTY 34]

With less than a dozen aircraft, as a Low Cost carrier, doubtful. So the plan is to expand the fleet (30+ A/C), and move towards the original business model. Economies of scale is the aim.

Question: Where are they going to put them? Landing slots? Parking, especially at Sydney! Similar probs I would imagine for the proposed ATR expansion. :confused:

[Typhoon650]

Geez, you sit in the plane for 1-2 hours tops. Suck it up, stop complaining and enjoy the conditions your desire for the lowest possible airfare has brought upon you.
As a consumer, you chose the level of service you wanted by constantly pushing for lower airfares.
As for DainB complaining about the ATR, the cabin is near enough the same size as the E170's cabin was and seat pitch much the same.

[LeadSled]

Folks,
Re. Ryanair, my wife's experience (to/from UK-Ireland) is such that she now only flies Air Lingus, and all totted up, given the small price difference (not the headline price) it is well worth avoiding Ryanair.
Tootle pip!!

[MASTEMA]

The greatest difference between Tiger and Virgin is attitude.

Mr Borrgetti has reinvented Virgin by not only listening to the complaints of his staff but by rapidly addressing them.

In contrast the CP (acting CEO) of Tiger has been known to respond to staff complaints with "if you dont like it, f#@k off."

It is a simple fact; the way you treat your staff is the way they will treat your customers.

[big buddah]

Don't know why everyone flogs Ryanair? they made 500m pounds or something last year?? They might be a crap airline to fly but they're making money??

[Twin Beech]

Ryan's profit & loss statement is irrelevant to the customer. They are, as you state, a crap airline to fly. The fact that they make a profit of any magnitude is a stinging indictment of the marketplace rather than of the merchant.

P.T. barnum said it best...

[Zapatas Blood]

"Ryan's profit & loss statement is irrelevant to the customer"

ahhhh, other way around dont you think.

Who cares what the customer says, Ryan make good money.

From the customer perspective, money talks when purchasing a ticket

[1DC]

I find it hard to single out any shorthaul airline as being better than the other in this day and age.
I have flown Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin and Tiger, plus plenty of UK/European airlines and they are all the same to me on short haul, the check in staff can often have a bigger impression on the customer and as often as not they aren't even employed by the airline. The flight crew on most airlines seem to be doing the job to the best of their ability, the price dictates that the service will be basic, if you want the best treatment then pay the silly money and sit at the front even though it won't be the best value for the flight. Short haul in Australia is just the same as short haul in the UK and Europe and the USA, in my experience, dictated by price and the lowest standard that the airline thinks that the customer will accept. They seem to have it right because flights are almost always full.

[Normasars]

1DC

Your post is so succinct. Bingo!!

[Aussie]

One of the Biggest differences that I noticed between EU and Aus is the Domestic (intra europe) Biz class seats.

In Europe, they are exactly the same seats in Biz as in Econ. They just tend to keep the middle seat free... in Aus they actually have a biz seat in biz class. Makes a bit of a difference if you ask me. :ok:

[VH-Cheer Up]

Missus VH and I have been doing a lot of inter state trips recently out of our own money so have been careful about getting good deals. Time and time again, QF has been cheapest or equal cheapest when comparing similar flight times and taking a checked-in bag. And that's ignoring the possible additional expense for an in-flight snack which is free on Qantas.

Not sure what load factors the others are getting but all the flights we've been on have been relatively (est. 90%+) full.

Oh, had to book daughter onto a Jetstar recently due lack of availability of any other options. They made her take 2kg from her cabin bag and put it in her checked baggage. Seriously, how does that help?

[Metro man]

Business class is best appreciated on a 14 hour overnight flight. A nice dinner, few drinks and a good nights sleep lying down in a spacious quiet cabin, vs trying to sleep upright crammed in like sardines in economy with crying babies and noisy children.

On a two hour flight it's hardly worth the extra. The seat may be a bit nicer but it's unlikely to be lie flat on a narrow body aircraft, you may not be flying during meal times and will only get a small snack. I can suffer a couple of hours quite easily with my IPAD and a good book. Join one of the lounge programs such as Priority Pass (not well represented in Australia at the moment), so you can have something to eat and drink just before boarding and you'll hardly notice the difference.