State of Virgin Blue

[greenslopes]

I agree but when at a bbq and one of the guests announces " Went on the A380 last week, what a great aeroplane, what great service, what a pity all trips to London don't have the same type", folks listen. The A380 is a winner from the viewpoint of the punter and lets be real .......No punters= No Job.

[B043]

Bo777, you're a goose!..... stupid comments!

TL, Mel-Lax cx due Syd-Per-JB and

Pylet, 14:08 good post, someone who thinks before typing!

[Beer Baron]

Crew rest, you seem to believe that V Australia is doing well and that anyone who says otherwise is wrong and probably a QF employee. Well this was written in the Australian on June 5;

Mr Godfrey said the trans-Pacific market had proved tougher than envisaged.

Should we believe him???

I'm sure a competent CEO launching an airline during low season in the midst of a global recession would "envisage" losing a fair amount of money. So if things are "tougher than envisaged" then I think it safe to believe V Australia are struggling.

[Beer Baron]

Well Crew rest, if you can deduce that VA;

enjoys higher than expected load factors

and

is doing well, very well under the circumstances

from a statement by the CEO that the

the trans-Pacific market had proved tougher than envisaged

then there is no hope for rational debate with you.

Surely the CEO is basing his assessment on more substantial figures than your collection of anecdotal evidence.

And since Qantas have 2-3 Billion dollars cash reserves for just such a downturn then I think it safe to say your point;

VA has the 'luxury' of having budgeted for losses; Qantas and UA have probably not

is rubbish. Or does your anecdotal evidence indicate Virgin have 4-5 Billion floating around??

I think it safe to say they are all hurting at the moment and to presume otherwise is naive in the extreme.

[vee1-rotate]

Well Crew rest, if you can deduce that VA;
Quote:
enjoys higher than expected load factors
and
Quote:
is doing well, very well under the circumstances
from a statement by the CEO that the
Quote:
the trans-Pacific market had proved tougher than envisaged
then there is no hope for rational debate with you.

Surely the CEO is basing his assessment on more substantial figures than your collection of anecdotal evidence.

And since Qantas have 2-3 Billion dollars cash reserves for just such a downturn then I think it safe to say your point;
Quote:
VA has the 'luxury' of having budgeted for losses; Qantas and UA have probably not
is rubbish. Or does your anecdotal evidence indicate Virgin have 4-5 Billion floating around??

I think it safe to say they are all hurting at the moment and to presume otherwise is naive in the extreme.

agreed with most of the above...yet can we stop comparing cash reserves between DJ (who run a fleet of approx 50 aircraft) to Qantas (who, not including their subsidiaries, have around 130 aircraft)....of course their cash reserves will be higher

[leading edge]

Maybe the wrong thread but this may illustrate why this is a tough market for VA. Does VA have a code share with Delta in the USA?

I travel trans Pacific / or round the world 4 times per year and I am travelling MEL-LAX-JFK-LHR-SIN-MEL in the next 2 weeks J Class.
I wanted to give VA and Virgin Atlantic some business (even if the Virgin Atlantic back to Australia is via HKG and I have to use VB Premium Economy to get to and from SYD).

My travel coordinator says there is no easy hook up between LAX and JFK using any Virgin or Virgin / Delta combination. I will therefore have to book a separate flight LAX-JFK which probably means a terminal change in LAX, another check in etc. That isn't business friendly I'm afraid.

So, it looks like the usual QF/BA ticket, that's fine but how can VA compete for premium business without having a hassle free (relatively speaking) hook up between LAX and JFK?

Any ideas?

[vee1-rotate]

Maybe the wrong thread but this may illustrate why this is a tough market for VA. Does VA have a code share with Delta in the USA?

I travel trans Pacific / or round the world 4 times per year and I am travelling MEL-LAX-JFK-LHR-SIN-MEL in the next 2 weeks J Class.
I wanted to give VA and Virgin Atlantic some business (even if the Virgin Atlantic back to Australia is via HKG and I have to use VB Premium Economy to get to and from SYD).

My travel coordinator says there is no easy hook up between LAX and JFK using any Virgin or Virgin / Delta combination. I will therefore have to book a separate flight LAX-JFK which probably means a terminal change in LAX, another check in etc. That isn't business friendly I'm afraid.

So, it looks like the usual QF/BA ticket, that's fine but how can VA compete for premium business without having a hassle free (relatively speaking) hook up between LAX and JFK?

Any ideas?

Flights from Virgin America | Virgin Flights...5x daily LAX-JFK, with First Class as well

[leading edge]

Thank you vee 1 rotate

A missive is on its way to my travel coordinator. Why they couldn't come up with that option is beyond me....

[Bo777]

CR
Good to see someone with impeccable english skills comment on the deplorable state of literacy exhibited here on pprune.

[maui]

Leading Edge.

You must understand that some travel agents are not averse to steering you away from whomever they get the least commission or contra, never mind your convenience. Such tactics were rampant against Compass 2, I would not doubt that they are being used again.
Case in point. Local travel agent claimed that the flights a customer requested on C2, were full, seats unavailable but hey no problem QF or AN will take you. Perusal of specific loadings proved assertions were crap.

Not that QF would be encouraging such shenanigans, of course.

Maui

[Ken Borough]

Local travel agent claimed that the flights a customer requested on C2, were full, seats unavailable but hey no problem QF or AN will take you.

QF would have had very little to do with the demise of Compass. Let's just slag AN and TN, the latter 'merging' with QF after Compass collapsed.

[alangirvan]

Going back to the collapse of the original Compass, I do remember a local Canberra Travel Agent complaining about the frustrations of trying to make a reservation with them. Not Ansett's fault, not Australian Airlines' fault. Hours of frustration for him, trying to issue tickets. He managed to do the business, because he had a personal contact at Compass, a person who had been the BA Sales Manager in the ACT.

So, it is not always the Travel Agent who is to blame when he says he cannot find you availability on the new airline.

[maui]

KB

You are correct. TN didn't morph into QF till '96. Age and lots of red dulls the memory. For the earlier post please substitute TN for QF.

I am sure QF would not indulge in such tactics, just as they would never indulge in price fixing of freight.

M

[1746]

Slight correcton TAA became Australian Airlines in 1986. Australian Airlines was sold to QANTAS in 1993.

[Dagger Dirk]

I'm Quietly Confident

There's no doubt that Virgin Blue is being managed with a an eye on the longer term view but whilst being duly cognizant of the need for present liquidity and market share strategy.
My stockbroker said, two weeks ago now, that I should in fact buy and expect 85c by EOY2009 and $1.09 by 30 Jun 2010.
I think I'll follow his advice - mainly because he's been much more right than wrong (since Nov 2005 anyway).

Feel free to poke fun at me in Jun 2010.... if it proves to be a pig-in-a-poke.

[leading edge]

vee 1 rotate and maui

Virgin option checked but the departure ex SYD is later than QF, then the Virgin America connection to JFK involves a 5 hour layover in LAX and won't get me to JFK until 0550 on the day I am due in the office,

QF gets me there at 1730 the day before I am due in the office so a night's sleep in the hotel and fresh (ish) for the day ahead.

I like VB and I always use their Premium Economy for domestic travel. I thought I would try the international product as I am in the fortunate and these days unusual position of my employer giving me a choice.

I tried but it will be QF and BA combined who get my business this time

[Sand dune Sam]

N-BW..and how is the A380 better than the B777-300? You say you are an A380 employee, so give us your experienced run down on it....While your at it, how about with your expert knowledge, give us all a breakdown of the efficiency of the A380 compared to the B777-300ER...I'm sure we would all benefit from and take your posts way more seriously if you can back up what you say..

[lc_461]

Nothing compares to the Qantas A380

the 777 is hilarious compared to our A380

NBW, What is it with the VA bashing? I have serious doubts that you have ever flown in a VA 777... You are full of it. There is absolutlely no need to be bashing VAs products. Your comments have no substance.

[fire wall]

Not aligned with either carrier but would appreciate a comment from an informed source re depress mandatory fuel requirement for syd lax on 380. Rumour is it is restrictive.

[DutchRoll]

Yeah I must admit I'm a little confused about how "our" A380 is better than the 777 too, and I'm QF! Well, aside from the fact that it is obviously shinier.

Internal sources have led me to believe that our A380 is not performing as expected - now that would be a surprise.