Virgin Boss Buys Island For Staff.
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It is official, Richard and Brett have confirmed that Aero-Care staff and Jetcare staff are an integral part of Virgin Blue and as such are their staff are welcome to use the island alongside their Virgin colleagues! This was advised at the time of the announcement.
Well done Virgin!
Well done Virgin!
Given that a very vocal member of DJ management reportedly bought the island just 6 months ago for around $3.3m, I'd suggest that Pimp Daddy might be closer to the truth than any of the PR hacks would like us to believe. After all, a $1.7m gain on a piece of property is a nice way of giving certain management staff a very hearty pat on the back at a time when a $1.7m executive bonus package would mean that RB might have some explaining to do... and we couldn't have him speaking the 'plane truth' now, could we? 
As for people comparing DJ fares with staff travel- hardly a comparison! I know that I would much prefer to sit in a business class seat & be treated to the works (inclusive of such basics as 'legroom') for less than the price of a DJ fare.
As for DJ looking after their staff - please explain - once the PR spin & glamour of working for a 'virgin' company is removed - how virgin is either a) looking after it's staff, or b) putting people before profits - because I'm still waiting for someone to explain it to me...
As for people comparing DJ fares with staff travel- hardly a comparison! I know that I would much prefer to sit in a business class seat & be treated to the works (inclusive of such basics as 'legroom') for less than the price of a DJ fare.
As for DJ looking after their staff - please explain - once the PR spin & glamour of working for a 'virgin' company is removed - how virgin is either a) looking after it's staff, or b) putting people before profits - because I'm still waiting for someone to explain it to me...
PPRuNette
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Bloody excellent and good on Sir Richard Branson; whether it be for publicity, for the benifit of staff morale, or heck, because he's just an all-round nice bloke, it's still an excellent move on his part...YET AGAIN 
Love the guy, or dislike him, you have to admit, he's wearing a winners grin most days, therefore someting surely must be working over there at DJ
And if you want my honest opinion, (which you are going to get either way you look at it ), that means happy people in jobs in Australia. Yep, this country
Sh!t, if I didn't have it so good in my current job, I'd be banging down Sir Richard's door!
Maybe that's just being a bit greedy....Noosa's only 20 minutes down the road from where I live anyway
GG
Love the guy, or dislike him, you have to admit, he's wearing a winners grin most days, therefore someting surely must be working over there at DJ
And if you want my honest opinion, (which you are going to get either way you look at it
), that means happy people in jobs in Australia. Yep, this country Sh!t, if I didn't have it so good in my current job, I'd be banging down Sir Richard's door!
Maybe that's just being a bit greedy....Noosa's only 20 minutes down the road from where I live anyway
GG
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Good on you Dick, I can't remember any other CEO/Chairman etc putting their hands in their pockets and giving something back to their staff (except their own board members, especially when they can see the s---t about to hit the fan). Our good old mate Geoff has taken his bonus last financial year, did any of the QF staff receive any of it, I don't think so. You can have the Business Class seats ( and don't forget they contribute directley to the operating costs of your airline, the last time I travelled business class at QF, it was full of staff, remind anyone of Ansett ). Something is better than nothing, and an island resort to conduct training courses, CUSTOMER SERVICE (does QF remember what that is) courses etc, compared the QCC building would suit me fine. Did anyone read the Australian newspaper a few Fridays ago. They mention an airline called SouthWest, has been operating for thirty years and has never failed to make a profit, and by the way did I mention that it is a low budget airline (funny that). Food for thought.
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I think all his staff would rather take home a decent salary than all this unashamed PR seeking.
I have a pal who is the in-charge crew member at VS (overseeing the crew/pax of an A340-600 ) & he still takes home less than some junior crew on other airlines.
So nice of him to buy an island to a destination where his loyal staff don't even fly to !!!
Concorde - - - tropical islands- - - leave it alone sir R , just pay your staff a decent wage.
I have a pal who is the in-charge crew member at VS (overseeing the crew/pax of an A340-600 ) & he still takes home less than some junior crew on other airlines.
So nice of him to buy an island to a destination where his loyal staff don't even fly to !!!
Concorde - - - tropical islands- - - leave it alone sir R , just pay your staff a decent wage.
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Anti-ice,
Yet another rant from a disgruntled employee? Or are you just ignorant of the environment in which the industry is currently trading? Remember, if you're not happy with the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Yet another rant from a disgruntled employee? Or are you just ignorant of the environment in which the industry is currently trading? Remember, if you're not happy with the heat, get out of the kitchen.
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I am not sure what is up with Jetcare/Virgin Tech, but Aero-Care has picked up another ground handling contract for Virgin in Alice Springs.
Last edited by SLANDER IS A CRIME; 19th May 2003 at 19:24.
Feels
Virgin Blue is established, highly profitable and the number two airline in a very strong domestic economy.
No longer the little Blue battler starting out.
What's more management very publically indulge in the extravagent-Godfrey bought an island off the one of the hottest strips of real estate in Australia.
Just because he doesn't wear a tie doesn't mean Godfrey doesn't know how to screw Virgin employees for his island bonus!
Your suggestion Anti Ice leaves the kitchen would be valid but for the fact his conditions are about half of what the former incumbants offered.
Can anyone tell me if Virgin Blue staff still get their Xmas present from the company? The mixed case of the roughest and cheapest wines in the country. Wholesale value of $40 for the case but a little birdie from XXX XXXX tells me the wine costs Branson nothing, a kickback for stocking XXX'S XXXX wine on board.
"Merry Xmas Staffmember, I am paying you half the industry rate, this gift to you cost me nothing but is a gesture of my good will and gratitude"-Dick.
And Godfrey gets an island!
XXXX-censored for the obvious.
Virgin Blue is established, highly profitable and the number two airline in a very strong domestic economy.
No longer the little Blue battler starting out.
What's more management very publically indulge in the extravagent-Godfrey bought an island off the one of the hottest strips of real estate in Australia.
Just because he doesn't wear a tie doesn't mean Godfrey doesn't know how to screw Virgin employees for his island bonus!
Your suggestion Anti Ice leaves the kitchen would be valid but for the fact his conditions are about half of what the former incumbants offered.
Can anyone tell me if Virgin Blue staff still get their Xmas present from the company? The mixed case of the roughest and cheapest wines in the country. Wholesale value of $40 for the case but a little birdie from XXX XXXX tells me the wine costs Branson nothing, a kickback for stocking XXX'S XXXX wine on board.
"Merry Xmas Staffmember, I am paying you half the industry rate, this gift to you cost me nothing but is a gesture of my good will and gratitude"-Dick.
And Godfrey gets an island!
XXXX-censored for the obvious.
Last edited by Gnadenburg; 19th May 2003 at 15:50.
to all of you criticising the move, i think it is a bit game of you to knock it, here is a case of them giving something back to the employees, i guess big business can't win, if the ceo pockets a huge salary he gets knocked, he buys his staff an island and he still gets knocked, you can't win i guess.
dj fly into maroochy too lets not forget, a short drive from noosa where the island is located, so it would make for a cheap weekend, most dj staff are in bne so could drive up anyway.
and hot dog-
take a look at dj's staff travel mate - like -
drw-bne - $71 one way, bne-mel $37 one way, it doesn't even come close to the fully flexible fare, miles cheaper!!!
cheers
dj fly into maroochy too lets not forget, a short drive from noosa where the island is located, so it would make for a cheap weekend, most dj staff are in bne so could drive up anyway.
and hot dog-
take a look at dj's staff travel mate - like -
drw-bne - $71 one way, bne-mel $37 one way, it doesn't even come close to the fully flexible fare, miles cheaper!!!
cheers
Evertonian
So, the island will be a staff holiday destination AND a training centre! That, for me, would be like spending my holidays at the Astrojet centre!!! No thanks.
BIK, there'll always be someone who'll take their wage, no matter what. Be it a foot in the door to the aviation industry or whatever, there will always be another one lining up, especially if your company has just gone under & handed it's market share over. The gap between the haves & the have not's is widening in this country & this sort of erosion of conditions contributes to it.
BIK, there'll always be someone who'll take their wage, no matter what. Be it a foot in the door to the aviation industry or whatever, there will always be another one lining up, especially if your company has just gone under & handed it's market share over. The gap between the haves & the have not's is widening in this country & this sort of erosion of conditions contributes to it.
BIK
Out of interest.
Are you a well qualified and highly motivated Virgin employee?
Liquidation a poor choice of words-neither QF or AN liquidated.
QF pays what the industry paid a few years ago. Virgin pays half. It would be reasonable to suggest that Virgin staff are paid half of the former industry rate.
On a positive note. In Virgin Blue you can fly 'til beyond 60. Plenty of time to pay off the little house under the flight path and fund a modest, working man's retirement. Unless somebody comes along and undercuts the industry further.
Out of interest.
Are you a well qualified and highly motivated Virgin employee?
Liquidation a poor choice of words-neither QF or AN liquidated.
QF pays what the industry paid a few years ago. Virgin pays half. It would be reasonable to suggest that Virgin staff are paid half of the former industry rate.
On a positive note. In Virgin Blue you can fly 'til beyond 60. Plenty of time to pay off the little house under the flight path and fund a modest, working man's retirement. Unless somebody comes along and undercuts the industry further.
a lot depends on how grateful you are to be employed. former ansett employees may be bitter as they were paid unsustainable salaries , was good while it lasted, but in the end it hurt the bottom line and the rest is history.
myself included, most people employed in aviation are grateful of the fact that they have a job in such a volatile industry where staff cutbacks, redundancies and carriers going broke are unfortunately common occurrences. I would rather work for a profitable airline at a reasonable though not "over the top" wage and feel secure about my job than not be employed in the industry i love at all.
myself included, most people employed in aviation are grateful of the fact that they have a job in such a volatile industry where staff cutbacks, redundancies and carriers going broke are unfortunately common occurrences. I would rather work for a profitable airline at a reasonable though not "over the top" wage and feel secure about my job than not be employed in the industry i love at all.
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Never mind the endless debate about pay, conditions, the good old days of Ansett and so on.
Is anyone else finding it difficult to get past the mental image of a tropical island full of bikini-wearing DJ hosties??
I might ring Godfrey and ask if I can rent an apartment there over summer!
Is anyone else finding it difficult to get past the mental image of a tropical island full of bikini-wearing DJ hosties??
I might ring Godfrey and ask if I can rent an apartment there over summer!
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Whingers,
1. don't like your conditions - leave
2. the person who risks the capital deserves the reward - put up or shut up
3. never look a gift horse in the mouth - Virgin staff have been given an ISLAND for crying out loud
Grow up kids - this is the real world and your industry is tough.
Have a nice day.
1. don't like your conditions - leave
2. the person who risks the capital deserves the reward - put up or shut up
3. never look a gift horse in the mouth - Virgin staff have been given an ISLAND for crying out loud
Grow up kids - this is the real world and your industry is tough.
Have a nice day.