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V Australia Operations DELAYED TO FEB09
V Australia delayed by Boeing strike Virgin Blue has just announced that ongoing strike action at Boeing's Seattle plant will delay the launch of its long-haul international airline V Australia. V Australia was meant to launch on 15 Dec, but has now issued a revised launch date of 28 Feb. Alternative travel arrangements will be offered to all guests booked for travel in the Christmas/New Year period. Travel Daily Virgin Blue: Boeing strike delays service launch Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd , Australia's second-biggest airline, said on Thursday it had delayed the launch of its new long-haul service V Australia by over two months due to a strike at aircraft maker Boeing. Virgin, whose shares have been battered due to high fuel prices along with other airlines, has advised its customers to make alternative travel arrangements. "Boeing advised its customers, including V Australia, that it cannot predict the duration of the dispute and therefore cannot guarantee the delivery date of the airline's launch aircraft," Virgin Blue said in a statement. The airline said the revised launch date for V Australia, which will provide flights to the United States, was Feb. 28, 2009. Virgin shares were up 1.4 percent at A$0.37 in a flat overall market . The stock is down about 82 percent in 2008, compared with a 24 percent fall in the benchmark index. Virgin had planned daily flights between Sydney and Los Angeles from December after Australia and the United States opened up trans-Pacific air routes between the two countries in February. V Australia will become the second Australian airline after Qantas Airways Ltd to fly the route. Reuters Not good news...Compensation anyone:{ |
I wonder how much boeing will have to pay in compo!
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What about wages for existing (VA) staff?
Any news on that front? |
Like QF with the 787 no compo for industrial action.
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Strike?...... my bum!
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How convenient - Might give BG some time to contemplate his navel and rethink where the VB group is headed.:ugh:
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What a lovely Christmas present for QF and UA... If loads were good on VA, Qantas's cabins will now be 100% over the christmas period...
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Like QF with the 787 no compo for industrial action. |
Hey Buzzy.......Strike .... your bum with a wooden spoon mate!
Maybe you have missed some of my posts from the last few weeks on a couple of threads here. Strike is on and it is 4 weeks in (lost count) and I can assure you only a handful (count on one hand) of the folk on the lines have been turning up for work. After 46 days I think it is Boeing are exempt of penalties according to their contracts so another 20 days suits them fine. Aat this point Boeing aint budging a bit and the IAM idiots have lead their members on a hiding to nothing. Even if Boeing gave in today, they would be so far down the tube for lost wages and benefits that the gains they were arguing over were a waste of time. As for the first V Oz.... a reminder of where it is right now, and where it is staying! So two months delay is optomistic in the least! Jhttp://file040b.bebo.com/6/large/200...955157782l.jpg |
Have VOZ got the AOC yet? Regardless all Boeing operators haave a delay on delivery. Other airlines have aircraft parked on the line waiting small mods and other items to be installed. The problem for VOZ is the marketing nightmare it now faces to lure those pax who were giving it a go to come back after this drama. Most people hate doing things twice so we will see in the long run. On the up side the A/C looks great.........At the end of the day the travelling public want cheap fares and an airline/aircraft that does what it says it will. But in this day and age even that is few and far between. Good luck.
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What sort of costs will be incurred with this waiting around? You can't really do much with the TC & CC other than keep on training. Surely someone has a spare plane at the moment to wet lease? ILFC, Atlantic or someone else?
Is BG looking at cutting VOZ altogether? He has often said that he likes to keep the business separate so that if they aren't working it won't affect VB. The frames that they have purchased could be sold to other airlines without to much of a fuss. Starting the airline next year before Easter might be ok but then you have a bit of a wait until US Summer 09. Can VB afford to carry VOZ in the current economic climate. What if the strike lasts until Easter next year, then what? Seems to me that this is something that should be postponed for at least 5 years. There is no guarantee that what they have done in the US tonight will fix any of the problems over there. It still may get worse before it gets better. |
Well if nothing else it gives the Chiefs an extra couple of months in gauging the resilience of U.S economy before actually commencing........interesting six months ahead.
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Any idea what they will offer the pax that were booked pre 28th of Feb. Will it be a straight refund or will there be a sweetner to come back.
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October Interviews!
Does anyone know what if anything is going on with the october interviews? I was invited for various dates in october but had to decline for personal reasons but i do know of a few people that are/were going:confused:
anybody going for an interview in October heard anything? and even if you got in now it would be a long wait for a start date! i am aware of the other thread about voz just after an honest answer not trying to start world war 3:} high_talker i found this on their website
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To delay is the second best decision that they could have made.
No 1 would be to forget all about it! |
agree - although the Boeing delays are not revelations and to pin the decision entirely on Boeing is a little too much spin.
Wirgen makes a good point about leasing alternate airframes - however I maintain that the yeilds from the PAc route have declined (& will continue to for all carriers) and the continuing contraction in the US market means an outbound revenue strategy for V. For the drivers who are waiting/hoping - along with the CC, it's sad news. On the upside it may actually herald the start of VB actually doing something to preserve its business and get it back on track - which is good for the domestic LCC market. |
Not a big fan of the grinning idiot & his little mate out here but...I kinda feel for those that were working hard in the background, at the coalface, trying to get her up & running!:(
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LM82 wrote:
An alternative flight on another airline, arranged at our expense, if our Guests prefer. |
I think what was done in the US last night is little more than nothing meaningful...if not the completely wrong action. How many times have we seen politicians get it right let alone when they act in such manic haste.
You'd have to be nuts to believe the de leveraging that is gathering pace in much of the world economy won't lead to recession and, as a result, a really bad time to be starting an operation like Voz to the epicenter of that de leveraging...but what would I know, I is just a drivman bilong balus.:ugh: As someone said above...2013 might be a better bet. I read in the last few days that the US has suffered credit crunches 16 times in its history and every time it was followed by recession that lasted on average 2 years. 2009 is going to be an interesting year...Annus Horribilis anyone? |
Well C.C,
Yes Bring on the Credit Crunch pain, its caused by the idiots in the finance system, but at the end of the day its caused by us idiots not revolting against their crap ways! If the publiuc dont revolt thn let's be their slave, fools... |
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