First B737-MAX deferred until November 2019.

Someone asked for business class commuting travel?

No, they didn't, Derfred. But let's not let that get in the way of the story, huh.:rolleyes:

Heard on the jungle drums that 15 ATR crew resigned last week.

"Cathay and Qantas have got it by the throat" AA John Borghetti, Feb. 17, 2017

"However, the airline has not confirmed the aircraft would come from its existing fleet of six A330-200s, which are predominantly used on trans-continental services from Perth to Australia’s east coast capitals."

Virgin Australia launches flights to Hong Kong SMH Feb 17, 2017

If the current ones aren't doing East coat West coast, and there definitely aren't going to be any more purchases in the short term, what aircraft do you think they'll use?

Tiger 737s?

Yeah, that'd only be 2 stops I guess.

HNA VA Fleet Puzzle A330/350 B787 ABT David Flynn, June 30, 2016

Perhaps the joke wasn't that funny porch monkey!

The Jungle drums are miles off as usual. More like 1 last week

Chinese pilots flying B registered jets in Virgin colors. 😈

Lots of VA pilots undergong A330 endorsement training in Singapore at the moment with 2-3 courses running per month until around May.

Nah, I got it Chuboy, but it's a sensitive subject internally at the moment.....:sad:

That sort of pig headed attitude makes me sick... when I fly with an airline I want the people up the pointy end to be well rested if they've pax'd in prior to the flight... this "No one will ride in Business Class because I've had the backlash at another organisation of customers complaining" BUT, I and one or two of my Execs will travel up there... well, if you actually knew anything Mr Mail Room Boy, you would know that the reason it was restricted in the 70s and up to the mid-80s at QF was because it was management who misbehaved and ruined it for all... we only need to look at a few years ago when a certain senior orange-star staffer was reported for getting 'cosy' with his g/friend in First on QF to see that it's those with entitlement complex that take it for granted. Years ago, management in NZ complained to their then CEO that staff shouldn't be able to travel in J and P. He said "OK", and banned it for everyone, including the manager's that complained. Shot themselves in the foot it seems. It just irks me that this bloke who has wrecked the airline almost thinks it's more important for him to fly in a comfy seat than a crew member who may have to be alert enough to save an aircraft full of pax.

SPOT ON
 

HEY AerialPerspective = you are on the MONEY SPORT :ok: :ok: :ok:

Where can we VOTE 4 YOU :D :D :D

AerialPerspective: Where is the ACCOUNTABILITY WITHIN V PLS :confused: :confused: :confused:

Spot on. Like much management these days, it's all about image and calling areas or departments someone's 'space' and 'going forward' and talking about a restructure and 'what that looks like' and being 'keen' to do something or 'taking' a decision rather than making one - in other words, deliberately crafted weasel words that can be wriggled out from under later on when the inevitable complaint comes that what was alluded to wasn't done because there was no intention. Someone once said to me there, you will find out very quickly that the public image and the internal reality are diametrically opposed.

Thanks DoC... there is no accountability. I was almost chloroformed by meetings where an endless drone of weasel words were spilled out but that never lead to anything happening. The thing is the truth will out eventually and slowly it's happening... the TT debacle over DPS, the lack of profit for 5-6 years. You are too kind but I come from a family tradition of airlines and of logic and straight talk... I have zero time for weasel words and for people who flit around like weasel word sprouting parrots and actually know absolutely nothing about management or the business they're in... if I was in charge of that company you would see a completely different approach. Honesty, reality and logic would trump everything else and anyone who dared to say 'going forward', 'reaching out', 'how's things in your space', etc, would be donated to the long line at Centrelink. I'm not for entitlement mentality but just logic and that stupid rule does not pass the logic test... there is simply no logical justification for someone like that to present an argument about crew traveling down the back (which might be believable if properly thought through and argued) then to turn around and say 'but I can'. It not only doesn't pass the logic test, it doesn't pass the stink test. Just imagine an impartial judge at a royal commission after a serious incident, quizzing as to why the tecch crew were not allowed the best and most comfortable seat available while the CEO flew up the front. I dare say the person responsible would be pilloried. Imagine the reaction of relatives if something awful happened if they found out that it might not have if the crew were more rested and when they found out that the CEO was flying in that cabin... just look at the reaction over the other CEO leaving DXB and that is in a company where T/Crew do get to travel up the front - that incident was minor compared to the other situation across the road. It just completely frustrates and glad to not be a part of it anymore.

They're just waiting to get hold of some second hand BAe-146s and some second hand 767s to replace the A330s then they'll do it LOL

Hahaha,,. is one of them ex Titan Airways... Geez they got rid of that years ago...

This train wreck has only just started, so much more to come out, not in announcements, but my the cold hard light of day...

And then there's the 'Macquarie Place' bubble which is another level removed from the 'Bowen Hills' bubble again, and so far from the coalface that you can't even see an aeroplane from there, just the ferries at Circular Quay. So close to Alan that he can almost see the chair that could have been his. If only............

If only the feckin fecker could run a feckin airline, to be sure, to be sure.......

Livin next door to Alan

Centrebet Odds Onn Bonegi1
 

On you Bonegi1 = Odds on for you & your comments = totally agreed :ok: :ok: :ok:

Bonegi1 can you provide a HEADS-UP when JB is going back to Qantas pls :confused: :confused: :confused:

Bonegi1 do you think his JOB IS DONE at VA :E :E :E

Good to see that at least the PER-AUH setup has gone according to plan....

Did he ever really leave?
Surely they must be paying him some sort of bonus for the amazing job he is doing for them.:mad:
Awarded an OAM for his contribution to aviation?!? Must have been for his contribution to QANTAS aviation!

Regarding today's email, looks like the 330 guys can look forward to trans con for the indefinite future.

He couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery, but somehow it will all be everybody else's fault! :mad:

3 times a week to AUH was barely a token effort anyway.

It's not a good look but it makes sense to keep the frames for daily HKG. Perhaps someone should have mentioned that before they published the press release...

Aerial Perspective, you should be running the show , you are so sharp, so bright .
Why are you just an also ran posting on Pprune , get your Cv in for the job. I am sure Sir Richard will welcome you with open arms.

Looks like we find out the ATR fate on the 15th, posssibly all the 500s definitely going and the BNE ATR base to close shop is the rumour around the crew rooms.

Confirmed today.

All 500s gone. Only 6 600s to stay and only in NSW/VIC/ACT.

The only airline in the world that can't make money with ATRs :ugh:

But don't worry-

"This decision to move to one ATR type will have an impact on Virgin Australia's Regional Queensland flying, however we are currently investigating a number of options to limit this impact, and these will be shared in due course."

Who wants to guess what that means??

Move to Sydney and fly one of the six remaining ATRs?

Or get trained up on the 737.

Hmmm.

With FIFO well and truly wound down in QLD I'm not surprised there's not as much regional flying. But you have to wonder what VA's plan is as they seem to have been caught with their pants down.

Decent fleet of 737s for the bread and butter but with an expensive collection of other types, too few of each for any serious attempt at a route strategy. Not enough 777s for daily US from the golden triangle. Not enough A330s for daily transcontinental and Asia. Embraer fleet too small to achieve economy of scale in Australia or just badly managed?

If I were a shareholder I would be feeling uncomfortable with the apparent lack of direction.

Apparent?!? More like obvious lack of direction!

Yes E190 crew were told that 18 aircraft was unsustainable. Meanwhile Tiger had an entire 'airline' of 12 aircraft, and now we are told how sustainable a fleet of 6 ATR's will be....FFS!

Yes, it would be nice for someone to actually say,

"due to inneffective CEO and dysfunctionally paralysed board, we are clueless as to what direction the company is headed. As a result we will continue to change the aircraft/fleet mix as well as add and remove new routes, in an attempt to create the illusion of progress under the banner of difficult market conditions and sluggish Australian economy in an attempt to meet dubious KPI's in order to achieve our Short and Long Term Incentives".

I wonder what "re location package" the company is proposing to the BN ATR crew. I give it to July 18th Alliance will be doing these "unsustainable routes" on a wet lease off VA as ther will be no ATRs operating out of BNE.

"Why arent VARA operating F70s and more F100s?'

Because MM is too concerned with creating jigsaw puzzles out of motivational paintings rather than negotiating a proper deal with a company that used to be a competitor.

Only routes in QLD Alliance can't fly under the VARA EBA are Moranbah and Bundy. Any other route can be flown as the routes are also flown by VA B737s and E190s. They are already flying the Emerald run.

Incorrect. The way the EBA is worded it includes Rockhampton and Gladstone.

Moranbah. A quick way to lose even more money on a route by sending an F100 there. Reality is that if VA doesn't fly them at all the clause doesn't mean much I expect. Or are Vara crew expecting to be paid something or compensated if they don't?