The Virgin (VAH) share price was up 12.82% today to 22c after confirmation by the chairwoman the airline has explored privatisation.

My lips are sealed !

Perhaps they should "explore" actually making a profit.

Going private hides the numbers> Again the CEO and another heads get a bonus and the investors get another trip to the barber shop....

Always thought Virgin should've kept their original "theme" & rather than changing/upgrading the brand, brought in a new premium carrier to compete with QF. I would imagine that when non airline people are asked to classify the type of carrier it is, they'd still put it in the Jetstar, Tiger bucket.

Southwest and Easyjet have made a huge success of sticking to the LCC model..

True, however the circumstances were a bit different. The 100lbs gorilla in the local market with deep pockets started a competitor to wedge them in the low cost space.

Not sure of the history of Easy, however SW grew very slowly and evolved into it's market niche (see NUTS!). Every new city pair it started had to be profitable from the first flight. If they couldn't make it work, they waited and figured out a way to make it profitable or never entered the market.

This isn't the history of Virgin, or Jetstar for that matter.

edit: One the the NUTS! book reviews mentions another interesting book on the formation of SW: Southwest Passage: The Inside Story of Southwest Airlines' Formative Years

Southwest was at first a carrier only in Texas operating the triangle of San Antonio, Houston, Dallas with three B737-200's. As traffic grew they added a B727 [more seats] but quite quickly ditched it and looked for efficiencies with the B737 and are the largest operator of the type in the World. In other words as is said, they stuck to their knitting...unlike some other we know..

You really hate anything and everything about Virgin don't you TBM

Well, having recently flown with both Ryanair in Europe and VOZ in Australia, I have a suggestion to improve the passenger experience and profitability simultaneously. RYR famously cram 189 seats on a B738 with the majority being 30 inch pitch. But those seats are actually brilliant from a passenger perspective. They are ultra-slimline giving the user a sense of extra legroom. And they don't recline ... no chance of crunched knees and a mop of big hair in your face. On my recent VOZ sector BNE-PER config 168 seats at 31 inches plus 8 premium at 38 ins the seat experience was horrific. Technically one inch more than RYR, but the reality is unnecessarily fat cushions, crippled knees, and a recline into your space far exceeding tolerable limits on a 31in pitch. Five hours of that is torture. Maybe I should sue!

But seriously, only closeted airline executives are deluded enough to believe that reclining seats are a good idea. Maybe it's because they always fly premium themselves? Most passengers detest reclining seats with a passion. The torture inflicted on the recline victim far exceeds the incremental 'comfort' enjoyed by the selfish reclinee.

So here is my tip for VOZ. Acknowledge that the much-maligned RYR are the ones who have got it right on this. Copy their seat choice. Ditch recline torture. Make the majority of your pax happier. There will even be space to install an extra seat-row and sell six extra fares per sector. A self-financing improvement. What's not to love?

BTW, kudos to VOZ crews on both my recent sectors. Great service, credit to the company. Only the worst-of-breed seats let VOZ down.

What makes you think you represent "most" passengers? Jetstar tried the no recline thing on some of their A/C years ago. Anyhoo, let's do away with the whole **** seat debacle, and have you stand. MOL would love that, too.

So you have determined this how exactly?

I detest non reclining seats.

I detest the person in front reclining as soon as they can. Impossible to move when locked in..

I have made no claim to 'represent' other pax and I acknowledge that the subject of reclining seats is contentious. Nevertheless, I stand by my point that reclining seats on aircraft are more loathed than loved. Even on the recent BNE-PER sector which prompted this discussion, it was remarkable how few pax availed themselves of the option to recline. I have noted similar behaviour on many similar longer sectors too ... I notice stuff like that 😄. Perhaps part of that is down to courtesy and consideration towards others; perhaps many have personal experience of being a recline victim themselves? Whatever the reason, the majority opt not to recline. Check it out when you next fly.

Ask afew other pax their views on this subject too. I have. The vehemence of the responses may surprise you!

No airline should offer a recline option in a high-density economy cabin.

Not really, I fly on them if I have too. Their LAX service is very good. I look at it as a business model that's all that is being propped up by the shareholders constantly and the use of double-speak when it comes to numbers. I know quite a few shareholders who now wish they'd bought QF shares in lieu of VA...

This is not hate...

I usually lock my knees in behind a seat early on so they can't recline. Drove a French guy mad LHR-LAX once! If I miss the opportunity & I'm looking at their scalp, I usually get up often & use their seat as leverage. It's quite a challenge to see how high you can get their head to bounce.

Seriously Buster?

Always reassuring how professional and mature Australian pilots can be :ugh:

I've always viewed my personal space as being whatever is left behind a reclined seat. You'll find getting through a flight (or life, no doubt) is much easier when you stop sweating the small stuff!

You ever noticed how many get reclined on a red eye or evening flight Ozzie?

Thanks Mother Theresa, but your faith in Aussie pilots can be restored somewhat.

On that note, had someone arrested recently stemming from their defence of "their" knee space
But you do you, buster

What a twit.