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-   -   JT leaving Virgin this week (https://www.pprune.org/australia-new-zealand-pacific/596486-jt-leaving-virgin-week.html)

AerialPerspective 5th Jul 2017 23:01


Originally Posted by Capt Kremin (Post 9821479)
VIrgin must really be in trouble. Branson has lashed out with some easily debunked fibs regarding the events of 2014.

No Cookies | The Courier Mail



Absolutely no mention of the 400 million cash injection by Etihad and friends.

Nor the fact that the plea by Qantas was quite obviously an ambit claim to get other concessions it wanted in law (to do with the Sale Act) and it got the restriction on foreign airlines changed to a straight 49% which is what it wanted, without conditions.

Fact is they out maneuvered Branson's golden child JB who really isn't much more intelligent it would seem than when he was sorting mail and getting coffee for people - a time server who just happened to stumble his way to the top but had to settle for another company, because the one where he spent 40+ years knew he wasn't up to the top job.

Branson is like an English version of Trump. He just spews out different crap every time he opens his mouth without any reference or cross-checking of the crap he's previously spewed.

AerialPerspective 5th Jul 2017 23:06


Originally Posted by The Bullwinkle (Post 9821939)
Pretty sure JB started the capacity war in an act of spite.

Yes, that's my recollection too... then got all antsy-pantsy and critical when he swung a wooden mallet and Qantas responded with a sledge-hammer. What did he expect... it was like walking up behind a grizzly bear and grabbing it by the b-lls... there was going to be a reaction.

I still can't get over the totally unprofessional and amateurish comments in his book about QF1 and when I read it (self-promoting piece of toilet paper it is), I couldn't help thinking none of the decent CEOs I've known over the years - Eddington, Menadue, et al would have written that - they would have had other things to write about rather than trying, feebly, to stick the knife into an organisation that did nothing but see through him.

Lots of talk over the past 7 years about 'driving change' and the like... seriously, it's a fair bet the bloke couldn't drive a greasy stick up a dogs a-se.

JPJP 6th Jul 2017 02:44


Originally Posted by AerialPerspective (Post 9818701)
That is true and it has nothing to do with jealousy or anything but I quite frankly find the way he operates to be sickening. The way he breezes in and out of Australia now leaving a trail of glib sound-bites behind adds nothing.

This is a guy who said "The biggest mistake Qantas ever made was to let JB go" - really, no comment from him since then and certainly not now, comparing the relative profitability, share price, etc. I'd say it hasn't been raised again because he wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

Yes, he did extremely well out of the original Virgin Blue and that would wipe out a lot of other failed ventures (although I don't imagine he gave any of it to the investors that lost money in his failed ventures) but his cynical visits always accompanied by a photo shoot and publicity shot of staff (always what the general public would consider attractive too, never otherwise) while talking up JB when in reality, he really doesn't care one bit nor does he probably have any real knowledge of how the company operates day to day and this must be an insult to loyal staff who turn up every day and take the brunt of face to face reaction to bad decisions,

I thought his recent comments surrounding the take-over of VX by Alaskan were particularly sickening. He started the airline, he floated the airline which exposed it to potential take-over, he took his cut when it did and when he had secured from Alaskan the 40 or so years of license payments for the brand whether they use it or not, then he had a go at them publicly.

It's all about the publicity shot and frankly some of the absolute excrement that came out of his mouth about the Australian market before he started here was laughable... "before we came and saved Australians from decades of high fares under Qantas and Ansett..." Firstly, Qantas only entered the domestic market in 1992/3 and there had been a number of smaller airlines and the majors offering low fares before he came along... all complete BS but he gets away with it, then flits off to his Island again.

I may be wrong about Galactic but isn't there still some controversy surrounding the cause of the accident a year or two ago, wasn't there an inquiry??? Not suggesting any wrong-doing but seem to remember some accusations flying around at the time.

Slight correction. Alaska Airlines (their lawyers) position is that they owe Branson nothing, since his brand will not be used. This will be fought in the courts, in the U.S.

That's the latest that's been reported. What happens in the end is anyone's guess.

AerialPerspective 6th Jul 2017 03:44


Originally Posted by JPJP (Post 9822078)
Slight correction. Alaska Airlines (their lawyers) position is that they owe Branson nothing, since his brand will not be used. This will be fought in the courts, in the U.S.

That's the latest that's been reported. What happens in the end is anyone's guess.

Oh, didn't realise that... seems ridiculous; if they purchase the airline they have the right to do with it as they please and shouldn't have to pay for a brand they're not using. Hope they win.

Point was of course the cynical crying about the staff when he's just lined his pockets.

B772 8th Jul 2017 04:08

Rumour that the unemployed James Hogan has been in contact with John Borghetti.

Snakecharma 8th Jul 2017 05:39

Fark, that is all we need.

Give me strength

coaldemon 8th Jul 2017 10:19

Were they in contact on Short Wave perhaps?

Buster Hyman 9th Jul 2017 06:01


Originally Posted by B772 (Post 9824083)
Rumour that the unemployed James Hogan has been in contact with John Borghetti.

Maybe he'll go to TT & replace Blunty?

Logohu 9th Jul 2017 09:55


Rumour that the unemployed James Hogan has been in contact with John Borghetti.


Be fair now, JH has had a lot of experience in investing other people's money to breath life back into lame duck airlines - just think Alitalia, Air Berlin.....oh okay then, maybe not :(

AerialPerspective 9th Jul 2017 10:24


Originally Posted by Logohu (Post 9825211)

Be fair now, JH has had a lot of experience in investing other people's money to breath life back into lame duck airlines - just think Alitalia, Air Berlin.....oh okay then, maybe not :(

And from what I hear, he was the main pusher for the adoption of SABRE for departure control over Amadeus (a no-brainer decision but EY went for the lesser of the two and talked VA into it I was told... and when everyone realised it was a crock it was all "don't say that, shhh, it's not popular to criticize that decison..." If true, what a healthy atmosphere. Worse, EY went from a demonstrably better system - they tried to get NZ to sign up too but they said no...

TBM-Legend 10th Jul 2017 11:38

Virgin Samoa
 
,,,,,,looks like Virgin is out of Samoa this November with Fiji Airlines wet-leasing to a "new" Samoan Airlines

TBM-Legend 10th Jul 2017 11:40

Virgin Samoa
 
,,,,,,looks like Virgin is out of Samoa this November with Fiji Airlines wet-leasing to a "new" Samoan Airlines

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...arrier-439155/

Berealgetreal 11th Jul 2017 03:11

Virgin Samoa closure puts non-stop flights from Australia in doubt


Virgin Samoa took $47.8 million in revenue and made $1.4 million profit in 2016, according to Virgin Australia's 2016 annual report.
I previously read somewhere that it was a very profitable part of the business.

UnderneathTheRadar 11th Jul 2017 08:16


Originally Posted by Berealgetreal (Post 9826895)
I previously read somewhere that it was a very profitable part of the business.

I think that is relative to the rest of Virgin's business...

BPA 11th Jul 2017 09:46

Virgin Australia to keep flying to Samoa,

Virgin Australia to keep flying to Samoa once JV with government ends | Australian Aviation

SHVC 11th Jul 2017 10:16

So back on topic, anyone have a clue as to why JB and JT were not getting along?

206greaser 12th Jul 2017 04:18

SHVC, it would be ego surely wouldn't it?

Here's a scenario for you. What if B thought (rightly or wrongly) that he was the genius who turned VB into VA, and he felt like he deserves all the credit. Then along comes T and everyone touts him as the heir apparent, the great shinning hope, the best thing since sliced bread. B, sniffing the wind feels a profit on the horizon. To ensure that B gets the glory he feels he deserves he offs T. Otherwise everyone will say when that profit eventually turns up "you see T saved us from the abyss!"

Either way the rumours are all pretty strong that it was an irreconcilable personality conflict.

B won't leave until the company turns a profit and he can go out as the messiah of Australian aviation.

Icarus2001 12th Jul 2017 06:30


B won't leave until the company turns a profit and he can go out as the messiah of Australian aviation.
You assume that he gets to choose his departure date...

Falling Leaf 12th Jul 2017 08:02

Word has it there was one final screaming match at the Village. Yelling toe to toe and then JT offered his resignation on the spot. Some things JT was fighting for ....extension of the E-jets, Business meals for flight crew, business class travel for long haul paxing etc....

Hilarious that the E-jets haven't even left yet and the company know they have committed one hell of a balls up getting rid of them.

SpyderPig 12th Jul 2017 09:01

Surprising that they elected to get rid of them all together instead of renewing the fleet at VARA over west and getting rid of the F100s? Thought it would have made sense to replace with newer ac now than buy something in 5-10 years time?


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