Andre Dose to make a big announcement on his organisation.

From the Arabic Newspapers, VPS, VPBU and VPF are out tomorrow along with VPN.
So, all the Bahrainis are out and only ones left are VPMS and VPIT.

Should make for an interesting day tomorrow.

What about VPO?

My information is that VPN resigned over a month ago. So technically, he was not 'let go'.

Betcha no changes for...VABB VOMM VOBG or the rest of them "V"'s

Hum....Just like V1....go or no go.....what a f.....g mess!
Bring back Mrs Sequira....honest and good looking.
By the way anyone been able to get a retirement travel ticket out of the London Office recently?

Hmmmm. Is it about the 747's? Will they be -100's or -200's?

stories were Mr Boeing's clan were offering some 747 as an interim 767 fleet replacement..but I thought the idea was to reduce the aircrafttypes in order to rationalize the fleet..a fuel-guzzling 747 would hardly do that...but we wait and see...must be true...it was in the GDN!

either that or the other rumour is 340-500's from Boeing in the interim. Another overwright fuel guzzling aircraft that no one wants Hopefully it until something better becomes available in the market. God i hope i don't have to go on a bus.

Nothing wrong with a 'bus rating or experience these days...but heard the 340-500's not suitable config for us, or apparently the previous owner either..they got dumped for 777's

Keep dreming about new aircraft it seem like Mr. Dose planing to down size the airline... so the whole idea of having new A/C's is just a dream... Just remeber who anounced the plan of getting new A/C (Mr. Alhamadi) is out of the company anyway, now we have someone with diffrent ideas...

GOOD LUCK TO ALL

One of the Arabic newspapers in Bahrain mentioned today that all First class tickets for employees will be stopped because it is costing the company a lot of money. Talking to my source, he said that an ID90 First class to LON costs 150 dinars. Even a free ticket cost him 50 dinars in taxes alone. That is a lot of money to pay for a seat you can only get if it is available and unoccupied by a paying passenger. Even if you have the full meal from the flying chefs, it does not cost the company more than 10 dinars.

Think the planned fleet replacement has been on the table for quite sometime, as well as reducing the fleet types..time will tell

In the Arabic newspapers today, Gulfair are to cease services to Sydney, Dublin and unbelievably Frankfurt!!! SYD and DUB i can see, but FRA

And more to come

So what is really going on with GF? are they not doing good!!! So, all these magazines I have been reading regarding aviation boom in bahrain is not true! I aslo noticed that the government pumped in money into this company!!! Is the problem from the managment or is it that people are not flying?

any info would be graete

Marketing. Image.
Marketing. Image.
Marketing. Image.

Two words that GF need to work on - they have been beaten by the likes of QR / EK / EY (the ultra-former latterly) who have spent proper dollar in "keeping the brand alīve". GF - unfortunately - hasn't done it well enough. The company has allowed itself to disappear into the undergrowth.......

Take the prime example of "Cool Britannia". The UK is currently bombarded by the savvy PR people from EK / QR / EY who have associated themselves with leading market placements - EK with Arsenal and cricket et al, QR with SKY NEWS and CNN, Etihad with Man Utd, etc........

Gulf Air??????? Nowhere!!

Ok, I am the first to admit that slick advertising doesnt neccessarily guarantee an excellent product. But brand awareness DOES guarantee bums on seats. (whether they be satisfied bums or not......)

GF has given up the ghost.

Andre can make as many cuts and economies that he is able, but unless he relights the brand fire, it's all pointless.

Sure, advertising translates to bums on seats, and it does pay to advertise, however, does $1 in advertising return at least $1 in profit?

Lets face it, most of the Middle-Eastern carriers are not profitable. What we are seeing is the airline-equivalent of the nuclear arms race between the USSR and the USA in the late 1900's.

I am not saying that I have the answer or the solution, rather, I am questioning on whether "keeping up with the Jones'" is the key to profit and progress.

I agree with you that cutting alone is not the solution-- you cut and cut, and pretty soon there is nothing less. Gord Bethune covered that philosophy well in his book "From Worst to First."

.....and CO is still here!

Talking to my source, FRA is definitely not on the endangered list.

You are absolutely right here A300 man, and that is probably why GF prefers to publicise where others advertise. Why should they position themsleves as QR, EY and EK?

But then, the best position is the one that is reflected through the staff, because if anything they are subconciously the best advertising any company has, once that is achieved then and only then will GF be positionned, let's see that happen...

Andre's task I am afraid is not easy....good luck, because beyond convincing the nationals that this is their airline and get them to work in addition to swiping in and out everyday, GF needs to rid itself of some pretty awfull ozzie remains! Blondie, MK are only but a few!