Flexjet & Fred Reid

[FastJP4]

Fred Reid starts his tenure at Flexjet this monday. He joins Flex with over 30 years of MAJOR airline experience. Those airlines include:
Virgin America
Delta - where he led the post 9-11 furloughs/Song was his pet project and was the architect of Delta's RJ strategy
Lufthansa
Pan Am
American Airlines

I am curious why a Fractional would hire someone with a Major background to lead the company.

I wonder if he is going to go into Flex and try and run it like an airline.

Why is he leaving Virgin for Flex?

What impact will he have on jobs/growth at Flex?

With Flex being successful - will it continue or will it go down the same path as some of his other endeavours?

Don't know the guy, just curious to what some of you think about this.

 

[Bugsmasher Plus]

Fred Reid starts his tenure at Flexjet this monday. He joins Flex with over 30 years of MAJOR airline experience. Those airlines include:
Virgin America
Delta - where he led the post 9-11 furloughs/Song was his pet project and was the architect of Delta's RJ strategy
Lufthansa
Pan Am
American Airlines

I am curious why a Fractional would hire someone with a Major background to lead the company.

I wonder if he is going to go into Flex and try and run it like an airline.

Why is he leaving Virgin for Flex?

What impact will he have on jobs/growth at Flex?

With Flex being successful - will it continue or will it go down the same path as some of his other endeavours?

Don't know the guy, just curious to what some of you think about this.

He was forced out of Virgin America as part of the certification package with the DOT.

 

[johnsonrod]

I just remember that he was a HUGE fan of RJs while working for Delta. A HUGE fan. His knickname there was also Fred GREED. Have fun with that.

 

[jetwash]

I am curious why a Fractional would hire someone with a Major background to lead the company.

.

I bet they saw what a great job Micheal Sheeringa did with FLOPS and wanted to bring that great airline service to Flex jet customers.

 

[ProFracPilot]

He was forced out of Virgin America as part of the certification package with the DOT.

He was removed at VA for having "longstanding association with foreign investors [that] raised concerns about who would control the new carrier". Perhaps Flex wants to leverage these associations. But I would think if this was a concern of the DOT at a 121 carrier, it will eventually be a concern with him at a 135 carrier.

 

[FastJP4]

.....

 

[Bugsmasher Plus]

He was removed at VA for having "longstanding association with foreign investors [that] raised concerns about who would control the new carrier". Perhaps Flex wants to leverage these associations. But I would think if this was a concern of the DOT at a 121 carrier, it will eventually be a concern with him at a 135 carrier.

branson recruited him for VA because he's good and DOT just pacified the competition to get VA certified

great move for flex

 

[doh]

Fred Reid starts his tenure at Flexjet this monday. He joins Flex with over 30 years of MAJOR airline experience. Those airlines include:
Virgin America
Delta - where he led the post 9-11 furloughs/Song was his pet project and was the architect of Delta's RJ strategy
Lufthansa
Pan Am
American Airlines

I am curious why a Fractional would hire someone with a Major background to lead the company.

I wonder if he is going to go into Flex and try and run it like an airline.

Why is he leaving Virgin for Flex?

What impact will he have on jobs/growth at Flex?

With Flex being successful - will it continue or will it go down the same path as some of his other endeavours?

Don't know the guy, just curious to what some of you think about this.

1)My answer to the first question is strictly conjecture mixed with wishful thinking. Fred has extensive experience with international ops. He is here to usher in the era of the Global.

2) If he tries to run it like an airline, he won't last long. Why would an owner pay $1 mil. + to be treated like meat.

3) Greed had a non-compete clause at Delta. To get around the restriction and join Virgin, he signed a contract to work personally for Dickie B. The DOT, at the urging of the airlines, deemed that to be too much foreign influence. And out the door he went.

4) I have no idea. TBD.

5) Again, I think he won't last long if Flex falters. Mike McQuay spent too much blood making us profitable. He didn't do that so that Greed can ruin it.

That's my opinion. Remember, opinions are like a--h---s. Everyone has one, and they all stink.

 

[NoPlaneNoGain]

He was removed at VA for having "longstanding association with foreign investors [that] raised concerns about who would control the new carrier". Perhaps Flex wants to leverage these associations. But I would think if this was a concern of the DOT at a 121 carrier, it will eventually be a concern with him at a 135 carrier.

I don't think this would be a concern. Flex is already under foreign ownership.

 

[GSXR600]

Well may be since he's got such strong backgroung with international ops, he can convince Bombardier to stop been soo conservative about expanding our fleet to something with longer range like the 605!
I've flown many, many owners that keep asking us when is Flex Jet going to get globals!
This program was introduce to Flex Jet couple years ago but it was unsuccessful.
May be there is a hope for more growth or destruction!!.....who knows, but I guess making an opnion here in FI most everyone will go for my second choice.

 

[Photoflight]

expanding our fleet to something with longer range like the 605!

Ummm....dont we already have 605's on property?




A global program would be great but I dont think itd fit with our current schedule.

I think you'd have to see something more like a 10on/10off deal for it to work here which I would jump at. From what I've been told the previous attempt was scrapped because we would have needed at least 3 or 4 globals to support the 1 fully sold plane and that cash outlay was just too big to do at the time.

Either way i dont see it coming with the new lear a year or 2 away. Although how badass would it be to introduce the lear 85 and the Global program at the same time!

 

[On Your Six]

Look for tired, old CRJs in Flexjet colors soon if Fred has his way...

 

[Just Peachy]

I've been told the previous attempt was scrapped because we would have needed at least 3 or 4 globals to support the 1 fully sold plane and that cash outlay was just too big to do at the time.


Thats what happend in 1999. Dum azz mgmt told the clients that if the GEX that they bought a piece of, was unavailable or broken or whatever, a 604 would be substitued. Becuse at the time the GEXs were hard to come by, expensive and would be under crewed and not enought of them to go around.

Well the customer being king, told the company were to shove it. By god if they bought a GEX they damm well better be flying one! After all, they were already in a 604, why would they pay more money to be in another 604 ?? At that time the factory was having problems with the plane ( gee, a new design, whod thought about it??) Also, a seperate contract for the pilots would be in effect...and it was crappy and it went over like a lead balloon.

So they had a few kinks to work out and they never did.... what great mgmt

 

[GSXR600]

Ummm....dont we already have 605's on property?




A global program would be great but I dont think itd fit with our current schedule.

I think you'd have to see something more like a 10on/10off deal for it to work here which I would jump at. From what I've been told the previous attempt was scrapped because we would have needed at least 3 or 4 globals to support the 1 fully sold plane and that cash outlay was just too big to do at the time.

Either way i dont see it coming with the new lear a year or 2 away. Although how badass would it be to introduce the lear 85 and the Global program at the same time!

Sorry typo error. I ment to say something with longer range other than what we have on property wich is the 604/05.

And yes I agreed with what u say about the amount of GLOBALS. It has been said before that 4 o 5 globals need to be sold completaly in order to turn it into a profitable program.

 

[JokerFuel]

Bottom line.....It would be great to get things moving around here...Reid? Who knows. The very few guys I've ask around here seem to think that his position is merely that of a "Figure-Head". Maybe this guy has a vision for Flex. Things are slow in coming. Keping my fingers crossed...

 

[FMR8251]

Bottom line.....It would be great to get things moving around here...Reid? Who knows. The very few guys I've ask around here seem to think that his position is merely that of a "Figure-Head". Maybe this guy has a vision for Flex. Things are slow in coming. Keping my fingers crossed...

Just my opinion, but if you are only looking for a figure-head, you don't hire a guy like Reid. He is a big name in the community, and Bombardier isn't paying him umteen million to sit around and be a rubber-stamping yes man. Either he was hired to fulfill a mission, or Reid himself had a vision he sold to the boys up north, but my guess is changes are coming, I just pray they are for the good.

 

[doh]

Just my opinion, but if you are only looking for a figure-head, you don't hire a guy like Reid. He is a big name in the community, and Bombardier isn't paying him umteen million to sit around and be a rubber-stamping yes man. Either he was hired to fulfill a mission, or Reid himself had a vision he sold to the boys up north, but my guess is changes are coming, I just pray they are for the good.

I believe your analysis is spot on!:beer:

 

[FalconPilot69]

Rumor has it that Globals are in fact coming. 12 to 24 months away. Also, he (Reid) is supposed to be expanding us into Europe, The Middle East and Asia. Maybe there is going to be a real Flexjet Europe again.

 

[Photoflight]

Rumor has it that Globals are in fact coming. 12 to 24 months away.

source?

 

[EatSleepFly]

source?

I heard the same thing at the Pickle Bar recently, so it must be true, right?!

:nuts: