Virgin America QOL

[bri5150]

Wow, everything bri said so far seems to be coming true. Hiring window is open again for classes in March/April. I'm impressed, your rumor sources sound pretty reliable.

I have more, but I won't post it here.

 

[clickclickboom]

Lost $800,000,000 since inception.

Quote of the year " Stagnant but secure "

Sorry guys not trying to crap on your thread but that some funny s -- t right there

 

[Andy]

No, he was talking about the VP of Network Planning/Sales. He's ex-Westjet and ex-Alaska.

Ah, gotcha. Network Planning/Sales, not Revenue. From looking at VX's hiring, it appears to me that they've been adding senior management positions/titles. I didn't see a previous VP of Revenue Management.

My vote's with Clickclickboom. You guys talking about rumors of net profits in Q4 when the only public comment about Q4 from Cush/VX was a couple of months ago where he expected an operating profit, not net profit. If there were going to be a net profit, Cush and VX's PR team would be making that public information.
The problem with operating profit is it ignores all of the interest paid. VX's interest payments have increased as they've expanded their fleet; 3Q2012's interest payments were $28.5M.

Meanwhile, $99M in cash flew out the window over the last four quarters. If the cash burn rate's anything close to last year, VX will be out of cash before summer 2013.
Can you guys turn it around? I don't know. But your loads can't increase much more; they're already in the low-mid 80s. And you're flying in saturated markets where you're stepping on the big boys' toes. They add flights and kill your RASM. So you can't sell more seats and it's tough to raise ticket prices. How do you get to breakeven? I just don't see it.

 

[bri5150]

I guess we'll see. Has anyone released q4 numbers yet?

 

[Andy]

I guess we'll see. Has anyone released q4 numbers yet?

No.
Delta reports on Tuesday.
United reports on Thursday.

Wow, everything bri said so far seems to be coming true. Hiring window is open again for classes in March/April. I'm impressed, your rumor sources sound pretty reliable.

How many United furloughees have left? I suspect that this hiring is simply to replace them.
The timing makes sense; get them trained and available by the summer. VX will probably draw down their Q1 schedule to slow down the cash bleed.

 

[bri5150]

No.
Delta reports on Tuesday.
United reports on Thursday.



How many United furloughees have left? I suspect that this hiring is simply to replace them.
The timing makes sense; get them trained and available by the summer. VX will probably draw down their Q1 schedule to slow down the cash bleed.

Oh, you must have some good information. Who do our lease payments go to? Does Branson pay our investors through back doors? Is the fight to get this airline going in the first place worth just giving up on after just 6 years? Your comment on Q1 shows that you really don't know much about what is going on here. "Probably" a draw down? Are you talking about a year from now? What will our network look like a year from now, since you are in the know? Aren't we overstaffed? Why would we need to hire because of the loss of 14 guys to United if we are overstaffed? Do you know what our new network guy has planned, how efficient our aircraft are used and what he has planned to get us on the right track? You're right, he probably came in just to say we should do what we did this quarter 1 next year.

Again, I am not saying this is the perfect airline. There is a good deal of risk being here. It is much better than my last airline, and if it works out, I am in a great spot. The product is something to be proud of, we get raises every year (including this year again, I heard it's a done deal), and I really enjoy the people I work with. I love the airplane and the flying. Hopefully our new guy can get us turned around. It sounds like he reports directly to the board and he gets what he wants. Probably good considering his background.

 

[145drvr]

Pay raise and increase in some benefits in April. Change in Reserve rules will be announced Feb 8th. For the most part it will mirror Southwest reserve rules..

 

[Mud]

Pay raises will only be a few dollars an hour, basically a COLA. We'll be falling even further behind the industry average. But then again we owe $800 million. My 2 cents is if you are younger than 35, get out even if it means taking a step back. The money and job security of a legacy and their peers is worth the short term pain. For us older guys with kids in college and other expenses starting over isn't worth it. We don't have enough years left to reach the upper scales of a legacy anyway, so might as well ride VA as it spins toward the ground and hope we pull out of it. It's just business in this wonderful industry.

 

[bri5150]

Pay raise and increase in some benefits in April. Change in Reserve rules will be announced Feb 8th. For the most part it will mirror Southwest reserve rules..

First I've heard of the mirroring of SWA. If that's true, I would be one happy camper.

 

[BEfly]

Heard they are hiring. https://www.virginamerica.apply2jobs.com/ProfExt/index.cfm?fuseaction=mExternal.showJob&RID=1065

 

[Ralph Cramden]

I just love coming to FI to find out what's going on in my own company!

One major irritant here is the extreme "need to know only" secrecy. Then it get blabbed by managers to certain line folks. Think they do that on purpose? Naah..........

 

[bri5150]

Okay, more cheerleading I guess. IF we have a net profit q4 as rumored, I guess I don't see how we are in a death spiral. Obviously it wouldn't mean we are instantly viable and will be around forever, but it would certainly mean we are more on the upswing instead of the death spiral everyone thinks we are in. Unless you base your ups and downs on aircraft deliveries I guess.

 

[145drvr]

First I've heard of the mirroring of SWA. If that's true, I would be one happy camper.

To be fair,that was the proposal that was given to the company during the reserve summit, the company responded that it looked good but needed till Feb 8th to decide. So the end result may not mirror SWA exactly but there should be some resemblance, hopefully !

 

[BlueSurfer]

Virgin America Cancels 20 A320s

Posted byBRIAN BOSTICK2:13 PM on Jan 17, 2013



Virgin America has cancelled 20 A320s, bringing its total orders for the type from 69 to 49.

In December 2005, Virgin America placed an order for nine A320s, all of which have since been delivered. In December 2010, Virgin America placed another order for 60 aircraft (30 A320s and 30 A320neos), the total of which has now been reduced to 40.

Eight A319s were also ordered in December 2005, all of which have also been delivered.

 

[ALSF 2]

Pay raise and increase in some benefits in April. Change in Reserve rules will be announced Feb 8th. For the most part it will mirror Southwest reserve rules..

You don't want our (wn) reserve rules, they friggin suck! Worst part of the contract. Current Section 6 hot issue.

Cheers!