New U.S. based LCC starting soon

[Skank]

I think "Sir" Richard can read the financials better than most. No doubt he will be a factor in the U.S.

 

[rjcap]

Sir Richard is a slick marketer. He probably has determined a market niche and will exploit it at the expense of the major carriers.

This will just accelerate the downsizing of the big 3 or 4 or 5 however you look at it.

 

[b757driver]

Don't Let Looks Fool You!

Hey Jake -

Sir Richard is a VERY astute business man and more than people give him credit for. How do you think he got to where he is today & do you think he got a knighthood from HM Queen Elizabeth II by selling popcorn on a London street corner?

Don't under-estimate the man! I have watched him over the years (not without pains I might add) and seen him come back from the brink a couple of times and go on to bigger and better things.

You should read some of his biography - it's pretty impressive. Just a few examples of his history in airline management - started Virgin Atlantic with just one 747 in the early 80s into what it is today; fought a legal battle against the might behemoth British Airways in the high court and won including damages; started the Aussie Virgin Blue a few years ago and that airline is going leaps and bounds and making a dent against national flag carrier, Qantas.

If this becomes reality, it might very well turn into another JB phenomenon. One thing I have learnt in over 25 years in this business on whether an airline suceeds or fails, is who you have at the helm. There are plenty of owners/CEOs out there only interested in lining their pockets, not remotely interested in their people, not understanding the dynamics of "if you look after your employees, they'll look after the customers etc." Branson is a mastermind in looking after his people and also brand imaging. Rest assured, he has done his homework and he would never put his name or the Virgin brand on a half-baked idea. Just take a look at some other compatriots in this league and the airlines they have built - Herb Kelleher (retd.) & David Neeleman.

One thing is for sure, interesting times are ahead. Watch this space!

 

[klhoard]

Virgin

And most importantly, all of his F/A's double as runway models. . .

 

[Jake]

Don't get me wrong. I think Branson is a good business man and knows how to start a business (as I said in my original post). What he doesn't realize, or is not willing to admit for some reason, is that there is another carrier in the US that is growing by leaps and bounds and is already considered by most to be one of the leading LCC's in the country. Considering the number of times Delta has unsuccessfully tried to put AirTran out of business, I would say AirTran has established itself as a "very powerful LCC".

Having said that, I certainly don't mind Branson's oversight of a significant player in the industry. Let him jump into the market and take on Jetblue and SW. The three will fight and claw for market share. Meanwhile the underestimated AirTran will continue to gain ground in the background. Trust me, flying for an airline that is thriving yet still under estimated is a good thing.

I just felt that if Branson was doing all of his homework he would have realized that JetBlue and SW are not the only two powerhouses in the US - just the two with a better marketing plan at the present time. My comment was made with a great deal of "tougue in cheek". Underestimating anyone or any company is something that you will not find by any AirTran employee - that's how you stay a "powerful company".

Fly safe

 

[General Lee]

Jake,

Quit bragging, it makes you look insecure. Ok, you work for Airtran and it is doing well for the moment---thanks for including it in your "top 3 LCC's." Is Airtran bigger than ATA? Delta knows Airtran is out there and has started its own LCC that will have a large market share on the east coast and eventually both coasts. Branson will realize that his "virgin brand" will have a lot of LCC competition----including Spirit, Frontier, and America West (which again is larger than Airtran and is a LCC)----and will find out that the US is not Australia with one large Major (Qantas) and a bankrupt national carrier (Ansett).

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[trainerjet]

Jake,

Quit bragging, it makes you look insecure.

General,

I see you have adopted Surplus 1's tactics of chastising others for doing what you regularly do. Evidently it is ok for you to brag about how well Delta, Song, DALPA, etc. is doing, however when "Jake" does the same thing about his company, you tell him to "Quit" since it makes him "look insecure".

Seems a little like bully tactics to me. Unseemly. Insecure.


Right, General??

 

[General Lee]

Trainerjet,

I have no problem when people back up their statements with facts. Jake did not do that. He made his claim that Airtran was the 3rd largest LCC---which is wrong because America West and ATA are bigger. When I state things about Delta, I usually point out the positives about Song etc--like the frequent flyer programs etc, and let it stand on that. I do not try to slam the others. I stated that Airtran is doing well and I frequently point out that they do well on routes from ATL and other point to point pairings, but I do not point out personal stuff like they have a lot of scabs etc. I have been very nice, and I just pointed out that his statement sounded insecure---and if you read it it does. If you can point out my weaknesses, I would appreciate it----and back it up please. (I know I have spelling problems sometimes)

Bye Bye--General Lee

PS--Maybe I was a bit harsh--and I apologize to Jake

 

[AFcitrus]

General,

Okay, let me rephrase. There are already several powerful LCC operating in the US. I used AirTran as an example because I am more familiar with AirTran's financial situation, size, route structure and fleet.

You made my point for me - Branson doesn't consider anyone except Jetblue and SW as competition over here. There are several LCC's that he will have to contend with when he gets here. He is an incredibly talented entrepeneur however, it is very foolish of him to underestimate the LCC market in the United States.

As to your statement that I claimed AirTran is the 3rd largest LCC in the US, please follow your own advice and use facts. If you can find that I said AirTran was the 3 largest LCC anywhere in my post please show me where. What I said was
"There are already three "very powerful low-cost airlines in America" - Southwest, AirTran and Jetblue." There are probably more but I was concentrating on the company that I know most about - my own. I also said AirTran is growing by leaps and bounds and is already considered by most to be one of the leading LCC's in the country. That is an opinion based on what I see and read in the media.

I think what really ruffled your feathers is that I said Delta had unsuccessfully tried many times to put AirTran out of business. That IS a fact and since you couldn't contradict me on that idea you decided to get nasty and call me a "bragger" and "insecure". Let's let the folks on the board decide who is more insecure.

I think it is really funny that when someone shows some pride in their company, something that there isn't a whole lot of these days, He is labled as "bragging" and "looking insecure". This whole board is about people's opinions. Sometimes those are backed up with facts while other times they are not. I was raised to appreciate diversity of ideas and respect others' opinions. General, maybe you need to go back to charm school. Just my opinion.

 

[Jake]

OOPS, I used the wrong computer for that post. Ditto from Jake!!