Some of the scope I hearedVirgin America

[FLB717]

Heavyset, General,

I would tend to agree with you. Sir Richard maybe a smart guy but I dont think he may have thought out the entire US Industry. LCC's and the ML LCC's will come after him like a Somalian after a chicken. The US is a somewhat different world to play in. Time will tell.

 

[enigma]

I'm out of my league on the specifics of this Virgin LCC discussion, but I will say this: never underestimate your competition. I to doubt that Virgin will be able to just come in and blow away the existing carriers, but I'm certainly not yet willing to count Virgin out.

The original post mentioned that Virgin likes three year employement contracts, and adds that that would keep ALPA away. Not to be argumentative with tictak, but ALPA is not on property at any of the big LCCs either. SWA and Airtran pilots have their own union, and JetBlue is non-union. If Branson is thinking that he will be able to get cheap pilots, he would be correct, until the next upswing. He would need to time every expansion/contraction cycle perfectly in order to hire in a employers market and have their contract keep the pilots employed in a pilots market. If he is indeed that astute, he will succeed. However, I believe that the overall environment is way too volatile to allow such a contractual employement system to succeed in the long term. Timing the business cycle may be doable, but how can one predict such things as September 11, 2001?
regards,
enigma

 

[tiktak]

I now lot of the how, when,where. There a lot of hush hush and the people who know don't talk.
Some times there are controlled information leaks.

 

[KDA or DEATH]

Correction / Herr "Enigma"

"...ALPA is not on property at any of the "big" LCCs either. SWA and Airtran pilots have their own union, and JetBlue is non-union."


Airtran = approx. $800 million Annual Revenues = National Airline.

JetBlue = $6-800 Million (?) Annual Revenues = National Airline.

ATA = $1.5 Billion Annual Revenues = Major Airline.

I believe ATA is ALPA....

"Just the facts, Ma'am."... Sgt. Friday

(Or, relatively close...)

 

[standup]

Prediction: Virgin will be buying Spirit Airlines just for their slots. , don't laugh.

 

[onthestreet]

Now thats funny!!!!! I guess your trying to wish yourself out of that crappy contract u got. Funny, funny, funny!

 

[MDP727]

We are ALPA at ATA.

 

[enigma]

Prediction: Virgin will be buying Spirit Airlines just for their slots. , don't laugh.

I'm not laughing, but I have to ask: just which slots does Spirit have that are worth buying Spirit to obtain? We have a few at LGA, and just received some at DCA (worthless at the present because they are all three for nine PM). I am not in planning, management or finance, and freely admit that I do not know the value of our slots, but I seriously doubt that our slots are worth anywhere near what it would take to purchase our entire assets. Spirit's owner, Dr. Schorr, who I obviously do NOT speak for, will ask for not only the present value of his company, but for an amount that would also included future earnings. He has spent money for the last three years with no real profit until the last quarter. If Dr. Schorr had wanted to get out from under the airline for no profit, he would have shut down this past February before he signed a new pilot contract. He is currently poised to make record (for spirit) profits for the foreseeable future. Barring future terrorism, or other tragedy, Spirit ,even if we don't grow, will put millions in Schorrs pocket. The only area in which we don't have a competetive advantage over every other carrier is fuel. Our old maddogs burn more fuel than the competition, and we most likely pay more for what we burn.

Gotta go,
regards,
engima

 

[AA717driver]

He may run into trouble looking for 73NG rated pilots, too. I may go and get my 737 rating when I get whacked, but I won't spend the bucks for a NG rating--to make $60k as captain...

I don't care how good looking the FA's are! TC

 

[tiktak]

you be amazed how many US Expats flying in Asia and got there own 737NG type

 

[bogberto]

Keep in mind that Ornstein used to work with Branson. Johnny is moving all aircraft off of the Freedom certificate and will have that ready for anything. He'd also be willing to cash in all of his Mesa stock (price gets higher every day) and leave with the F8 cert.

Plenty of rumors about this at the Mesa Shack.

 

[learob]

KDA

JetBlue had about 470 million in revenue for the first 2 quarters with our grouth rate JetBlue should make major status early in the 4th quarter.

 

[viking737]

What is a 737NG type?
Mine was in the -800 , but the licence mentions nothing about type.
(we do get a -circle-to-land VMC only- restriction ,though,
supposedly since we don't circle below 1000-3 in the sim)

 

[tiktak]

after jaa, caa and casa
it is a different type
I know faa says is common, but hiring boards differentiate.
Insurance.
If you are typed in a 200, to fly a classic or NG you got to recive differential training.
Guess it is for them to save money.

 

[b757driver]

737NG type

On an FAA certificate, you don't differentiate according to model (on the license itself). Does not matter whether you do your type on a 737-200 Juraissic, 737-300/400/500 Classic or the NG 600/700/800/900 - you only ever see "B737" on your certificate.

On an EU/JAR license you will see the specific make and model or groups of model like classic, NG specifically mentioned.

No matter which license you hold you will have to do a differences course.

If RB chooses the 737NG, I'm ready, able and willing with 737 classic and NG types plus hours on both. Where do I sign?

 

[limodriver1]

I love to se Virgin here!

I dont know about anyone else, but US aviation needs some fresh ideas here!

Virgins are welcome and lets hope they bring lots of jobs for pilots and mechanics, and Flight Attendants and etc...

They need to use FAA licenced pilots. Salary what they are planning to pay can't be any worse than what is paid now by many carriers here in USA!

And someone says US pilots don't fly cheap, that is already proved wrong. Pilots are the worst, as long as they can fly they sleep in crash pads, they steel hotel items to survive and who is able lives with they family or relatives to be able to fly!

I believe that Virgin will bring great new competition in to markets and they dont have to worry about finding pilots, there will be thousands lined up with resumes, when they start hiring!

It is great that people in this forum has unique information and ideas, one can just hope that , we as an member of this site would not be so critics about others comments. Do you really think that your ideas is better than mine!

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

Why can't these 3 to 5 year contract workers unionize??

 

[yaks]

Why can't they unionize

Typically employment contracts contain onerous stipulations to protect the employer. That would undoubtedly be one of the stipulations which would result in termination of the employee. Employment contracts are to protect the employer from anything they perceive as a threat (ie unionization) and screw the employee. They should not be entered into lightly and in this business, not entered into at all.

 

[Ty Webb]

I am sure there would be a long line of plaintiff attorneys waiting in the wings if they try to prevent a union by osmething so ridiculousy obvious.