The British are Coming

[coogebeachhotel]

No jabs intended..dude..if any at branson..scumbag is coming here to discount our discounters and make it even harder for the legacies...he has destroyed australia with virgin blue...but if you don't care then i don't either..cargo rules!

Australia is fine. When Ansett went down the tubes thanks to America West scab operations(yes little known fact that America West flew 320's in OZ to break Ansett), there was a need for domestic lift. Quantas makes 80% of their profit in international ops which they rule. Quantas salaries are fine in fact have gone up since VB started ops.

 

[Cpt. Underpants]

Not trying to be the spelling police here, but it is QANTAS (no "U")

 

[T45Flyer]

Challenges

Virgin may have done well other places, here are some challenges I see:

1. Starting an airline at 60 dollar oil prices. No hedges for future.

2. The airplane purchasing cycle is in full gear. Aircraft are not cheap anymore like a few years ago and they will be paying somewhat of a premium for those new planes.

3. Very entrentched competetion in US. Not just LLC, but as said before, United will not lay out the welcome mat in SFO.

As we all know, pilot pay rates are only a very small peice of the puzzle. Virgin will definitely benefit from the maintenance honeymoon period, but I think long term success is far from gauranteed. My .02.

 

[320AV8R]

Not trying to be the spelling police here, but it is QANTAS (no "U")

The Captain is correct.

QANTAS= Queensland And Northern Territories Air Service

 

[Capt1124]

Just what the heck are these people thinking? They think they're going to make money with an airline?

The investors should have put the money in government bonds, I'm sure they will get a higher return with no risk.

Did it occur to anybody at the DOT that the US doesn't need another airline?

Nothing good will come of this.

 

[Occam's Razor]

We don't need Korean cars either.

Or another Britney Spears CD.

Or the commies buying our oil companies and the UAE buying our seaports.

We're consumers here, dang it!

Don't you get it?

"It's money that matters."
- Randy Newman

 

[ReverseSensing]

Or another Britney Spears CD.

Speak for yourself! :nuts:

 

[Kenny]

Not wanting to hijack the thread but there are just a few points:

Virgin Blue hasn't really destroyed Australia; they filled a void, left when Ansett went down the tubes. Comparing the Australian aviation industry to the American is like comparing chalk and cheese. There are 20 million people in a country with the same land mass as the USA, 80% of which live on the east coast. In my opinion there is really only room for 2 large carriers, VB and Qantas do this well and give the paying public a choice: Full service or low cost. Virgin Blue do the LCC thing extremly well and actually give the public a good product when compared to LCC's here in the US and in Europe.

Qantas may or may not being doing well, depending on how clear your crystal ball is. They have continued to make profits and be shielded from the same factors that are now affecting the major flag carriers world wide, by a Govt. that views them as a national treasure. They are heavily unionised and stifled by some fairly draconian work-rules that would make the Teamsters proud.

In response to the VB threat and their monopoly Qantas formed a low cost subsidiary, Jet*. Think TED and you've got the right idea. The idea was to fight VB on a level playing field with low operating costs. The only problem is that now the Jet* pilots have been offered A330's and B787's at a pay scale of around 60% what an equivalent Qantas pilot would make. The end result could very well be that they fly routes taken over from Qantas and the Qantas pilots get whip-sawed in a major way.

WRT the America West comment, there were American pilots that flew during the strike of '89 but I don't see how that was the nail in Ansett's coffin, unless of course it took 14 years to happen.

 

[CKJET]

Does anyone know what the payrates will be?
Is the service going to be point to point?
In SFO United should be able to give them a lot of trouble? Don't forget Southwest is very big in OAK. I would think that no one is going to be to happy about them and the cometetion will try to put them under early.
Well maybe the guys flying new 320s for peanuts may be happy.

 

[Focus]

Forget the Pay Rates.........hang up your pistol or grab your Rifle.....either way,,,its not going to be pretty....The really bad part of all of this is thinking that my son may someday have to go to WAR for the FREEDOM of our COUNTRY....NOT.......IM SICK of the entire diplomatic picture we continuously subject ourselves to. I've travelled the World and Im totally convinced that I live in the best country on the planet...What I am not convinced of is how does a guy blow up our Towers and still not be caught.....Something Stinks Really Bad Here. Where are the answers.....Perhaps I should look for them on my doorstep after this post......Im pissed,,,,,,,and so should every other American who loves their country.......Where the heck are we Fighting this WAR on Terror......Im over the age but I will sure as hell fight for my country and my brethren should the Politocos decide Oil is really not the fight.. For Every Person Fighting this War, what ever it be called you are all heroes to me......I just want some OSAM BLOOD. Six Feet Two, 240lbs....Lets Get it On you Punk, where ever you are. If you agree with me then stand and be counted.......Enough is Enough......The Strongest Military in The World can not Hunt down a Punk.?????? Get Real People!!!!!!!!!!!