Virgin America 1Q loss $76 million

[canyonblue]

Wave, I hope you don't go around saying anyone who goes to work for an upstart LCC at lower than industry standard wages is a sellout around your senior pilots......

I have heard many say that the "original" Southwest pilots were a bunch of guys that didn't get hired at one of the Legacy Carriers. But they are all Multi-Millionaires now, and made out even more than you could ever dream of making. I guess they all had the last laugh on all of you. I doubt that we will ever see a case like that again in our lifetime, Southwest was the last.

 

[waveflyer]

Wave, I hope you don't go around saying anyone who goes to work for an upstart LCC at lower than industry standard wages is a sellout around your senior pilots......

Nope, the ones who vote to outsource are the foundation sellouts- they're the ones who create the widespread environment of few good choices

 

[Dan Roman]

I have heard many say that the "original" Southwest pilots were a bunch of guys that didn't get hired at one of the Legacy Carriers. But they are all Multi-Millionaires now, and made out even more than you could ever dream of making. I guess they all had the last laugh on all of you. I doubt that we will ever see a case like that again in our lifetime, Southwest was the last.

Well your mistaken about what my retirement is, however I am certainly not going to lower myself to a "I have more than you, mines bigger than yours" debate.
However, we all know about the early SWA guys who accepted lower wages for a lot of stock and good for them. I've always that that is a good plan, (however they had less cash available during their working years to invest, so it was a compromise). Although SWA stock hasn't exactly been a stellar investment for quite awhile.
The question is though, the early SWA guys got theirs, what did SWAPA get for those that followed?

 

[waveflyer]

Um, when stock plan wasn't as good, we got a leading contract-@ profit sharing still good

 

[N1atEcon]

$76 million for that small of a company with their crappy wages -OUCH!

 

[Grandpa +65]

I just heard on Bloomberg that Branson just wrote another check for around 76 million for VA. Coincidence? Find out at 11.

They have jobs as long as Branson wants to keep covering the losses. Remember Hooter's Air? At least that CEO knew when to say when. He said something like, "I have a lot of money to spend on this, but I'm not stupid".
" Branson either
a) has a lot more money, or
b) is stupid.
I am amazed if this Virgin America thing keeps going much longer. VA has lost upwards of 500M in the last five years

 

[redflyer65]

I believe it's option A.

He has a ton of money. His goal is very plain to see...

Keep funding VA until cabotage goes away and then he can freely connect his entire network.

I'm not sure how many years he's planned to put into VA. The employees better hope it's for a long, long time.

I agree with the IPO talk. It would be ugly to try to spin years of losses to new investors. I see it getting pushed back. They will blame the economy or some other event as the cause.

 

[Grandpa +65]

"Keep funding VA until cabotage goes away and then he can freely connect his entire network".
redflyer65: I agree on that one.

He's putting his money behind Obama this year so he can buy AA from Doug Parker/ USAirways once he owns it. You need a friend in high places to change that foreign ownership rule!

 

[n757st]

They have jobs as long as Branson wants to keep covering the losses. Remember Hooter's Air? At least that CEO knew when to say when. He said something like, "I have a lot of money to spend on this, but I'm not stupid".
" Branson either
a) has a lot more money, or
b) is stupid.
I am amazed if this Virgin America thing keeps going much longer. VA has lost upwards of 500M in the last five years

Branson, because of foreign ownership laws, cannot just pump money into this company.

 

[redflyer65]

Branson, because of foreign ownership laws, cannot just pump money into this company.

Ahh, okay...