Virgin America - April 14th class.

[mvedepo]

No one should be cocky these days (ahem, VA).

No one is being cocky. I was just addressing one of the many VA flamers that come onto these forums. Also the JetBlue guys in my class seem to think things here are pretty good here. To each his/her own. What I don't like is people come on here spouting off crap when they don't have any idea what they are talking about. With the state of the airline industry you guys should be less concerned with VA and more concerned about your respective carriers. I don't go on to other carriers threads to talk crap to them.

 

[Mud]

Virgin America - April 14th class.
Anyone here in the April 14th class at Virgin America?
__________________

To answer the original question, two Aloha guys just interviewed yesterday and are now in that class. Maybe more, as five interviewed. (I'm not one but would go if offered an interview / slot) And before the flamethrowers start up again, most of us AQ refugees are of the opinion that we need a number somewhere and fast. The industry is turning and jobs are getting scarcer by the day. I get $450 a week for CA unemployment, COBRA is $885 per month, and ALPA showed us how to write a resume, not pick your nose at the interview table, and told us about the wonderful contract opportunites in lovely places like China or the Emirates where they take your passport after a flight turning you into little more than a Pakistani laborer.

All of this philosphical "debate" about whose airline is better is great when you have employment. Go from Captain upgrade training to unemployed in 24 hours and you'll find you no longer give a sh*t about whether JB is better than VA, or if NetJets toilet sparkles.

 

[Green Banana]

I take it your interview didn't go well and now Virgin sucks.

Ha, Actually I did get offered the job, It was one of the hardest decisions I've had to make to turn it down. I was very excited and think they have a GREAT product. It is just that every other aspect of their compensation package, other than a quick upgrade, was terrible. Retirement, Pay, Contract, Non-rev benefits, Stability. I just could not do it. All the rah rah was fun, but on paper, I got paid more to fly an RJ at my last regional and they have a 10% 401k. I'd be better off just staying there....

 

[spinproof]

Grey Goose and Red Bull. Don't forget land. Land is the only thing valuable these days.

Oh you mean jetblue? I have a 6 month plan. I think I have at least 6 months at jb. Every month that goes by, I extend the plan 1 month. We ain't by any means outta the woods.

No one should be cocky these days (ahem, VA).

Not a "180" fan but The Goose works. You'll be alright,bruised but you'll survive. That last cash infusion pretty much assured that.

I don't think anyone at VA is cocky or reticent just confident the model will work even in trying times. There will be more shoes to drop...from where is not known only speculated!

 

[spinproof]

Ha, Actually I did get offered the job, It was one of the hardest decisions I've had to make to turn it down. I was very excited and think they have a GREAT product. It is just that every other aspect of their compensation package, other than a quick upgrade, was terrible. Retirement, Pay, Contract, Non-rev benefits, Stability. I just could not do it. All the rah rah was fun, but on paper, I got paid more to fly an RJ at my last regional and they have a 10% 401k. I'd be better off just staying there....

Right! In reading your post I would concur that it was a wise choice indeed!

 

[spinproof]

Doh!!! The F9 shoe drops...maybe not as bad as some will suggest..dadburn CC holdbacks!!!!

 

[HA25]

Virgin America - April 14th class.
Anyone here in the April 14th class at Virgin America?
__________________

To answer the original question, two Aloha guys just interviewed yesterday and are now in that class. Maybe more, as five interviewed. (I'm not one but would go if offered an interview / slot) And before the flamethrowers start up again, most of us AQ refugees are of the opinion that we need a number somewhere and fast. The industry is turning and jobs are getting scarcer by the day. I get $450 a week for CA unemployment, COBRA is $885 per month, and ALPA showed us how to write a resume, not pick your nose at the interview table, and told us about the wonderful contract opportunites in lovely places like China or the Emirates where they take your passport after a flight turning you into little more than a Pakistani laborer.

All of this philosphical "debate" about whose airline is better is great when you have employment. Go from Captain upgrade training to unemployed in 24 hours and you'll find you no longer give a sh*t about whether JB is better than VA, or if NetJets toilet sparkles.

Someone gets it.... best of luck brother.

 

[mvedepo]

Virgin America Investors To Inject $100 Million


By Paulo Prada
Word Count: 533 | Companies Featured in This Article: Frontier Airlines Holdings
U.S. and British investors behind Virgin America, the start-up U.S. carrier conceived by Sir Richard Branson, say they can weather the current turbulence slamming airlines and plan to soon inject about $100 million of additional capital into the company.
Undeterred by record-high fuel prices and a shaky economic outlook, investors of the closely held airline based in Burlingame, Calif., are sticking to their original business plan and are moving ahead with financing for further expansion. Virgin America launched passenger service between San Francisco and New York last August, and later initiated service to Washington, Las Vegas and San Diego

 

[HA25]

Virgin America Investors To Inject $100 Million


By Paulo Prada
Word Count: 533 | Companies Featured in This Article: Frontier Airlines Holdings
U.S. and British investors behind Virgin America, the start-up U.S. carrier conceived by Sir Richard Branson, say they can weather the current turbulence slamming airlines and plan to soon inject about $100 million of additional capital into the company.
Undeterred by record-high fuel prices and a shaky economic outlook, investors of the closely held airline based in Burlingame, Calif., are sticking to their original business plan and are moving ahead with financing for further expansion. Virgin America launched passenger service between San Francisco and New York last August, and later initiated service to Washington, Las Vegas and San Diego

That's the beauty of a Virgin America... All it takes is Branson to place a call to one or two of his big investment banks in the US, where they've got billions invested in the UK and the money magically appears.. Those who kept saying he'd run out of ability to help because of the 25% limit of ownership don't get international finance..

Good on you Virgin.. Now if you'd just give me a call!!

 

[Green Banana]

Huh, Why do they need more money???

 

[Bavarian Chef]

This just in ... Virgin Investors Willing to Lose 100 Million More Dollars.

 

[mvedepo]

This just in ... Virgin Investors Willing to Lose 100 Million More Dollars.

Yep. And when thats gone there will be another 100 million and so on and so on until the market recovers. Sure is nice having deep pockets.

And to think this trash talk coming from someone at JetBlue....:laugh:

 

[Bavarian Chef]

Yep. And when thats gone there will be another 100 million and so on and so on until the market recovers. Sure is nice having deep pockets.

And to think this trash talk coming from someone at JetBlue....:laugh:

It's not trash talk. Reread my post and then look at your second sentence for further explanation. I read your mind.

I trash talk jb all the time. I am equally disgusted at airline bravado and hypocrisy -- no matter what airline you work for.

 

[Ralph Cramden]

Huh, Why do they need more money???

"The financing will fund future expansion and isn't a response to the deteriorating U.S. airline operating climate, the WSJ said, citing Robert Nisi, a Virgin America board member and chief operating office of Cyrus Capital Partners, a New York- based hedge fund that initially funded about 40 percent of the airline, the newspaper said."

From Bloomberg, quoting Mr. Nisi in the WSJ.

This fuel price scam is killing us all. I predict another Enron style market manipulation scandal in the making. Trouble is a lot of good people have lost their jobs, the economy is tanking and the money will never be recovered.

 

[Ty Webb]

Talk about thread drift!

The things all these companies have in common is that they all morped into (or will) a place that doesn't believe all of managment's empty promises. Their job is to motivate you to work for less and less. . . . . .


. . In eight or ten years when you are a somewhat senior captain thinking things are rosy and your F/O is ticked off because upgrades are running at 8+ years and he can't get a COLA.

I thought this thread was about VA, not AirTran :laugh:

 

[spinproof]

This just in ... Virgin Investors Willing to Lose 100 Million More Dollars.

This just in the resident "Rocket Surgeon" speaks!!!!

 

[popgoesbubble]

Ok why do the:uzi: Jetblue guys have to write all there post is that stupid Blue Color. Its about as Gay as you can go man. Quick mvedepo start writting all your post in Red from this Day On. I'm gonna use Red White and Gray from this day On for my post and Now we can all be as Gay as FADEC!

HEY Cool Aid Oh Yeah!!!!

 

[mvedepo]

Ok why do the:uzi: Jetblue guys have to write all there post is that stupid Blue Color. Its about as Gay as you can go man. Quick mvedepo start writting all your post in Red from this Day On. I'm gonna use Red White and Gray from this day On for my post and Now we can all be as Gay as FADEC!

HEY Cool Aid Oh Yeah!!!!

Hey, this looks kinda cool!

 

[popgoesbubble]

Yeah It Does I'm starting to feel So Superior that I think I'm gonna go buy a Hybrid so I can start Smelling my own Farts! :cartman:

 

[Bavarian Chef]

Ok why do the:uzi: Jetblue guys have to write all there post is that stupid Blue Color. Its about as Gay as you can go man. Quick mvedepo start writting all your post in Red from this Day On. I'm gonna use Red White and Gray from this day On for my post and Now we can all be as Gay as FADEC!

HEY Cool Aid Oh Yeah!!!!

I have typed in blue from almost day one on this board so I can easily find my posts when I am looking for them (got the idea from lowecur, definitely not a jb pilot).

As for being gay, I guess I have to update my list of things "that be Gay":

1) Wearing leather chaps
2) Wearing pink anything
3) Can you say speedo?
4) Freddie Mercury moustache
5) Crystal Light
6) All black uniform with Star Trek insignia on the collar
7) Using blue virtu-o-ink on aviation forum
8) A/C Flown: J-32 328-300,CRJ-200, CE-560

Oh, and I forgot the last one ...

9) Developing angst and anger filled cyber relationships with anonymous posters on website because you are not getting enough affection at home. Kinda like the Colonel from American Beauty.