Virgin America continues some serious bleeding

[samballs]

What is the Direct Air thing? Saw one of the VA planes going from MYR to PIT

 

[clickclickboom]

It is travel subsidized by the town myrtle beach. Myr is a top tourist destination but is underserved by airlines.

Jetblue had the contract and VA came in and undercut us for the contract.

Kind of IRONIC ? Jetblue the undercutter getting undercutted......

 

[fandango]

It is travel subsidized by the town myrtle beach. Myr is a top tourist destination but is underserved by airlines.

Jetblue had the contract and VA came in and undercut us for the contract.

Kind of IRONIC ? Jetblue the undercutter getting undercutted......

Well to add more irony, JB came in and undercut us in MYB. We undercut the guys before us, etc. etc. and guess what; we are now back with the same people (Myrtle beach Direct) and flying for them again, and taking over for some of the VA stuff.

 

[fandango]

It is travel subsidized by the town myrtle beach. Myr is a top tourist destination but is underserved by airlines.

Jetblue had the contract and VA came in and undercut us for the contract.

Kind of IRONIC ? Jetblue the undercutter getting undercutted......

Undserved by airlines, huh? I guess that USAir, COntinental, ASA etc. aren't holding up their end of the bargain. Its not underserved. There are lots of open seats both on and off season each day. I have been a commuter there off and on for the last 2 years.

 

[gutshotdraw]

Business travellers are not ponying up the money for premium cabin service, which is our bread and butter.

Bwaha...bwahahah.......bwahahahahahaha

Premium service? I experienced 14 hours and 45 minutes of United's "Premium" service from LAX to Hong Kong in business class last year. I've had root canals that were less painful.

Tilton runs a truly crappy airline and all the whining in the world about LCC's won't change that.

 

[jetflier]

I'll say it again regarding pay, years ago at Pan Am and at NWA a senior pilot could buy a new Cadillac at a months "take home pay". Today that's $50,000 give or take a few thousand. That's a gross pay of $720,000/YEAR! Ask yourself if your pay is anywhere near that? As a profession with all that we have to contend with, security, responsibility, training, customer service, and professionalism, are we getting paid what we are worth to the traveling public ?

( If a surgeon operates on one person/day, they have 360 patients/ year lives in their hands. How many people/day do you have pass through your hands in a year?
Are you worth what a surgeon is paid ? How many lives do you have pass through your hands in a year? How much should you be paid for that responsibility ?

As a profession, we should be compensated for our responsibility, training, and professionalism.

As an airline, we need to take a hard look at how we view our profession. And our responsibility to the traveling public who place their lives in our trained hands.

How much should we be compensated for our expertise.

If given the choice, would you chose the brain surgeon who is paid 7.50/hour or the Brain surgeon who is paid $750/ hour for your brain operation. The answer is simple, you would go with the more expensive surgeon, because your life is in their hands.

 

[clickclickboom]

You and I both know that but unfortunately this industry is all to aware that they can get away with taking some schmuck with 70k in his pocket and turn him into a 16k a year pilot in 300 hrs..

There are bright spots in an otherwise cloudy sky however. These 90 day wonders CANT GET FINANCING and or their wealthy parents are quickly going broke denying junior the chance to work a parent subsidized career

the smaller flight schools are all going or have gone out of business even before the the collapse because of high insurance costs..

The larger ones seem to be better at stealing money and going bankrupt than they are at actually pumping out qualified candidates.

Also you never know the govt may consider minimum rates if planes continue to lawn dart with poorly qualified crews at the controls..

I waould say that a guy with over 5000tt and jet time in his 30/40's is in a good position to see some decent gains in his/her career with the upcoming attrition and lack of new qualified crews

 

[Daytonaflyer]

Aren't the large airlines like Delta, NWA, US, Continental, and SWA a bigger threat to UAL's profits than small carriers like VA, Allegiant, Skybus? Don't they compete directly with you guys on many more routes, thus taking money away from your own company? Aren't pilot wages only cut when a company is not profitable? When has management ever cut pilot wages on a profitable company? I think you guys are directing your anger at the wrong people. If you truly want to insult those with a direct influence on your own salary, you should be insulting your biggest competitors.

 

[bluesideup340]

Aren't the large airlines like Delta, NWA, US, Continental, and SWA a bigger threat to UAL's profits than small carriers like VA, Allegiant, Skybus? Don't they compete directly with you guys on many more routes, thus taking money away from your own company? Aren't pilot wages only cut when a company is not profitable? When has management ever cut pilot wages on a profitable company? I think you guys are directing your anger at the wrong people. If you truly want to insult those with a direct influence on your own salary, you should be insulting your biggest competitors.

Careful this makes too much sense.
Also, pilots hate it when other pilots moves into the left seat as a new hires or within a few months/years. Because that is just not right.

 

[The Victors]

Careful this makes too much sense.
Also, pilots hate it when other pilots moves into the left seat as a new hires or within a few months/years. Because that is just not right.

Oh yes...."Me get to be captain on big shinny jet. Me so excited cause I can get into the cockpit while still wearing my backpack. Me so happy, I'll do this job for freeeee!!"