Virgin America Grows

[Golden Falcon]

Every airline has to start somewhere...America West happened at the rigt time...when it started I was making more flying a Metro than their Capt's were making...SWA guys weren't rich there when it started...Virgin just might fill the cracks the others are starting to leave open...

 

[10nCLR]

I think Branson secretly owns a large oil reserve stashed deep below the surface in the center of some 3rd World Country. He calls it Virgin oil and Extra Virgin oil. He's an eco-green man so I think maybe, Virgin America's fleet are all fueled by some sort of secret biofuel additive which keeps their price of fuel way, way, way down. Look out SWA. An airline owning their very own oil fields/refineries. Nicely done.
Well, that's what Branson initially wanted to do as rumor had it. Right? But instead he changed his mind and went green.(Al Gore)..... so disregard all of the above. It would be a great idea though.

 

[Freight Dog]

I hope VA goes out of business.


Goat

Why is that? Because they're 'undercutting'? Isn't that the name of the game in the U.S.?

I don't work for VA... but they were decent enough to hire several of my fellow furloughees from Aloha including a classmate of mine.

 

[Andy]

Last time I checked, VA had low loads and was constantly running fare sales. I don't think that they've got much longer to live in this environment.
Good thing that Arnold gave them all of those subsidies to headquarter in CA. That should help CA's budget crunch.

 

[Mud]

Who isn't running fare sales?

"The $100 million infusion gives the privately held company $400 million in shareholder-contributed capital"

Doesn't sound too thin considering they have only 18 a/c.

 

[Bavarian Chef]

Who isn't running fare sales?

"The $100 million infusion gives the privately held company $400 million in shareholder-contributed capital"

Doesn't sound too thin considering they have only 18 a/c.

Meaning, the first 300 million ran out.

Actually, I dunno. But look at the wording again. It doesn't say they have 400 million in the bank. It says they have been given 400 million by shareholders.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

What's the latest with the uniforms?

 

[Blue Dude]

Virgin America's charge is to create a product, said Cush, that "people are going to be willing to pay $20 or $30 more to fly Virgin America just because it is going to be worth it."

JetBlue used to say that, back when Jet-A was $.75/gal. And sometimes it was actually true, on an average fare basis, mostly because of market saturation and convenient scheduling. But the reality is that most passengers will drive an extra hour to/from the airport to save $10 off their ticket, burning $20 in gas. That bottom line is really all that matters. Virgin's extra service might get takers for the novelty value, but not if there's an available flight at the concourse next door for less money. The best you can hope for is to draw passengers away from established airlines to give you a try for the same or less fare than they would have otherwise paid. To expect a consistent fare premium over airlines offering more frequent flights, more destinations and loyalty programs is just living in dreamland. It's been tried before, guys.

Good luck anyway.

 

[freightdogfred]

They're fukked, pure and simple....This ain't Europe, and people could give a shat about mood lighting when they're booking online for the cheap seat. Best-o-luck though, for the boys flying the metal.

 

[Andy]

Who isn't running fare sales?

The legacies. They seem to be filling their jets just fine; note that their load factors exceed VA.