Virgin America???

[Jeff Helgeson]

I believe it will be JB

I stated it before. I beleive with the way things are now that RB may do a code share with JetBlue. Why start up an airline in this environment when you can code share with a growing airline like JB. RB could avaoid all the political road blocks of owning the majority stake in a US airline and not have to compete with Ch. 11 companies directly.

Jeff H

 

[ultrarunner]

The flight attendant was a classmate of mine, and admitted she didn't know who he was

Doesn't get out much, does she?

Why am I not surprised.

 

[b757driver]

I stated it before. I beleive with the way things are now that RB may do a code share with JetBlue. Why start up an airline in this environment when you can code share with a growing airline like JB. RB could avaoid all the political road blocks of owning the majority stake in a US airline and not have to compete with Ch. 11 companies directly.

Jeff H

Yes, Jeff, but Branson just loves a little publicity and even more, what some would perceive as a fight. Code sharing would be too easy for him; he wants more. Read the book Doing Business the Branson Way. It will reveal what makes him tick. Trust me, what he wants is his own airline when the time is right. It's worked pretty much every where else - that's why he is so successful. Most people stateside don't know much about him or his companies (even the regional F/A didn't know who he was) apart from Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Records. Those are a tiny proportion of his empire. Part of his success is not that he is a great entrepreneur, but that he surrounds himself with people who have business smarts and is able to persuade people that they want to work for him. It is very differnt from the mainstream style of management and in that sense he is a maverick, but a very successful one.

 

[Paul R. Smith]

It is very differnt from the mainstream style of management and in that sense he is a maverick, but a very successful one.

"maverick CEO"

 

[Jeff Helgeson]

Very good points

Yes, Jeff, but Branson just loves a little publicity and even more, what some would perceive as a fight. Code sharing would be too easy for him; he wants more. Read the book Doing Business the Branson Way. It will reveal what makes him tick. Trust me, what he wants is his own airline when the time is right. It's worked pretty much every where else - that's why he is so successful. Most people stateside don't know much about him or his companies (even the regional F/A didn't know who he was) apart from Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Records. Those are a tiny proportion of his empire. Part of his success is not that he is a great entrepreneur, but that he surrounds himself with people who have business smarts and is able to persuade people that they want to work for him. It is very differnt from the mainstream style of management and in that sense he is a maverick, but a very successful one.

When one person has that much money and say in the business decisions, your points are valid. However, with the AA and BA talking again and the inabilitiy to own tha majority stake in a US airlie as a foreign national, the JB option might look more attractive. He got the wheels rolling, but now the players have left his employ and the market is not right.

You may be right, he may wait and try again on his own at a later date.

 

[AA717driver]

Ownership isn't a problem. He doesn't hold a majority stake in Virgin Blue. He wants his name on it and an appropriate cut for the use of the Virgin brand.TC