Virgin USA--Who will be affected?

[FlyBoeingJets]

When Virgin USA gets started, who will feel the most pain?

UAL, JetBlue, SWA or Alaska


I'm figuring JetBlue or UAL. Probably UAL. But JetBlue is getting from it USAir in th east and then will lose some transcon biz to Virgin. The news will get darker at JetBlue before it gets brighter.

Will Virgin use its new domestic airline to feed their international arm???

 

[YourPilotFriend]

When Virgin USA gets started, who will feel the most pain?

UAL, JetBlue, SWA or Alaska


I'm figuring JetBlue or UAL. Probably UAL. But JetBlue is getting from it USAir in th east and then will lose some transcon biz to Virgin. The news will get darker at JetBlue before it gets brighter.

Will Virgin use its new domestic airline to feed their international arm???

If laws on foriegn ownership relax even more, and it can feed it international carrier, it may become a very strong company. In my opinion, a fractioned domestic, international line with foriegn ownership may be the next successful business model. This may be able to further weaken the SWA/Jetblue business model.

 

[General Lee]

Branson did well in Australia with Virgin Blue because Ansett Austraian Airlines had just gone bankrupt, leaving Qantas as the only large airline in Australia. Virgin Express in Europe, based in Brussels, has done poorly because of the large amount of LCCs in Europe and lack of gate space at the major European airports. What will Virgin America confront here? The same things they see in Europe. There are plenty of LCCs here, and there are legacy carriers in BK lowering their costs. Virgin Atlantic Airways really isn't that big of a carrier in London. They fly to these cities from Heathrow---JFK (3 daily--2 744s, 1 A343), SFO(1 daily 744), LAX (2 daily--1 744, 1 A343), BOS (1 daily 744), MIA (1 daily 744), EWR (2 daily--1 744, 1 A343), and flights to NRT, HKG, Joberg, and Shanghi. They have flights to the Carribbean from London Gatwick, and flights to Orlando and Las Vegas. The feed opportunities are not great between Virgin Atlantic and the new Virgin America.

Virgin America will launch against United in SFO, and maybe Jetblue and DL at JFK. The weather delays at SFO could hamper a consistant on time performance for Virgin America, and LCC competition from SW and JB at OAK will hurt them too. It won't be easy, and may look like Virgin Express before it ever looks like Virgin Blue.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[fokkerjet]

Hasn't Branson lost control over Virgin Blue? I thought his "partners" kind of pushed him out.

 

[General Lee]

Hasn't Branson lost control over Virgin Blue? I thought his "partners" kind of pushed him out.

I think he owns 26% of Virgin Blue.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[BLUE BAYOU]

I'd say I'll have to agree with the General on this one. Virgin America should've started a few years ago... Now I believe it's too late. UAUA is leaner and meaner, there is a lot of competition here like Europe as the General stated, and most importantly-- they're helmed by the likes of ex Delta and American execs who drove or nearly drove their respective legacies into the ground!!!

 

[lumax]

The employees will feel the most pain. I can hear management already:
We have new competition in the form of new start-up, therefore we need more concessions from the employees in order to compete and protect our routes.

 

[Going2Baja]

Just another carrier helping the race to the bottom for Major pay.....

Baja.

 

[mnboyev]

Race to the bottom is by the Regional carriers... Mainline feeders.. Scope boys.. its all in the scope.. What does an average RJ Cappy earn? NOT ENOUGH.... period. Lets start there...

There are many... many ...many more seats on feeder RJ's than all the Low Fare folks put together... add it up.

SWA.. best paid Small Narrow Body.... (Seems like they got a few widebodys in the cabin however.......) Just Kidding fellas...

Good Luck Virgin... I agree.. too little.. too late..

 

[TZtoSWA]

I'd say I'll have to agree with the General on this one. Virgin America should've started a few years ago... Now I believe it's too late. UAUA is leaner and meaner, there is a lot of competition here like Europe as the General stated, and most importantly-- they're helmed by the likes of ex Delta and American execs who drove or nearly drove their respective legacies into the ground!!!

Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. It won't take long for Carty to drive this one into the ground either. Maybe Sir Richard won't let them make all the decisions. That is their only hope. Otherwise, Virgin will become a used crack whore in fairly short order.

 

[Gorilla]

With the talking puppet-head Carty at the helm of Virgin USA, those who will feel the most pain will be....







The employees of Virgin themselves. Beware!

 

[AbOvo]

So how will the Virgin America pilots be looked upon by the other people in the industry? I've heard of crews from mainline carriers being unscrupulous (re: jumpseat, etc.) towards JetBlue pilots. Will this same attitude carry over to VA crews?

 

[roadrunnerblue]

It will depend on their wage scales and threat they are perceived to be vis a vis the legacy carriers; however they will be associated with a major international airline who's employees are professional in appearance, manners and who know what decorum is. It will all depend on what the company culture stands for. Just hope it is not another politically correct kumbaya cult.

 

[Draginass]

With the talking puppet-head Carty at the helm of Virgin USA, those who will feel the most pain will be....







The employees of Virgin themselves. Beware!

Ah, yes, the Canadian Carty brothers, Dougie and Donny. Drove both Canadian Airlines and American Airlines into the ground. Great track record, that family.

 

[Ty Webb]

Thank God they didn't get Crandall, instead they've got these two 'tards, plus one from AirTran that we were all happy to see go.

 

[njcapt]

Thank God they didn't get Crandall, instead they've got these two 'tards, plus one from AirTran that we were all happy to see go.

That sh!$head Crandall could probably make the thing work. I wouldn't want to be one of the employees, though. As much as I hate the a-hole for his labor practices, he was a frickin' genius airline manager. Carty is a pale substitute for the Black-Hearted-Airline-Devil.

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

Whether or not Virgin USA makes it, someone else will feel pain for 2-4 years. Branson and other investors will give the new company a good enough balance sheet to last that long and to lift the stock of the company so they can eventually sell it if it suits them.

We all said JetBlue wouldn't last long and now here we are. Virgin will have very low maintenance costs for at least 4 years. Back end loaded leases/obligations will be in place. New hire pay will be a higher percentage of the total number of pilots/workers. Yada, Yada, Yada.

Can Virgin buy fuel hedges before they start operating??

I'm not looking forward to it.