VirginUSA narrows choice

[AA717driver]

46driver--You have a good eye... She does look like Nicole(one of my fav's ) but her name is Gina Wild. She's an, ahem, actress who has appeared in "several" German productions.

I intended to replace her with someone equally attractive. I'm still looking. The research is exhausting... TC

 

[General Lee]

AA717,

Hey, I'm the one who said Nicole Kidman, not 46 driver.

B6busdriver,

I read on a different web site that Northwest would get the old Delta gates at BOS when the new terminal is built. Who knows really? As far as fighting Branson, I really don't think Delta is too worried. If it is based in the NE, then USAir, CO, AA and Jetblue will take the brunt, and if it is based in LA--they UAL, Southwest, and Jetblue will take a hit. I really don't think they will choose ATL, CVG, DFW, or SLC---and our JFK base mainly does INTL to Europe (19 767's a day to Europe--the most INTL flight of any US Carrier to Europe I might add) and Song flights (from all three NYC airports---try that Branson!!!). We at Delta really have turned into an airline that defends the hubs, with Song doing the point to point from the NE to FLA and LAS. We bring a lot of people into the hubs from places that do not really have LCCs, and transfers them to larger cities from our hubs. Like moving people from Peoria to ATL and onto St. Thomas, or from Munich to ATL and then onto Tucson. That is really what we do best at mainline, and our Song operation goes after passengers who don't want to pay a lot and want nonstop service---and that competes against you guys primarily.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[storminpilot]

General Lee-

You said and you have a strong INTL presence also that can and will make big bucks--especially last Summer and this upcoming Summer---it helps to have different playing fields

Agreed to a point, except even on CNBC this morning some analyst said that the US dollar will fall to as much as $1.40 against the EURO. This means even more trouble for the Legacy Airlines since travel to Europe this Summer will be soft.

The one thing we all have to worry about is "Is America getting back in love with their cars?" It appears driving trips are the new "in" thing.

Bottom Line--Our business is about to go through yet another restructuring and the question is who will be left when the dust settles?

 

[dlredline]

. . .
With regard to dragging the profession down, I will tell you all what I told a L1011 Capt. shortly after I got hired at TWA. He turned around and said that the reason the airline industry was in such turmoil(this being 1989) was that "people like you" come to work for "places like this" for $20,000 a year.

I stared back at him and told him that "I'll be **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED**ed if I stay at a commuter making $12,000 bucks a year just to improve YOUR life."

I hope like hell that Delta keeps their pay up and that we all rise to equal or exceed it but I'll be **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED**ed if I go to work at Home Depot and bypass a class at Virgin to help Delta or anyone else maintain their standard of living.

All I ever hear is that someone is dragging down the profession. Well, it didn't start last week. The "profession" didn't stand up to drug testing or screening crews in the '80's and they didn't shut down the industry to protest Frank Lorenzo stealing Continential's pensions. No one wanted to rock the boat or jeapordize their career.

We are reaping what has been sewn over the past 25 years.

Ty Webb, if you're out there, you are dreaming if you think the top airlines would allow a "guild". The national seniority list idea was floated a couple of decades ago and was shot down by United, Delta and USAir. They were successful at the time and didn't want a 727 Capt. from Eastern or TWA moving ahead of them on the seniority list.

I can't blame them but that line of thinking(I've got mine) has done as much to destroy the profession as Lorenzo, Wolf and Icahn put together.

AA,

I totally agree with you on this. The "dragging down" started long before the LCC frenzy, and much can be attributed to the actions/inaction of the same senior legacy carrier pilots and their union who so roundly criticize your consideration of a carrier at any airline that doesn't pay top dollar. Best of luck to you and your family in whatever decision you make.

DL

 

[AA717driver]

General--Sorry, I should have given you credit for the Nicole reference.

DL--I guess we should be lamenting the fact that the moment has passed for the airline employee groups to stand together to hold up the profession. The "every man for himself" mentality can't be eliminated now.TC

 

[General Lee]

Storminpilot,

Maybe you haven't been reading the Yahoo Aviation Finance page lately, but we are adding quite a bit of new flights this Summer to Europe, like these:

1. Daily nonstops from CVG to FCO (Rome) and AMS (Amsterdam)
2. A second flight 4 days a week from JFK to Athens
3. A second flight (4 days a week) from ATL-Munich and London

So, even with that weakening dollar (which according to you will never go up) it seems like we believe there will be a lot of interest in Europe, and most people who go to Europe can afford it, by the way. The people who can't afford it go to FLA on the LCCs. We are the only US carrier that goes to Athens, and this Summer the Olympics will be there. We have very little competition with our Europe flights because often we are the only airline that can connect some towns in the SE with Europe through ATL. I went to Europe twice last year (when the economy was still bad) and I had to sit in the cockpit 3 out of the 4 legs. Even our VP of Marketing said "we left money on the table" last Summer with respect to our European flights. Not this next year, though.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[TheDogsBollocks]

AA717driver,
Great avatar-thanks for info on the babe, does she have her own website?

General Lee-Deary, deary me Nichol Kidman-with a rack like that! Please submit yourself for drug testing under the reasonable suspicion, then get back to work-if you pass.

 

[Midnight Mike]

I wonder what kind of aircraft Virgin USA is going to use? If they are going to start from scratch they need to start traininging the pilot pretty soon for a mid 2004 launch date, lots of rumors of Virgin USA going for the 737NG?

 

[General Lee]

Thedogsbollocks,

I know she has smaller ones, but her face was the same. I thought maybe she was wearing something to ENHANCE them. I would absolutely pass that drug test....She is cute darnit!!


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Neubyfly]

never mind

 

[TheDogsBollocks]

General Lee,

I whole heartedly agree, she is a honey!- have a happy new year.

 

[b757driver]

Midnight Mike wrote:
____________________________________________________
I wonder what kind of aircraft Virgin USA is going to use? If they are going to start from scratch they need to start traininging the pilot pretty soon for a mid 2004 launch date, lots of rumors of Virgin USA going for the 737NG
___________________________________________________

Virgin execs have made several visits to both Boeing and Airbus which leads one to speculate the A320 or B737NG.

However, the only Virgin enterprise to use the Bus so far is Virgin Atlantic - A340s and soon the A380 mega-giant. Everywhere else it's the 737NG - Virgin Express, Virgin Blue, Virgin Pacific Blue. So the Boeing product has chosen to be the equipment of choice if you go by these selections. However.....as we all know (or should), in this business anything is possible.

WRT initial hub/HQ, it makes sense to have a place that is already served by their trans-Atlantic flights. I may be wrong but I did not think PHL was one of them. Another idea banded around is that they will have one east coast and another west coast. One city not previously mentioned (@ least not in the US media), is Las Vegas. And yes, Virgin has several weekly flights into LAS from LGW and the cost of living is relatively low. Besides, the whole thing is a bit of a gamble anyway...... !!!

 

[Superbird]

Watch out, I have heard that Ornstien has his hands in the Virgin USA pot. He and Branson are old buddies (Ornstien ran Virgin Express), from his past experience with Mesa and Freedumb, Virgin USA wont be a bed of roses if J.O. is involved. Ask your friends who slave for Mesa.

 

[Ty Webb]

General, I thought you guys already had RJ flights to Athens and Rome . . . . .

But where-the-hell is Munich? I can;t find that on my AAA Road Atlas anywhere. Is it in Indiana?

 

[General Lee]

Ty,

It seems to be going that way for us sometimes. But what about you guys and ICT? Are you sad? That airport seemed to have a lot of LCC promise....? Sometimes the RJs are better suited I guess.....on some routes.?.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Ty Webb]

Well, General, I understand how the RJ's will make it to Rome and Athens (just following the interstate) but how on earth are they going to make it to Amsterdam?

And this Wi-cheetah you are referring to, is it anywhere near Munich, Indiana? I can;t seem to find either of them, and I am getting concerned.

 

[Publishers]

Start and Airline

Unfortunately we cannot have everyone start an airline so that they can see just how costs operate. Often time anymore, it is a case of a shell game to see where costs are allocated.

As pointed out earlier, perspective usually has a great deal to do with how things would come out. How many times have I seen airlines started by pilots fail, of course they all had excellent packages for the flight crews. The problem always seemed to be lack of revenue to pay them.

In the end, it is unfailingly simple. We have a certain amount of assets and we want a return. We pick that number and it becomes fixed. With our assets, we can expect to generate a certain amount of revenue. The in between is what we have to pay people, suppliers, lenders, etc.

In the end, what portion to go to flight staff is not determined by someone protecting the profession. There are other factors that impact and what you generally have is some compromise between the remainderment of who gets what.