Godfrey- V Australia "Will Work"

[Nigelinoz]

From:
http://www.travelweekly.com.au/dirplus/images/travelweekly/TravelTodayPDF/24_02_2009.pdf

V Australia is a good idea launching during a tough time but Brett Godfrey yesterday insisted: "It will work".The Virgin Blue chief executive said while March loads were light, sales for subsequent months were progressively improving."We are quite happy with the progress. It is meeting expectations," he said. "Clearly it’s not a good time to be launching an airline but we are not unhappy with the performance,It will work"

 

[clifford]

My bet is that it won't survive.

Any other views?

(Now, please be serious).

 

[Dave Noble]

I think that both possible views have been covered. Either it will work or it will not

Whether it will work will be found in the future

Dave

 

[Nigelinoz]

Further on in the article Godfrey says that the airline had
"a couple of other things up our sleeve to stimulate the market" which it will unveil a month to six weeks after its inaugural flight this Friday, and that the airline had paid "several million dollars"
rebooking passengers booked to fly prior to Christmas .

 

[NM]

Whether it will work will be found in the future

The same goes for the "whether it will not" option

 

[anat0l]

I think it will survive.

There's got to be enough people in Oz who hate QF's guts that want to cross the Pacific in an "Australian" carrier.

 

[ANstar]

I think it will survive.

There's got to be enough people in Oz who hate QF's guts that want to cross the Pacific in an "Australian" carrier.

Or who used to fly Air NZ because they were cheapest, but now can fly direct with VA as the cheapest.

I think they will do ok to get bums on seats down the back - not sure about PE and J though... I thinkt hey need to have a few more international partners for that.

IE currently DJ gold would only get me privileges / lounge access within Australia.... I'd like to be able to get lounge access if flying VS and EK etc

Until then, I think the J fares will need to be kept low to get people in... (ie they cant bank on the "loyal" status flyers that say QF/UA/DL have)

 

[Aray]

$2100 VA vs. $2400 QF for MEL-LAX direct in November right now ..

Both ridiculously overpriced - so not much competition so far ..

Not sure if $300 would swing me over at that ..

 

[ANstar]

$2100 VA vs. $2400 QF for MEL-LAX direct in November right now ..

Both ridiculously overpriced - so not much competition so far ..

Not sure if $300 would swing me over at that ..

Most sales seem to be aimed at <6 months

I reckon you will see sale fares for NOV from May onwards.

 

[codash1099]

Any potential RTW via the Virgin group may not be possible.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-02-25-virgin-america_N.htm

 

[dajop]

Any potential RTW via the Virgin group may not be possible.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-02-25-virgin-america_N.htm

And why is Virgin America necessary for that? Sure it would provide more options, but a VS/VA RTW has already been announced: SYD-LAX-LHR-HKG-SYD or vv.

 

[geoffl]

Doomed, wont see out 6 months!!:evil:

 

[straitman]

Doomed, wont see out 6 months!!:evil:

I do hope you are wrong with this hypothesis :!:

 

[mushypeas]

this will succeed and with branson's excessive ego at risk... he'll do what he can to ensure it succeeds.... i know i'd much rather fly (albeit in why) with vaust than qantas...

i do not have a loyalty with any carrier but i love the fact theyre up for a challenge and will stick to the "big boys"

 

[pauly7]

this will succeed and with branson's excessive ego at risk... he'll do what he can to ensure it succeeds.... i know i'd much rather fly (albeit in why) with vaust than qantas...

i do not have a loyalty with any carrier but i love the fact theyre up for a challenge and will stick to the "big boys"

I think they will do just fine as well - although I'm not sure how much say RB has over actualy operational decisions these days though.

 

[stuartfaz]

Mid to long term, it'll work, because it has to.

They'll do well once they branch out to other routes, and become a more widespread international airline.

Personally I'll be flying with them to the World Cup next year if VA have their Johannesburg services up by then (which they'd be crazy not to.)

And if they enter some short-term muck, I'm sure Sir Richard will be there to help them out in some capacity. DJ is too much for Virgin Group to lose reputation-wise. I don't think it'll come to that, though.

 

[geoffl]

The great success Branson has enjoyed is because he doesn't allow his ego to get in the way of sound decision making, if International travel continues to decline, he will have no hesitation in walking away and coming back later, the best example is their announcement today to stop participating in the extremely low ball domestic fares, and cut several routes. Rather than continue in any loss making activetity, he would rather preserve what the Group has, and International will be no different.

 

[stuartfaz]

The great success Branson has enjoyed is because he doesn't allow his ego to get in the way of sound decision making, if International travel continues to decline, he will have no hesitation in walking away and coming back later, the best example is their announcement today to stop participating in the extremely low ball domestic fares, and cut several routes. Rather than continue in any loss making activetity, he would rather preserve what the Group has, and International will be no different.

I'm not talking about just VA though.

In the very unlikely event that VA brings DJ down, I think Branson will be one of several parties ready to step in and prop DJ up. It's too big and too important an operation to just cut.

But as I said before, I doubt very much that it will happen, and I think VA will do quite well.

 

[JohnK]

I think, I hope, V Australia will survive.

I have no need to travel to the USA at the moment so will assess new V Australia routes as they are added. And as someone else mentioned I think there are enough people dissatified with QF to give V Australia a go but V Australia will also need to decide whether they are a LCC or truly a full service carrier.

 

[jakeseven7]

I think, I hope, V Australia will survive.
.

yes me too - but i'm not that worried about them surviving anymore on the US routes now specifically, now that Delta has entered the arena - they will keep qf and ua sufficiently honest.