Bye Bye E-Jets :-( (and some ATRs)

[Bagpuss]

"[FONT=&amp]Meanwhile, Virgin said it would withdraw an unspecified number of ATR turboprop aircraft, as well as remove all Embraer E190s from the fleet, over the next three years."

[/FONT]http://australianaviation.com.au/2016/06/virgin-australia-taps-shareholders-for-852-million-in-fresh-equity/

 

[Plutonus]

The e-jets are my favourite. Guess I'll need to try and book as many as possible before they go then.

 

[BAM1748]

They seem to have been doing this withdrawal for a while.

Will they start using Airbuses from the Chinese factory?

 

[Bagpuss]

I wonder if this means they will use F100's instead of the E-Jets where it makes sense.

 

[Buzzard]

Have never flown on the E190.
I specifically booked SYD-ADL on an E190 some time back which meant I was departing about 4 hours later than I wanted to.
Imagine my disappointment when the E190 was subbed with a 737 :evil:

 

[docjames]

Have never flown on the E190.
I specifically booked SYD-ADL on an E190 some time back which meant I was departing about 4 hours later than I wanted to.
Imagine my disappointment when the E190 was subbed with a 737 :evil:

Have had that happen to me 3 times on MEL-SYD.

It seems there's been a big turnaround in strategy back to some core operations rather than the last 3-5 years of trying to be all things to everyone....

 

[BAM1748]

While we are talking of the demise of some Virgin aircraft, they also are laying off staff which didn't seem to get much coverage if any at all.

Matt

 

[Denali]

I was booking hubby on a flight a few days ago and noted it was a E190. He doesnt have a clue so I was more excited than he was - never been on a VA E before.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Here's the sky news piece on it.

It doesn't sound good to me. Raising $852m by cutting the fleet and staff but will continue to provide an excellent customer experience! :shock: Oh yeah? How, I wonder.

'Our renewed capital structure will strengthen our balance sheet, provide additional liquidity and help fund initiatives to improve earnings and cash flow,' chief executive John Borghetti said on Wednesday. Virgin will target operational and capital efficiencies, which will further deepen its focus on having a low, sustainable cost base, Mr Borghetti said

That all sounds like the return of an LCC to me. Slash costs and provide lip service to the customer. Can't say I'm all that surprised......we've already noticed the degradation of the product and he;s yet to start the slash and burn project. I wonder if this is an admission that the "game change plan" failed? I was hoping that JB would get to complete the concept following NZs departure, but alas no, it would appear.

It also seems to make a mockery out of the claims that the horrid ATR was a God sent saviour.

 

[samh004]

I'm surprised they're going to be removing some ATR's... I guess that means their regional network isn't doing as well as Qantas', and because they're reducing the fleet it'll make it even harder to rebound if conditions improve. Seems shortsighted.

A better idea might be to increase fares to match the service they want to be providing or they'll just keep downsizing until they go bankrupt.

 

[Muppet501st]

Chatting with a mate who is works in ATC and he referred to them as slugs. Something about slow climb rate ?
i replied, that I love flying them, 2 2 config seems more spacious then 737s. I've been on a few of them between BNE and ROK and as J is not offered on this route, and love being able to select 2A solo seat, on a Y fare

 

[Fiches Mouser]

Devastating! I adore the E190s. Always happy with 3A. Oh well. I suppose it's all about higher capacity and less frequency.

We've had it too good, I guess!

 

[Cryptarcadian]

Noooooo thems be taking all our E-jets away?! :-|

 

[toowongman]

Farewell E-Jet, how I loved your 2+2 seating. Glad we switched to Air North for MEL to WTB (beats BNE and driving).

 

[pauly7]

Devastating! I adore the E190s. Always happy with 3A. Oh well. I suppose it's all about higher capacity and less frequency.

We've had it too good, I guess!

Farewell E-Jet, how I loved your 2+2 seating. Glad we switched to Air North for MEL to WTB (beats BNE and driving).

Nice to fly I agree.

But have been disastrous for VA, from maintenance to service reliability.

Surprised to see them further hacking away at their ATR fleet (assuming this cut is on top of the already announced fleet downsizing).

I guess VA regional and VA international are both struggling, with VA domestic propping them up?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I'm surprised they're going to be removing some ATR's... I guess that means their regional network isn't doing as well as Qantas', and because they're reducing the fleet it'll make it even harder to rebound if conditions improve. Seems shortsighted.

A better idea might be to increase fares to match the service they want to be providing or they'll just keep downsizing until they go bankrupt.

The ATR news surprised me a bit as well. It seems to me to suggest VA's route reduction may be worst hit in regional zones. VA can't just increase fares, as they're already up to QF fares. The only two things they can do (IMHO) is to finish the big vision and be not just a QF equal, but to surpass QF...........or go back to being an LCC, however being an LCC with QF fares is not a viable option as far as pax are concerned.

 

[BAM1748]

I'm surprised they're going to be removing some ATR's... I guess that means their regional network isn't doing as well as Qantas', and because they're reducing the fleet it'll make it even harder to rebound if conditions improve. Seems shortsighted.

A better idea might be to increase fares to match the service they want to be providing or they'll just keep downsizing until they go bankrupt.

Regional networks are also feeders into the trunk routes, if an airline can monitor closely where and what the regional customers are doing when they get off the regional flight a loss route can still remain if feeding into another revenue stream.

Problem is as you cut a loss making regional it could lead to more marginal trunk routes as those customers go else where.

You can't cost cut your way into a profit; as you get the spiral down as you suggest.

Matt

 

[flydoc]

There's been a number of Virgin and Skywest-branded ATRs at the Alice Springs aero park for the last couple of months

 

[Aussie_flyer]

There's been a number of Virgin and Skywest-branded ATRs at the Alice Springs aero park for the last couple of months

They are fokker 50s not ATRs. The fleet was retired in February

 

[gwilli1]

Im another one that will miss the E-Jets , far better ride with 2-2 in Y than any 737.

This will probably result in downgrading some routes to ATR's and possibly working the ATR fleet (what they have left) as hard as they can . Also some routes likely to be upgraded to a 737 or shift to an F100 as a/c usage in the mining industry continues to come off the boil. Some frequencies will also come under scrutiny, especially the 15 min frequency in peak on SYD-MEL-SYD. I would expect all flights on the east coast triangle would be a 737