Interview with John Borghetti

[DJ 1D]

Interview: Virgin Australia chief executive John Borghetti

Interesting interview with Mr. Borghetti here. Talks in depth about their strategy, challenges and the Aussie market. Clearly he is a very smart CEO with a vision for what he wants Virgin to be.

 

[Justchecking]

And this is why QF missed out, he knows all the mistakes QF made and also all their opportunities too. He could have gotten the pilots and engineers to take on new favourable conditions by giving them a vision they could believe in and rally behind. In that interview I see vision mixed with caution and care and trust that the investments being made are carefully considered ones with strict limits for the financial wellbeing of the airline. He knows where the best position in the market for DJ is, and is not aiming further than that.

 

[Mogul]

And this is why QF missed out, he knows all the mistakes QF made and also all their opportunities too. He could have gotten the pilots and engineers to take on new favourable conditions by giving them a vision they could believe in and rally behind. In that interview I see vision mixed with caution and care and trust that the investments being made are carefully considered ones with strict limits for the financial wellbeing of the airline. He knows where the best position in the market for DJ is, and is not aiming further than that.

In addition to that he is very positive about where they are going and how they are going to get there.

He believe's in the company and it's staff's ability.

 

[AaronBradford]

I particularly liked this this bit:

Looking ahead he says: "Our biggest challenge going forward is with ourselves. We have so much momentum, so much hunger, so much of all the good things, that I never want to see that diminish. As we accomplish all that we have in the past 12 months, I remind my staff: 'This is not the end. It's actually day one of the beginning'."

It's a good start, but there's a long way to go.

 

[Jack Melon]

Just imagine Virgin Australia in 2-3 years time, then look at QF!

 

[Justchecking]

This really is the strategy that QF are missing. They can't compete with the sheer size and economic backing of emirates no matter how cheap their labour base. Rather than seeking global expansion in orange uniforms, they should be catering so well to their core flyers that they are the first choice among them. From reading this site it appears that most QFF status pax use airlines other than QF for their international flying, maintaining their status to leverage benefits off QF without using their metal. That has nothing to do with cost bases and everything to do with deterioration of hard and soft product.

 

[connieguy]

After reading the JB interview and seeing the AJ National Press Club speech, I would guess JB is thanking his lucky stars that he joined DJ and AJ got the top dog spot at QF. I mean JB has a target that thinks it's J corp business Pax and WPs are Untouchable, yet proposes to give it's WPs that they are not asking for and not giving them what they are asking for, while needing to cut costs to make QFi profitable. JB sits back, thinks a bit, get together a war chest and goes for the QF soft domestic J / WP underbelly that QF thinks is untouchable. I mean like domestic QF J with those ancient seats and a seat pitch that is not even close to world class J? Like that is UnTouchable and best in class? Please.

So JB says lets bring real J seating to Oz and in much newer aircraft than QF use. So what is QF to do? Rip out all the ancient J seats and replace them with real J seats along with newer aircraft? I think not. What I do think is JB is the right man at the right time to take max advantage of a QF domestic J mentality that think their hard J domestic product and WP Pax are Untouchable.

Well here is one WP that is Touchable and has seen the light. JB, bring it on and show QF how to deliver a real world class Oz J product.

 

[pmdg7444]

I think it will be interesting to see if VAA announces anything post August 24

 

[Justchecking]

I think it will be interesting to see if VAA announces anything post August 24

They probably won't need to if the outcome is anywhere near as dire as the predictions. QF will dig it's own grave.