Virgin Blue to vie for business passengers: Report

[Cabbage]

VIRGIN Blue is to introduce business class, change its name and uniforms, and add larger planes to domestic routes in a bid to become a far more potent competitor to Qantas.

Virgin Blue to vie for business passengers

 

[scibo10]

SMH article on DJ's push for more business

Virgin Blue to vie for business passengers

GEOFFREY THOMAS

June 21, 2010


VIRGIN Blue is to introduce business class, change its name and uniforms, and add larger planes to domestic routes in a bid to become a far more potent competitor to Qantas.

 

[Mal]

Re: SMH article on DJ's push for more business

Not sure there's anything particularly new on that article, except the same rehashed information already talked about. I could get some of the same information by hanging out in certain bars in Brisbane where DJ staffers collect on a Friday after work

Since Ansett's demise in 2001, Qantas has had a monopoly on business class travel although business class fares have not risen since that time.

Really? I don't think so. Certainly I've noticed increases, and the official data published here: http://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/21/Files/air_fares.xls does tend to indicate fares have risen substantially since 2001. I suppose if you also add in CPI increases etc, you could claim they've remained stable... but that's dodgy journalism IMHO.

 

[opusman]

Re: SMH article on DJ's push for more business

Certainly I've noticed increases

They've gone from being ridiculously expensive to stupidly expensive

 

[ejb]

Re: SMH article on DJ's push for more business

They've gone from being ridiculously expensive to stupidly expensive

However they have started to offer cheaper fares (D class?) between some ports.

SYD-PER they now have two J fares, approx $1200 and then $1700.

ejb

 

[stuartfaz]

Re: SMH article on DJ's push for more business

Mr Borghetti will outline a name change, thought to be Virgin Australia, which will bring Virgin Blue, V Australia and Pacific Blue under one brand.

Methinks this won't go down so good in New Zealand.

Virgin Pacific would be a lot nicer.

 

[cosi]

Re: SMH article on DJ's push for more business

but that's dodgy journalism IMHO.

No Geoffrey Thomas is a well respected avaition jorno and I hear, I nice bloke.

 

[jsd]

Re: SMH article on DJ's push for more business

Methinks this won't go down so good in New Zealand.

Virgin Pacific would be a lot nicer.

Ahhh. You beat me to it, Virgin Australia just doesn't ring any bells

Virgin Pacific does sound heaps better, even better in logo form


Josh

 

[harvyk]

I'm so going to have to find the threads where I made these predictions... So far I've correctly predicted J, widebodies, name change. I just didn't expect it to be this quick...

It was bound to happen...

 

[aus_flyer]

To quote the article...

Since Ansett's demise in 2001, Qantas has had a monopoly on business class travel although business class fares have not risen since that time.

What planet is this journalist living on?

Also... I see there is already a thread on this topic at http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/virgin-blue-velocity/smh-article-djs-push-more-23815.html

 

[Justchecking]

Re: SMH article on DJ's push for more business

Methinks this won't go down so good in New Zealand.

Virgin Pacific would be a lot nicer.

I also like Virgin Pacific, however perhaps the tie up with Air New Zealand will be the death of VB doing domestic in NZ? Doesn't make sense to have an alliance and then directly compete with each other in such a small market.

 

[NM]

Re: SMH article on DJ's push for more business

As this thread is about a media report and not specifically about Velocity FF program, I am moving it to the Travel news forum. Note I have also edited the Op (now second post in merged thread) to include the link to the quoted SMH article and removed the fully quote of the original article as media reports are copyrighted material. I have also merged the two treads on the same topic.

 

[notzac]

Re: SMH article on DJ's push for more business

I also like Virgin Pacific, however perhaps the tie up with Air New Zealand will be the death of VB doing domestic in NZ? Doesn't make sense to have an alliance and then directly compete with each other in such a small market.

Agreed .. I just can't see PacBlue staying on the NZ domestic market if the JV goes ahead. Wouldn't make much sense.

Personally, I like Virgin Australia more than Virgin Pacific. Either way, I'm hoping that the "red jet" livery goes along with the name change..

 

[Justchecking]

Yes the flying billboards I will not miss. I'm quite fond of the metallic pearl of the VOz jets...

 

[straitman]

Re: SMH article on DJ's push for more business

No Geoffrey Thomas is a well respected avaition jorno and I hear, I nice bloke.

The fact he is a well respected journalist makes it no less a piece of dodgy journalism. We all do some things that are better and worse than average.

 

[ric_melb]

Another who prefers Virgin Australia to Virgin Pacific.

 

[pauly7]

Another who prefers Virgin Australia to Virgin Pacific.

Me too - but this probably means bye bye Pacific Blue - which is struggling anyway. I would bet they exit NZ domestic, as many have before!

Not sure about the fast tracked 767s! or A330... I seem to remember comments like hell freezing over before Airbus cracked DJ - but they were the old days....

QF would have a decent lead in getting the 787 over DJ clearly so they would need a filler if they really wanted bigger aircraft that quickly.... but regarding the smaller aircraft the next gen QF domestic 73H with full AVOD would be coming in the same time/slightly before DJ's new 737's - and DJ still have time to modify those instead of the same old config.... So looking forward to that!

All in all its very exciting and will drive competition - finally, for the premium traveller.

Wonder how DJ will counter the QF Airports of the future - which also looks great.

 

[codash1099]

Another who prefers Virgin Australia to Virgin Pacific.

However it still has to be approved by SIA, and that can't be taken for granted:

http://www.travelconsumerdaily.com/story.php?id=320

 

[kamchatsky]

The problem with all these implementation of our "wish lists" is that it costs a lot to implement. Hopefully they would do it in a manner that they won't have cashflow problems.

Also hopefully with the improvements more people/companies (not to mention people here!) would move to DJ rather than waiting for QF to have specials matching DJ fares. Otherwise all these work would be a waste of time and money.

 

[oz_mark]

Also hopefully with the improvements more people/companies (not to mention people here!) would move to DJ rather than waiting for QF to have specials matching DJ fares. Otherwise all these work would be a waste of time and money.

This is a big risk, and is certainly something Virgin cannot take for granted.