Virgin ups ante in war on Pacific

[oz_mark]

A few interesting comments made as the bearded one is at the handover of V's first 777.

VIRGIN founder Sir Richard Branson predicts that United Airlines or Delta Air Lines will be the first casualty in the "war on the Pacific" as V Australia prepares to launch services between Australia and the US at the end of the month.

Sir Richard, in Seattle to receive V Australia's first 777-300ER today from Boeing's manufacturing headquarters, told BusinessDay that consumers should expect to see low fares on the route "definitely this year and maybe next year as well".

...and an interesting bit for RTW folk

V Australia's launch will mean it joins airlines Virgin Atlantic and Virgin America.

Sir Richard said consumers could also expect cheap deals on around-the-world tickets by the end of the month. "It will give you the ability to fly all around the world on Virgin," he said. "When you are flying 16 or 17 hours (across the Pacific) you don't want to go with an empty seat … There are going to be great bargains to be had."

Virgin ups ante in war on Pacific

 

[trooper]

He may not "want an empty seat"... but I do... Right mext to mine! :mrgreen:

 

[ANstar]

V Australia goes for the Qf jugular
V Australia goes for the Qantas jugular | The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,25024303-23349,00.html

V AUSTRALIA is targeting Qantas's lucrative stranglehold on direct premium traffic to the US.
V Australia also hopes to lure passengers from airlines offering one-stop services by slashing its introductory business fares by up to 40 per cent.
The new airline will today introduce a $5999 all-inclusive 14-day advance purchase fare aimed at well-heeled leisure travellers and at business people who can plan ahead.
The promotion is part of a 10-day sale that also offers introductory premium economy return fares of $2499 as the airline tries to turn the heads of more frugal business and leisure travellers in tough times.
The airline says the business fares represent a 40 per cent discount on its competitors' cheapest equivalent tickets and the premium economy fares offer a saving of about $1500.
It says it will continue to offer everyday advance purchase business fares that undercut its competitors.
"You have not been able to get a business class fare as an advance purchase in Australia before that I am aware of," Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey said at the weekend.
"You paid the $14,000 or $12,000 or whatever it was, but it was not a case of advance purchase."

And in regards to brand presence, VS will be selling VA at the same corporate rates for the USA customers.

V Australia is also teaming up with sister airline Virgin Atlantic in a joint offering to corporate customers and will begin promoting itself as one of the few airlines able to offer a round-the-world ticket under a single brand, through its connections with Virgin America and Virgin Atlantic.
Mr Godfrey said Atlantic had been working with top corporates in the US for 20 years and V Australia had signed mirror deals giving them the same discount as on the British carrier.
This would help raise American awareness of V Australia, he said.
"(V Australia) is not too dissimilar to Virgin Atlantic and that has been quite a success in this part of the world," Mr Godfrey said during a reception in Los Angeles for the new carrier.
"And the markets that we are flying to are Virgin Atlantic markets, so for that reason we share resources -- our salespeople, our call centres will work together and we are going into markets where Virgin is really well known.

 

[JohnK]

Sir Richard said consumers could also expect cheap deals on around-the-world tickets by the end of the month. "It will give you the ability to fly all around the world on Virgin," he said.

While that is technically true there will still be a lot of gaps if you want to visit the majority of destinations round the world that the Virgin group does not cover.