Comments on: Virgin America Delays Main Cabin Select http://crankyflier.com/2008/09/26/virgin-america-delays-main-cabin-select/ Thu, 24 May 2012 12:49:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Virgin America Makes It Harder to Book Higher Fares…Why? at Things in the Sky http://crankyflier.com/2008/09/26/virgin-america-delays-main-cabin-select/comment-page-1/#comment-65746 Virgin America Makes It Harder to Book Higher Fares…Why? at Things in the Sky Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:16:02 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/?p=1303#comment-65746 [...] Virgin America issued a press release yesterday and then sent out a correction as well. The first part of the release was that the airline is rolling out its Main Cabin Select product, which was previously delayed in getting rolled out. If you want to learn more, Cranky has two great posts on it - click either here or here. [...] [...] Virgin America issued a press release yesterday and then sent out a correction as well. The first part of the release was that the airline is rolling out its Main Cabin Select product, which was previously delayed in getting rolled out. If you want to learn more, Cranky has two great posts on it – click either here or here. [...]

]]> By: eponymous_coward http://crankyflier.com/2008/09/26/virgin-america-delays-main-cabin-select/comment-page-1/#comment-65009 eponymous_coward Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:25:12 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/?p=1303#comment-65009 Well, just from eyeballing the ticket prices and assuming that last-minute tix are expensive where things are going well and cheap where it's not, their transcon service to JFK is doing better than their service to IAD, SFO is working better for them than LAX, LAS is doing pretty good, and SEA has some issues. What I mean by "issues" is that I was able to purchase r/t tickets SEA-LAX for $150 on about 3 days notice, midweek or Saturdays- and I've been able to consistently do this through the summer. It's great on keeping my travel expenses down, but I have a hard time buying that VX is making money on something where they sell me a ticket for less than the cost for the gas it would take me to DRIVE to LA- especially with oil hovering at around $100 a barrel. Well, just from eyeballing the ticket prices and assuming that last-minute tix are expensive where things are going well and cheap where it’s not, their transcon service to JFK is doing better than their service to IAD, SFO is working better for them than LAX, LAS is doing pretty good, and SEA has some issues.

What I mean by “issues” is that I was able to purchase r/t tickets SEA-LAX for $150 on about 3 days notice, midweek or Saturdays- and I’ve been able to consistently do this through the summer. It’s great on keeping my travel expenses down, but I have a hard time buying that VX is making money on something where they sell me a ticket for less than the cost for the gas it would take me to DRIVE to LA- especially with oil hovering at around $100 a barrel.

]]> By: CF http://crankyflier.com/2008/09/26/virgin-america-delays-main-cabin-select/comment-page-1/#comment-64946 CF Sun, 28 Sep 2008 02:06:16 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/?p=1303#comment-64946 C Alex - Well, that's a tough question to answer, because there are all kinds of ways to determine the cost. You could argue that the aircraft is flying anyway, so if you sell one seat at $20, it only needs to cover the cost of gas and catering (if there is any). This probably deserves a much longer post so I can make more sense of this. I apologize that I can't do it very well in a short space. But the reality is that we have no idea if Virgin America is making money or not. They've refused to release their data to the public through the DOT as they are required to do and they are fighting it in court right now. So until that gets filed, we just don't know much. C Alex – Well, that’s a tough question to answer, because there are all kinds of ways to determine the cost. You could argue that the aircraft is flying anyway, so if you sell one seat at $20, it only needs to cover the cost of gas and catering (if there is any). This probably deserves a much longer post so I can make more sense of this. I apologize that I can’t do it very well in a short space.

But the reality is that we have no idea if Virgin America is making money or not. They’ve refused to release their data to the public through the DOT as they are required to do and they are fighting it in court right now. So until that gets filed, we just don’t know much.

]]> By: C Alex http://crankyflier.com/2008/09/26/virgin-america-delays-main-cabin-select/comment-page-1/#comment-64895 C Alex Sat, 27 Sep 2008 10:12:07 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/?p=1303#comment-64895 Zach, I agree with you- they have a great product and a very expensive operation I love them as a consumer, would hate them as an analyst CF- how is an airline able to sell tickets for less than the cost of flying the consumer from A to B? Zach,
I agree with you- they have a great product
and a very expensive operation
I love them as a consumer, would hate them as an analyst

CF- how is an airline able to sell tickets for less than the cost of flying the consumer from A to B?

]]> By: Zack Rules http://crankyflier.com/2008/09/26/virgin-america-delays-main-cabin-select/comment-page-1/#comment-64853 Zack Rules Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:13:24 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/?p=1303#comment-64853 VX has been pretty quiet lately. Are they ever going to codeshare with Virgin Atlantic? I wonder about how much cash they have left. They launched with 177.3 million and added 100 million last April. But I don't see anyone giving them any more money right now. And if they couldn't get their loads up at least into the 70% range during the summer, I think they'll be done. They do have a top notch PR/marketing department, new planes, fantastic service and some pretty innovative ideas (RED, Main Cabin Select, eleVAte etc) but I think a depressed economy will finally spell VX's downfall. Probably, VX will be particularly hard hit because the high end customer flying First is their most profitable customer. Recessions kill a lot of First class tickets. I wish they'd stay afloat because I love flying them but it doesn't seem likely. VX has been pretty quiet lately. Are they ever going to codeshare with Virgin Atlantic? I wonder about how much cash they have left. They launched with 177.3 million and added 100 million last April. But I don’t see anyone giving them any more money right now. And if they couldn’t get their loads up at least into the 70% range during the summer, I think they’ll be done. They do have a top notch PR/marketing department, new planes, fantastic service and some pretty innovative ideas (RED, Main Cabin Select, eleVAte etc) but I think a depressed economy will finally spell VX’s downfall. Probably, VX will be particularly hard hit because the high end customer flying First is their most profitable customer. Recessions kill a lot of First class tickets. I wish they’d stay afloat because I love flying them but it doesn’t seem likely.

]]> By: CF http://crankyflier.com/2008/09/26/virgin-america-delays-main-cabin-select/comment-page-1/#comment-64846 CF Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:46:22 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/?p=1303#comment-64846 Zach - My understanding is that they won't consider Midway. I don't have a link, but I can remember them being very clear that they want to only serve the primary airport in each market. Zach – My understanding is that they won’t consider Midway. I don’t have a link, but I can remember them being very clear that they want to only serve the primary airport in each market.

]]> By: Zach http://crankyflier.com/2008/09/26/virgin-america-delays-main-cabin-select/comment-page-1/#comment-64845 Zach Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:34:44 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/?p=1303#comment-64845 Ah--one thing at a time for them, I guess. With family in Vegas, I'm always on either Southwest or UA to LAS and wouldn't mind a more comfortable alternative (JetBlue is too expensive to LAS from ORD and isn't terribly convenient, since you have to go through Long Beach). I wonder if VX will entertain Midway as an option in favor of ORD. Ah–one thing at a time for them, I guess. With family in Vegas, I’m always on either Southwest or UA to LAS and wouldn’t mind a more comfortable alternative (JetBlue is too expensive to LAS from ORD and isn’t terribly convenient, since you have to go through Long Beach). I wonder if VX will entertain Midway as an option in favor of ORD.

]]> By: SeaFlyer http://crankyflier.com/2008/09/26/virgin-america-delays-main-cabin-select/comment-page-1/#comment-64844 SeaFlyer Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:34:09 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/?p=1303#comment-64844 The one thing they are not delaying is the steady cash burn. The one thing they are not delaying is the steady cash burn.

]]> By: CF http://crankyflier.com/2008/09/26/virgin-america-delays-main-cabin-select/comment-page-1/#comment-64842 CF Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:32:08 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/?p=1303#comment-64842 Oops, it was. I fixed it. Oops, it was. I fixed it.

]]> By: Dan Webb http://crankyflier.com/2008/09/26/virgin-america-delays-main-cabin-select/comment-page-1/#comment-64841 Dan Webb Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:27:23 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/?p=1303#comment-64841 Is it just me or is everything other than this post italicized? Is it just me or is everything other than this post italicized?

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