smackahoCEO

Flash in the pan = Skybus.

VX is a niche market, offering a unique product. I've ridden VX. It is an awesome experience. VX/B6 offer amenities that DAL/UAL/US do not. Delta has a nice product, a nice route structure. Same for UAL. US is bare bones.

VX/B6 are both non-union (which is what'd hold me back from working at either carrier). They do however offer a product that people love. I think if VX can get their route structure together, fill in some gaps, they will end up being a great airline/product. The other nice thing about SWA/VX/B6 is that they "fly their own flag." There's a sense of pride. You're part of a group working together to make a great product. At the legacy carriers...people board a crappy crj200 (what I fly....so I can say it) with _____ Express/Connection written on the side, and as far as they know.... They are on the mother ship. So if they have a bad experience on a Delta/US/UAL "express" plane, they have in turn had a bad experience on the airline.

As a regional pilot, I care about safety and getting people where they want to be. Getting paid. Etc. I do not care about people complaining that the plane I fly was the most uncomfortable plane they've ever ridden. I do not care that they were hot because our AC system is a joke. I can only do what I can to get them from a to b as quickly and safely as possible, collect my paycheck, and look forward to a brighter future at the carrier I want to work for. What my mothership decides to do as far as putting my plane on a 3 hour flight that it shouldn't be on is above my pay grade, and a lot of times I can empathize with the customers having a crappy experience on one of our too small, cramped planes for 2-3 hours. At the end of the day, if they have a bad experience, the bad taste in their mouth isn't with said regional airline. It is with the legacy painted on the side. That is something that VX/SWA/B6/Allegiant don't have to worry about. That is kind of cool in its own unique way.

That said fellas..... One mans trash is another mans treasure. If you're a Delta pilot... You look down on the entire industry. If you're a VX pilot, you're part of a David vs Goliath battle. If you're a regional pilot, you're holding on hoping your company stays in business long enough for you to leave. At the end of the day we are all doing a job, collecting a pay check. This industry has been a mess, the "big 3" are all gonna run the show. However, for a rich New Yorker who wants to go to Aruba for the weekend, JetBlue might be where he has his loyalty. For a loaded techie traveling SFO-NY, they might enjoy the non-stop nightclub experience that VX offers.

Do your job, collect your pay check, make choices that work for you and your family, and let the rest of the pieces fall where they may. This whole "you suck because you fly for ____ and I hate what your airline represents" game is really pretty lame. There are millions of people traveling every day, there's enough to go around.

Read the reviews:

VX Virgin America - San Francisco, CA

Vs

DAL Delta Air Lines - Atlanta, GA

Vs

US US Airways - Phoenix, AZ

Vs

B6 JetBlue - Long Beach, CA

You guys seem to get caught up in the riff raff. At the end of the day.... People buy tickets, share experiences, and get from A to B. We get paid to take them from A to B. do your job, better your product, make experiences as good as you can for customers, and the rest will fall into place. Like I said before---there's enough to go around.

Sorry for the rant. Just offering up a little perspective from one of the "little guys."