It's called branding and I bet this investment company paid a whole bunch to use the Virgin logo which, yes, has been very successful outside the US.
Part of the problem with the US is that it seems to think that things happen in isolation and they know all the answers. I hate to tell you but as an outsourced American pilot who has lived and worked outside the US extensively, the US airline industry is the laughing stock of the world right now. While most of you quibble about this and that, others elsewhere are streaking ahead.
I have worked and lived on both sides of the pond and more than a decade ago made the decision to call the US home - which it still is to this day. The sad part is that I hardly spend any time here because all the decent jobs are overseas.
Frankly, there's far too much inbickering and that is one of the reasons why the industry is where it is today. Nobody trusts anyone anymore. And where else in the world are corporate entities allowed to carry on trading while in bankruptcy for years. All of these factors directly or indirectly affect the once-proud profession.
I have had more layoffs and furloughs than hot dinners, so I speak with a certain amount of authority on the subject. It is virtually impossible to choose a "right" career airline anymore. I know of no one who has been with the same airline for more than 15 years! Now I wonder why that is!
I agree with some of the posters here and can understand why Pilots Wife feels the way she does. You have to be in her shoes to fully understand where she is coming from. Politics? How about survival? I've been there, so I can relate.
As for Fred Reid and Don Carty, I was dismayed to hear that they are on the VA board, especially Carty. I personally think that that is a bad move and may come back to bite them. Neither of these two "gentlemen" have done any favors to their previous companies, but I guess that's what CEOs are all about.
Wouldn't it be refreshing to have a company that actually valuesits employees and is able to work in harmony and hence prosper? Surely, that is a win-win situation. History has proven that to be the case. Certainly one of the reasons why SWA is so successful and stands so tall. The Virgin Group of companies is renowned for looking after its employees and a fun place to work. This brings out the best in people and makes for a successful company.
I have read RB's autobiography in detail and also another publication in how he does business and why he is so successful. Yes, the pay may be low but that's the case with ALL new start-ups. As you all know, if you get in on the ground floor, you have the advantage of growing with the new company and you don't have to worry so much about seniority and starting over if you are in the first 100 or so pilots. The flip side is will it be around in 3, 5 or 10 years time?
I went through the exact same process with my last US start-up and it was the best job I had ever had - for 3 years. Then the company shut their doors, not because of high fuel prices or the economy but because of the CEO's ego. I sacrificed a lot to get that job (including a substantial paycut but better QOL).
I find it hard when people critisize that pilots would want to work for Virgin or, indeed, any other LCC. For a furloughed or out-of-work pilot, what would you suggest? There is no prestige involved anymore so what difference does it really make which outfit you work for, they all seem to be the same or heading in the same direction. Some senior captains at the legacy airlines have no concept about this because they have never experienced it or maybe just once in their career. Folks have different considerations and expectations. They will do whatever is best for them and their families. And as my old CEO once told me, 80% of something is better than 100% of nothing. In the end we got the 100% of nothing deal and got hosed, so I'm no lover of management!
So, in final thought, I would say this: the idea sounds great and I can see why people would clammer to have VA in their backyard. Yet, is now the best time to have an airline like this in the US? They will have to pull all the rabbits out of the hat to make it work because the American market is the toughest nut to crack in the world, just like getting a decent pilot job here is fast becoming a myth! Maybe Branson has the business acumen and street smarts to make it work, only time will tell. Good luck to them and all those that choose this path, you might just need it!