Douglas9

I attended the annual "Refresh" last month. The big picture plan that will take VX to the promised land of profits is to go after the "High Yield California Business Traveler". VX will poach them from American and United and all will be well. I heard this from the mouths of both Cush and McCleod.

However, Cush went on to say that United and American are beginning to respond and that could affect the "plan"! Having heard that combined with Virgin Atlantic getting into bed with Delta plus Delta deciding to expand their presence in LAX, I am taking off for (what I hope are) greener pastures.

I personally see Branson selling a chunk of VA to Delta a slap in the face to VX. Like a vote of "no confidence". VA just reported a loss of $200 million for 2013....is this now the time for Branson to bail on airlines all together?

VX is a great place to work but I'm not convinced there's a sustainable plan in place to truly make it into a player for very long in the airline business. I've hung out at too many places that kept saying "profits are just around the corner"!

shiftwork

Do you get preferential interviews at Virgin Galactic? If so, what is first year pay...out of this world??? ;-)

NotTellin

Branson did not sell a single share to Delta. Singapore Airlines sold there 49% share to Delta. Branson did not make a nickel off of the sale. He also said he would not be selling any of his 51%. That being said, he has been scrambling to shore up Atlantic and that will involve a Delta link up.

Dragnet

VX just poached from United. They announced that they hired Steve Forte as VX's COO. Steve Forte was fired from United in 2006 for understaffing pilots, leading to several schedule meltdowns. Virgin America | Press Releases

I'll bet that VX can poach a few American execs that have been fired.

putzin

I don't think your poaching if they no longer work there. Is everyone now off limits if they worked somewhere else? Theoretically I guess we poached JM from Westjet, but he is really the only one I know of that would be a applicable to your statement.

Quint

Might need to turn on your humor detector there putzin. I don't think he was making note of actual "poaching" but rather the fact that one thing that VX HAS acquired is a former UAL manager that was fired for incompetence. That, and there may be more available soon from AA's ranks.

putzin

I think your reading to much in to both posts.