Richard Branson & Midatlantic?

[FlyingHippie]

This post is from another board. But, I think it's worth posting here.

"Pure speculation, for what it's worth:

Recent reports say Branson has sold off a portion of his Australian operation and intends to use the proceeds to finance his US plans. Thursday's (been out of town, still catching up) WSJ reiterates his intention to "launch" operations "next spring." I don't know if launch means start flying or start planning; but if he wants to fly in 2004, I suspect some major planning has to be going on now.

I further suspect that if there's any planning going on now, it isn't some de novo, i.e. virgin (sorry, couldn't resist), operation or we would have heard rumors.

Meanwhile, we have U ... talking about Midatlantic Airlines but not really doing much concrete (I believe they have one aircraft in PIT and are beginning some pilot training) and also talking about starting up "next spring."

So ... I'm starting to think that Midatlantic will morph into Virgin Red White and Blue with U owning some portion, Branson 25%, and a friendly "US investment company" owning the rest. For a start, they could put a hub at IAD, avoiding direct competition with PHL or CLT, moving the non-labor parts of a weak PIT operation into a much bigger and more importantly *growing* Washington market. It could feed Virgin Atlantic, which under proposed EC rules could (probably sooner than we think) fly to almost any European city.

The egos of Siegel and Branson would probably have no difficulty assuming they could blow UAL and ACAI out of IAD overnight. USALA stock ($7?) would probably double overnight at the prospect of a 1:1 spinoff of VRWB. U could further sell LGA slots to VRBW, allowing a NYC operation to grow up, basically do to U what Lorenzo did to EAL: cherrypick the assets and let the remaining PHL and CLT operations sink or swim on their own with a view toward selling them to UAL eventually."

 

[UsPerfEngr]

FH,

Interesting speculation, but with all the airlines that Branson could throw his money at, I wouldn't hold my breath that he would bother to get mixed-up in the he11 we're living here at U. My two cents would be that he would pursue a piece of the LLC that Atlantic Cost will try to spin-off. I don't know the man personally but he seems like a class act in how he treats his employees. That wouldn't mix well with the batter that our management has been mixing....

 

[USA320Pilot]

PineyBob:

I believe the workforce is unhappy about the pay and benefit reductions as well as a reduction in working conditions, but this message board is not representative of employee moral.

In my opinion, moral is not as bad as some of us make it out to be.

Respectfully,

Chip

 

[Light Years]

Hey Chip, puff puff pass.

 

[USA320Pilot]

MAA is moving ahead on schedule (EMB-170 software certification not withstanding), pilot training begins today, and the first revenue flight is still scheduled for the first week of January.

Respectfully,

Chip

 

[pitguy]

We are all chipper in maintenance.

 

[wings396]

PineyBob:

I believe the workforce is unhappy about the pay and benefit reductions as well as a reduction in working conditions, but this message board is not representative of employee moral.

In my opinion, moral is not as bad as some of us make it out to be.

Respectfully,

Chip

Speak for yourself on that one Chip. Talk to some of the folks that have been
Expressed and are living on food stamps and other Government handout programs to survive. I doubt any of your group is at that level. Morale is at ROCK BOTTOM for a lot of the workforce. :down:

 

[AP Tech]

Anybody who makes the statement "morale is not as bad as some of us make it out to be" has been making way to many CAT III approaches!!!! Its time to open your eyes, come out of the clouds and pay attention to what is going on around you!!! Morale at U STINKS!!!!! :down:

 

[cat 111]

Chip

Come talk to the maint. dept. The morale sucks !!!! Thanks Dave. People just don't give a sh$$ anymore. We were tired of the THREATS back then and we are tired of the airbus "s" check games that the company is playing. I for one hope we shut the airline down when and if they farm out the airbus checks. That is how I feel about the SUCK A## MORALE around here. It's hard to feel CHIPPER, when your getting SCREWED ALL THE TIME !!!

 

[wench]

Chip,
What CENTURY HAVE you been living in?

Certainly isn't the 21st!

Look around ..

It's been A LLOONNGG time since ALL US EMPLOYEES HAVE HAD MORAL UP and positive?

I'm part time and took a 600.00 a month PAY CUT_but that was my choice,I'm not complaning, well not much,,I'm in it for the medical ...took option B=90%
Look out the first of the year baby going 100% and FAMILY PLAN>..
And I'm using IT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get What You Can Get!!

 

[BillLumbergh]

Play nice, people.

 

[nycbusdriver]

I'd love to work for Richard Branson! I hope it happens...

but I give it about a 100:1 odds against it ever happening.

Why? As charismatic as Branson is, he does have an ego that is rather outsized to put it mildly. He's good, he's brilliant, he's earned an oversized ego IMHO. The problem arises when "overblown ego" Siegel has to take second chair as Branson's "numbers wiz." Siegel will resist any effort to yank him from the driver's seat.

 

[oldiebutgoody]

I would think that it's MUCH more likely that Mr. Branson will involve himself with ACA, based at Dulles, than with US. ACA is basically a "clean slate", and he can do whatever he wants to feed VA. Let's face it, US Airways is a dinosaur, already trapped in the tar pit of mismanagement.

 

[FlyingHippie]

I think you're all being a little rough on Chip. Yeah, morale totally, to put it bluntly, s*cks the big O. But, rarely do I come across this attitude when employees are dealing with customers. Let's face it, there's a certain satisfaction from doing your job in the utmost professional matter. I see this on a daily basis. Think about it, if you don't do your best, Dave and his henchman have won. What's worse, when you don't do your best you've PERSONALLY allowed Dave and his goons to demoralize YOU further! Believe me, he'll use this in another of his schemes to cut jobs. Don't give the pr*ck the satisfaction!

 

[N628AU]

Chip,

What is the first revenue trip scheduled for MDA in January? I believe none of what I hear and only half of what I see.