Virgin America QOL

[Cornelius]

SJC is a bad idea, South West is there. There's a reason why LCCs avoid South West presence.

 

[Flyer1015]

I never said VX is the next SWA. It's just that the analysis provided by some pilots here is stretched from the truth, things like attributing comments to a CEO that never made those comments.

 

[NEDude]

Andy, since you are an economics 'guru' perhaps you can explain how private corporate financials are different from public corporate financials.

I do not claim to be an expert, but I do know the following - Virgin America has been predicted to be on the verge of going out of business for five years now. Some very well respected airline analysts predicted our imminent demise three years ago. Yet here we are nearly twice as big. If the well respected airline analysts, who get paid a lot of money to be experts, who provide consulting to media and trade groups, have been wrong for the past three to five years, how are we supposed to put credible stock in the opinion of some anonymous person on an aviation message board? The simple fact Andy is that you have no clue as to what the real financial position of Virgin America is. Just like all of the other so-called 'experts', you think you know, but in reality have no clue. Which is why you have all been wrong about Virgin America's imminent demise for several years now.

Our current CEO has made several bad decisions, no doubt about it, and this company does stupid things quite regularly. But your analysis, like every other analysis on here, is worthless.

 

[Andy]

Bolded portion........ what the hell are you talking about? If you don't work here, how would you know what he said. I distinctly remember during that all hands call when the growth slowdown was announced, he was asked did it also mean our city growth would be put on hold? He said NO, that we would likely be adding a couple cities over 2013. I heard that myself, and it is showing as fact (EWR, LAS-LAX, and SJC-LAX). You have made a false statement, and without working here, I don't know where you are quoting our CEO saying directly that we would not grow into new markets. That is FALSE!

You don't work here, nor have you worked here. I could understand if you were a legacy furloughee at VX and went back, and therefore feel like you're vested interest in VX. I've asked you before what your point is in regards to these highly detailed VX posts. You previously claimed you had none. Now, you made one:



So about how this. If VX makes it through 2013, without getting another 100 million, can you tone it down on your VX rhetoric? That's a whole lot of math for an economics major airline pilot.

What I don't understand is if you don't work here, have not worked here in the past, and don't want to work here in the future, why do you have so much vested interest in this place? No matter, I'm taking you up on your prediction. We'll see if in 2013 VX closes its doors unless it receives "another 100 million." Your words have been cast.

How about you just put me on ignore?

As to Cush's comments about not opening new stations, he was quoted:

Virgin America has launched five new routes in the past year. He said he expects the company to open between two and four new cities over the next few years, a more moderate pace of expansion.

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323551004578122873335935136.html

 

[Andy]

Andy, since you are an economics 'guru' perhaps you can explain how private corporate financials are different from public corporate financials.

I do not claim to be an expert, but I do know the following - Virgin America has been predicted to be on the verge of going out of business for five years now. Some very well respected airline analysts predicted our imminent demise three years ago. Yet here we are nearly twice as big. If the well respected airline analysts, who get paid a lot of money to be experts, who provide consulting to media and trade groups, have been wrong for the past three to five years, how are we supposed to put credible stock in the opinion of some anonymous person on an aviation message board? The simple fact Andy is that you have no clue as to what the real financial position of Virgin America is. Just like all of the other so-called 'experts', you think you know, but in reality have no clue. Which is why you have all been wrong about Virgin America's imminent demise for several years now.

Our current CEO has made several bad decisions, no doubt about it, and this company does stupid things quite regularly. But your analysis, like every other analysis on here, is worthless.

I never claimed to be an economics guru. I just read the numbers and the signs on the wall. And everything indicates that VX needs some more cash to survive because they aren't showing any signs of getting close to breakeven yet.
As for anyone predicting the demise of your carrier, the main reason why I started following VX's plight is because your CEO keeps appearing on CNBC - the only airline CEO who's got more airtime on CNBC in this last year than Cush is Barger. That, and the $150M loan last December caught my eye.

The difference between a public and private company? I've already spelled that out in previous posts. If you are unable to figure out that from what I've already written, you're beyond help.

This board is for open discussion; if you don't like it, feel free to put me on ignore. And keep drinking the red koolaid.

 

[NEDude]

I never claimed to be an economics guru. I just read the numbers and the signs on the wall. And everything indicates that VX needs some more cash to survive because they aren't showing any signs of getting close to breakeven yet.
As for anyone predicting the demise of your carrier, the main reason why I started following VX's plight is because your CEO keeps appearing on CNBC - the only airline CEO who's got more airtime on CNBC in this last year than Cush is Barger. That, and the $150M loan last December caught my eye.

The difference between a public and private company? I've already spelled that out in previous posts. If you are unable to figure out that from what I've already written, you're beyond help.

This board is for open discussion; if you don't like it, feel free to put me on ignore. And keep drinking the red koolaid.

If red kool aid is stating the obvious fact that you and the other so-called experts have been regularly way off base as to the true inner-financial workings of Virgin America, then I am guilty of drinking as charged. I fully acknowledge the fact that VX management has made boneheaded decisions and the company cannot continue as it has been.

But clearly you have no clue as to what is going on at VX. You do not know the interest rates on the debt. You do not know who all the investors are or what kind of return on investment they are getting. You do not know what their thresholds are for throwing in the towel. Until you know all of those things you are just blindly throwing darts. I do not claim to know any of those things either, only that we are still around and twice as large as we were when I was reading of our imminent demise over three years ago. If we survive, great. If we fail, well I have a ton of other options out there and will move on, just like I have six times before.

 

[Andy]

NEDude, either VX finds additional cash, they become profitable, or they go out of business. You guys seem to think that things have turned around. Maybe; we'll have to see Q4 and Q1 numbers - Q1 is more critical than Q4 numbers. Their Q3 numbers certainly weren't good - they increased their cash burn rate year over year.
Perhaps they got some aircraft deposits refunded that will allow them to keep going for a while longer.
Perhaps they'll get another round of funding.
Perhaps they were able to turn a net profit (or even a small net loss) in Q4, followed by a small net loss in Q1.

I'll congratulate you guys if the numbers turn around, but right now VX looks even more screwed up than United. And I see nothing from VX to turn things around.

 

[Flyer1015]

How about you just put me on ignore?

As to Cush's comments about not opening new stations, he was quoted:

Quote:
Virgin America has launched five new routes in the past year. He said he expects the company to open between two and four new cities over the next few years, a more moderate pace of expansion.

Can you read? Read what that statement says. It says "open between two and four cities over the next few years." And you took that to mean that the CEO said no more city expansion? Do they not require English reading comprehension for Economic majors?

 

[Flyer1015]

NEDude, either VX finds additional cash, they become profitable, or they go out of business. You guys seem to think that things have turned around. Maybe; we'll have to see Q4 and Q1 numbers - Q1 is more critical than Q4 numbers. Their Q3 numbers certainly weren't good - they increased their cash burn rate year over year.
Perhaps they got some aircraft deposits refunded that will allow them to keep going for a while longer.
Perhaps they'll get another round of funding.
Perhaps they were able to turn a net profit (or even a small net loss) in Q4, followed by a small net loss in Q1.

I'll congratulate you guys if the numbers turn around, but right now VX looks even more screwed up than United. And I see nothing from VX to turn things around.

Don't change your words now. I already got you quoted saying VX will need $100 million infusion to last another year, 2013. We'll see if VX lasts through 2013, and how it does it.

 

[gearjockey]

NEDude, either VX finds additional cash, they become profitable, or they go out of business. You guys seem to think that things have turned around. Maybe; we'll have to see Q4 and Q1 numbers - Q1 is more critical than Q4 numbers. Their Q3 numbers certainly weren't good - they increased their cash burn rate year over year.
Perhaps they got some aircraft deposits refunded that will allow them to keep going for a while longer.
Perhaps they'll get another round of funding.
Perhaps they were able to turn a net profit (or even a small net loss) in Q4, followed by a small net loss in Q1.

I'll congratulate you guys if the numbers turn around, but right now VX looks even more screwed up than United. And I see nothing from VX to turn things around.

Andy:

I cannot quite recall, but weren't you the one illustrating the Airtran "death spiral" financing back in 2009? Do you draw any parallels to the Airtran situation and V-America? I'm not sure how it's all going to work out for Virgin America but it seems they have a lot of believers so they must have something over there.