Pcoder wrote:aircountry wrote:NTLDaz wrote:
Better places to send the plane. It's a long, expensive route in the off-season. And they'd be relying heavily on US originating passengers. Yeah QF might fly it year round but you don't see AA flying to Australia from DFW.
Maybe as the VA alliance beds down it will be different in the future.
I flew this route in November - best flight I ever had. 3 seats each to every economy passenger.
Im waiting to hear VA to order 787-9 then add MEL-IAH and UA is already cover from SFO to BNE, SYD MEL, LAX-SYD and MEL. SYD-IAH will be back in this October. DFW got MEL on QF. I hope VA happen to buy 787-9.
Last year I tried to fly from IAH to SYD but the UA reservation systems ruined my itinerary for AUS-IAH-SYD-MEL and they put me AUS-SFO-MEL, not very happy on UA reservation lied to me about the live seatmap was available and told me full is BS! I will try again for nonstop SYD to IAH for experience my longest nonstop flight.
From what has been reported in a lot of the financial press, the Private Equity that owns Virgin are still looking to float it soon, so unless they decide to cancel this and retain ownership, I doubt we'll see any new orders for any widebodies as Virgin will want to keep its balance sheet clean from a lot of expenses.
VA has commenced an unofficial roadshow in advance of a planned IPO later this year though t is still possible that Bain will defer any float due to the stock market uncertainties which were further heightened by the bank failures we saw last week. Even if they do float, it is likely Bain will only sell 25-40% of the business and save the rest for a subsequent issue or trade sale. With the sharemarket being so flaky, trying to sell too large a stake will lower the overall price achieved or result in a damaging underwriting overhang which will push the share price down.
At this stage, it is unlikely VA willbe looking to buy or lease widebodies in the next couple of years. That they kept their HND slots suggests it is still an option they are looking at but, even then, it is likely to be a very trim operation with services limited to just HND and LAX. You would expect they'd go for a fleet of about 4 789s with maintenance largely outsourced to an Asian (SQ or NH) or US (UA) partner.