Rex Administration - implications for Virgin Australia

[antycbr]

Heads up that all ZL Jet pax will need to rebook by calling the Virgin guest contact centre. Virgin and EY (the accounting firm this time, not Etihad) have come to a deal to not leave ZL passengers stranded with the grounding of the Rex jet fleet.

Expect calls to 136789 to take forever. There’s no other way for passengers to rebook other than calling (edit: for travel in the next 48 hours - a form is up on the VA site for >48h)

Also this will make VA flights fuller for the next couple of months but given reports of ZL Jet loads being rubbish there may not be too many passengers to reaccommodate!

 

[A321]

There is a rebooking form on the VA website.

Also noteworthy, which may be more relevant as a whole to this new thread

Virgin Australia announces support for Rex customers and people

Attributable to Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka:

newsroom.virginaustralia.com

Recognising the importance for regional Australians to have access to a comprehensive domestic and international network, Virgin Australia also intends to partner with Rex’s regional business to enable seamless access to Virgin Australia’s domestic and international destinations through potential codeshare or interline arrangements in the future.

 

[antycbr]

There is a rebooking form on the VA website.

Also noteworthy, which may be more relevant as a whole to this new thread

Virgin Australia announces support for Rex customers and people

Attributable to Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka:

newsroom.virginaustralia.com

Recognising the importance for regional Australians to have access to a comprehensive domestic and international network, Virgin Australia also intends to partner with Rex’s regional business to enable seamless access to Virgin Australia’s domestic and international destinations through potential codeshare or interline arrangements in the future.

Edited title as there’s likely to be a bit of change and opportunity for VA.

Hazelton and Kendall were both AN partners so perhaps everything old is new again.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Rex were interline partners of sorts back in the day, before some dispute knocked it off. You could fly PER-ADL and through check luggage on to a ZL connection for example.

 

[moa999]

VA also looking to take over the leases of three 737 aircraft.

 

[antycbr]

Rex were interline partners of sorts back in the day, before some dispute knocked it off. You could fly PER-ADL and through check luggage on to a ZL connection for example.

They’re a natural fit for VA regional. Link and Aeropelican don’t have the depth that ZL does to regional NSW for example.

Still doesn’t solve the Saab problem.

 

[HS-TQE]

I don't see VA/Bain investing in any of their regional affiliates (including the potential addition of REX) anytime soon.

However I'm sure they'll have a word with the owner(s) of the regional affiliates if they are concerned about the SAAB/Fairchild/BAe J32 replacements at all 3 regional carriers.

 

[MooTime]

Out of interest, what do VA gain for letting Rexy pax rebook for free on VA flights?

Do I understand it correctly nothing in terms of cash?

Goodwill / hopeful future returning flyers?

VA Shirley don't want to manage the 900year old Saab's?
They were always strong preference for 1 type of aircraft.

 

[Be.au]

VA are after three of the 737-800s Rex was leasing

Due to expected delays in Virgin Australia’s order deliveries for new 737 MAX-8s, Virgin Australia is in the process of securing leases for three of the 737-800 aircraft Rex will no longer operate. These aircraft will be used to support Virgin Australia’s existing published schedules. It will also provide us with capacity to respond if market growth accelerates faster than currently anticipated. Securing these three aircraft will have the additional benefit of enabling Virgin Australia to hire more Cabin Crew and Pilots, creating jobs that will be made available for impacted Rex employees.

https://www.facebook.com/virginaustralia/posts/pfbid0tuEKUaAtUNkmUqN2YvEevWoQCzW6Wxo7yzPUE5hmdQxxMsjuWaMGiq36M9JPXRG6l

 

[antycbr]

I don't see VA/Bain investing in any of their regional affiliates (including the potential addition of REX) anytime soon.

However I'm sure they'll have a word with the owner(s) of the regional affiliates if they are concerned about the SAAB/Fairchild/BAe J32 replacements at all 3 regional carriers.

I don’t think they’ll invest but a codeshare would work if ZL is viable as a regional feeder. Virgin added codeshares on to Link recently.

 

[VA777]

Rex were interline partners of sorts back in the day, before some dispute knocked it off. You could fly PER-ADL and through check luggage on to a ZL connection for example.

REX are notoriously difficult to deal with. Ask any regional airport!!

 

[Be.au]

Heads up that all ZL Jet pax will need to rebook by calling the Virgin guest contact centre. Virgin and EY (the accounting firm this time, not Etihad) have come to a deal to not leave ZL passengers stranded with the grounding of the Rex jet fleet.

Expect calls to 136789 to take forever. There’s no other way for passengers to rebook other than calling.

The form is on the website https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/forms/rex-rebooking-request/

 

[antycbr]

Out of interest, what do VA gain for letting Rexy pax rebook for free on VA flights?

Do I understand it correctly nothing in terms of cash?

Goodwill / hopeful future returning flyers?

VA Shirley don't want to manage the 900year old Saab's?
They were always strong preference for 1 type of aircraft.

I don’t think it will be free, this will burn less cash than Rex operating their own jet flights.

As for one type of aircraft they have Fokkers and A320s.

Post automatically merged: Jul 30, 2024

The form is on the website https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/forms/rex-rebooking-request/

Not if you’re travelling in the next 48 hours though. Need to call.

 

[MooTime]

I don’t think it will be free, this will burn less cash than Rex operating their own jet flights.

As for one type of aircraft they have Fokkers and A320s.

Post automatically merged: Jul 30, 2024

Not if you’re travelling in the next 48 hours though. Need to call.

I realise VA have the fokkers & a320 but understand that's slightly different and they've stated they don't want a new type.

Anyway... From VA release...
"Impacted Rex customers will be supported with rebooking on an equivalent Virgin Australia service free of charge. Customers will need to contact Virgin Australia before 14 August 2024 to take up this offer. "

That statement to me indicates rexy pax can rebook on VA equivalent service for free "free of charge"

So VA gets diddly?

No funds can come from the Val admin process to pay pay for these transferred pax can it? Surely not.

 

[AIRwin]

That statement to me indicates rexy pax can rebook on VA equivalent service for free "free of charge"

Terms and conditions indicate that it is subject to space available (standby availability)

 

[Must...Fly!]

VA gets diddly?

I imagine they get goodwill, surety a competitor is gone (big barrier to successful IPO eliminated) and no barrier to accessing the 3 aircraft they want from the ZL fleet. Worth the price.

 

[antycbr]

I realise VA have the fokkers & a320 but understand that's slightly different and they've stated they don't want a new type.

Anyway... From VA release...
"Impacted Rex customers will be supported with rebooking on an equivalent Virgin Australia service free of charge. Customers will need to contact Virgin Australia before 14 August 2024 to take up this offer. "

That statement to me indicates rexy pax can rebook on VA equivalent service for free "free of charge"

So VA gets diddly?

No funds can come from the Val admin process to pay pay for these transferred pax can it? Surely not.

Free of charge to the passenger. The administrators will have formed a view as to what they legally can do. Arguably dispatching the jet operation cleanly preserves goodwill of customers for the future of the regional business.

This all looks very well coordinated with Virgin, just saying. That rebooking process would not have been agreed in a couple of hours.

 

[drron]

Rex were interline partners of sorts back in the day, before some dispute knocked it off. You could fly PER-ADL and through check luggage on to a ZL connection for example.

Working in Burnie, Griffith and a couple of other places that used Rex I would fly VA to use the interline service. It was very dodgy. So I always went to the carousel anyway. A couple of times in MEL when on the way to BWT my bag appeared on the VA carousel. Once Coming back from Broken Hill I went to the baggage carousel and my bag didn't make an appearance. Unfortunately it didn't make an appearance at the VA MCY carousel. VA found it 3 days later at SYD.

 

[Must...Fly!]

That rebooking process would not have been agreed in a couple of hours.

Wouldn't be so sure. When you put in the request, the confirmation email refers to Bonza all over it!

 

[antycbr]

Wouldn't be so sure. When you put in the request, the confirmation email refers to Bonza all over it!

The mechanism technically would have existed.. commercial terms and running the numbers to see if ZL pax would be able to be feasibly moved would have taken some time.

Already seeing reports of the call centre melting down….