Virgin Australia to be sold to Bain Capital

[BNEFlyer]

Expect service to go back to normal (or close to it) from next month.

 

[AIRwin]

Pick a familiar name they need no fee for

Suggest the new name for Virgin Australia

Based on the latest inputs and updates about the reduced offering from Virgin Australia and the issues with Sir Branson on Virgin branding , I guess the current owners will rebrand the airline's name as BAA . Throw in your innovative hat and suggest some funny ( not so ) names for the VA-->...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[ozstamps]

Velocity Airlines - save the Branson fee gouge and ID with the only thing they have of real value.

Or, just be honest, and call it Tiger#2

 

[AIRwin]

Branson's Virgin Group nabs 5pc stake in Virgin Australia

Richard Branson' s Virgin Group has finalised its deal to become the second biggest shareholder in Bain Capital's Virgin Australia.

www.afr.com

 

[jakeseven7]

Branson's Virgin Group nabs 5pc stake in Virgin Australia

Richard Branson' s Virgin Group has finalised its deal to become the second biggest shareholder in Bain Capital's Virgin Australia.

www.afr.com

Wow they walked him down hard....! No magical PR announcement with scantily clad bikini girls for that 5% Mr Branson!

No one escapes the meat grinder of Bain clearly!

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Wow they walked him down hard....! No magical PR announcement with scantily clad bikini girls for that 5% Mr Branson!

No one escapes the meat grinder of Bain clearly!

Did Qld get the same share? I’m now foggy on how much it was worth.

Edit just googled an article

Branson, Bain at loggerheads over Virgin stake as QLD seals investment

Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Bain Capital are at loggerheads over how much of an ownership stake in Virgin Australia the private equity firm is willing to give the airline's British billionaire co-founder.

www.google.com.au

Qld 2% $20m
Virgin 5% probably $50m

 

[HS-TQE]

Wow they walked him down hard....! No magical PR announcement with scantily clad bikini girls for that 5% Mr Branson!

No one escapes the meat grinder of Bain clearly!

I also suspect Bain also had requested that RB "alleviates/reduces/suspend" the licensing fees for his brand, otherwise it would've been a no deal.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I also suspect Bain also had requested that RB "alleviates/reduces/suspend" the licensing fees for his brand, otherwise it would've been a no deal.

Win win for all really. Bain don't have to go through the expense of rebrand and repaint, RB keeps his brand intact and maybe down the line in years to come can get something back royalty wise.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I was thinking, or musing aloud, (this was before I read the news), that just maybe Rex and VA3 could join forces, ie, they have a FF alliance, and it could the best "marriage" of the 2 Aust airlines.
Then I read that Rex is not at all pleased VA3 and Alliance are looking into an informal alliance.
Rex and VA3 could have been partners, Rex flying where VA3 won't be going, and the way around too, and being to earn and burn FF mileage in the 2 programs.
But alas, not to be.
So I wonder now, who would VA3 join with, Aust dom.
Int they could go with ST.
Or keep the besoke system as is now, ie, not in a formal alliance, but just code share agreement with SQ/DL/Alliance/have they forgotten NH.

 

[TheInsider]

I was thinking, or musing aloud, (this was before I read the news), that just maybe Rex and VA3 could join forces, ie, they have a FF alliance, and it could the best "marriage" of the 2 Aust airlines.
Then I read that Rex is not at all pleased VA3 and Alliance are looking into an informal alliance.
Rex and VA3 could have been partners, Rex flying where VA3 won't be going, and the way around too, and being to earn and burn FF mileage in the 2 programs.
But alas, not to be.
So I wonder now, who would VA3 join with, Aust dom.
Int they could go with ST.
Or keep the besoke system as is now, ie, not in a formal alliance, but just code share agreement with SQ/DL/Alliance/have they forgotten NH.

Why is it every single time that VA NEEDS to get into an alliance????
It's every second conversation on here!!!!!!

 

[oz_mark]

I was thinking, or musing aloud, (this was before I read the news), that just maybe Rex and VA3 could join forces, ie, they have a FF alliance, and it could the best "marriage" of the 2 Aust airlines.
Then I read that Rex is not at all pleased VA3 and Alliance are looking into an informal alliance.
Rex and VA3 could have been partners, Rex flying where VA3 won't be going, and the way around too, and being to earn and burn FF mileage in the 2 programs.
But alas, not to be.
So I wonder now, who would VA3 join with, Aust dom.
Int they could go with ST.
Or keep the besoke system as is now, ie, not in a formal alliance, but just code share agreement with SQ/DL/Alliance/have they forgotten NH.

VA and Alliance are getting into more than an informal alliance. It's an ACCC sanctioned agreement.

As for their international partners, they are keeping (and have renegotiated) with Singapore, Etihad and Delta (and South African for what it is worth)

 

[jakeseven7]

Why is it every single time that VA NEEDS to get into an alliance????
It's every second conversation on here!!!!!!

Yes Jetstar doesn’t have an alliance and they do well in Australia and are bigger than Bain/VA2 now.

 

[RAM]

Why is it every single time that VA NEEDS to get into an alliance????
It's every second conversation on here!!!!!!

Too many people blindly accept the misinformation peddled by Q & their consultants....

The sky is falling, trust us!

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Maybe because the Oneworld Alliance is very useful when travelling outside of AU.

VA had a Virtual Alliance with lots of mixed rules. Not saying Oneworld doesn't have its ups/downs mix ups, but it's certainly easier for the average person to use/understand

 

[Must...Fly!]

Yes Jetstar doesn’t have an alliance and they do well in Australia and are bigger than Bain/VA2 now.

Well that's not really correct

 

[RAM]

Maybe because the Oneworld Alliance is very useful when travelling outside of AU.

VA had a Virtual Alliance with lots of mixed rules. Not saying Oneworld doesn't have its ups/downs mix ups, but it's certainly easier for the average person to use/understand

Despite conventional wisdom there are quite a few middle to major airlines that operate by partnerships alone and do not belong to any one of the three major Alliances. Emirates for example has never belonged to one - even when it was smaller than VA! Yes it was once.

A single partnership with an Asian airline (say SIA) and a single US airline (say Delta) provides all the benefits of belonging to an Alliance at a fraction of the costs. For the typical traveller not necessarily connoisseurs like AFFers of course!

 

[oz_mark]

Why is it every single time that VA NEEDS to get into an alliance????
It's every second conversation on here!!!!!!

While it has never been likely, I think during the Reign of Bain with the Planes, people should park the idea of Virgin joining one of the Big 3 alliances.

 

[HS-TQE]

While it has never been likely, I think during the Reign of Bain with the Planes, people should park the idea of Virgin joining one of the Big 3 alliances.

Agreed.

Bain will invest where it would maximise its return on investment. If Bain believes that none of the global alliances will 'make a return' on their investment, they won't hesistate to keep VA out of Global Alliances.

 

[moa999]

And there is undoubtedly an upfront systems cost involved in joining a big alliance.

Upfront costs and PE are pretty opposite.

 

[N860CR]

(and South African for what it is worth)

When this pandemic first started, I said the only assurance we had was the survival of two airlines - Alitalia and SAA

I'd still put money on that!