Virgin CEO joins calls for international borders to reopen, requests plan from government

[Berlin]

Settle down. You also called it “Boris Johnson’s leftovers”. Pushing this bizarre position isn’t doing anyone any good. You’ve also attacked the VA CEO for making the valid point that we need to move on, and being realistic when saying some people may die (just like the flu).

But don’t let the truth get in the way of an agenda.

You are telling ME that? Pot. Kettle. Black.

 

[henrus]

Moving slightly back on topic. I wonder what internal Virgin (and Qantas) have been thinking today?

Obviously, VA as a company wasn't too happy with their tweet this morning:


QF have said nothing however "Alan Joyce" was trending at points throughout the day as people likened this comment to something he'd say.

 

[N860CR]

You are telling ME that? Pot. Kettle. Black.

Nope, I’ve provided facts. You’ve referred to a vaccine as “Boris Johnson’s leftovers”. Return to your doona, it’s cold (and Covid is worse in winter )

 

[NoName]

She was completely on the money. Wish more prominent people would voice the same sentiment, perhaps with a little more finesse though.

 

[jakeseven7]

I'm 100% in agreeance with the CEO statement (we need a clear plan) and it's a shame it's been taken out of context but it clearly wasn't the right way of putting it in the first place.

Here in the great state of Queensland (joking), we track the influenza cases and 2020 was basically a flat line after the lockdown, I guess it'll now become unacceptable to see that line rise and I'm sure the media/social media will pile on if it does.




If anyone either wants to bash their head or have a laugh (depending on how you take it), check out Twitter #boycottvirgin (currently trending number two in Australia). Some of the comments are hilarious, some saying they'll boycott Virgin having previously boycotted Qantas, I guess they're lucky Rex is now flying domestically, Sharp better not but something silly in the AFR tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/search?q=boycottvirgin&f=live

I know - they boycotted Qantas because Alan said international travellers would probably need to be vaccinated to fly on Qantas and other airlines when the borders open

Now they are boycotting Virgin because Jayne said some people will die when the borders open...

I'm sure they are already boycotting Qatar, Singapore, Emirates and Etihad for their ties to less than savoury regimes with awful human right abuses.... so the airlines they WILL fly is slim pickings!!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

hmmm... Hrdimmunity anyone?

After receiving a less than positive response at the Australian Open, it should have been fairly clear that there is sensitivity in the population.

A better way? ‘With vaccines and new treatments, hopefully we’ll be able to manage covid like the flu. Perhaps even better than the flu.’

 

[Berlin]

Return to your doona, it’s cold (and Covid is worse in winter )

I've never said such nonsense so don't put words into my mouth. You're just being nasty because you cannot accept a point of view that differs from your own so I'll disengage from your childishness now.

 

[jakeseven7]

MORRISON LABELS VIRGIN CEO’S BORDER WORDS ‘INSENSITIVE’​

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has branded the Virgin CEO “insensitive” for suggesting a vaccinated Australia should open its borders, even if that results in some deaths.

Morrison labels Virgin CEO’s border words ‘insensitive’

PM Morrison added he was “not going to take risks with Australians’ lives” and added he would maintain a regime “that has so far avoided the loss of 30,000 lives”.

australianaviation.com.au

'Boycott Virgin' continues to trend as Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka's border comments face backlash​

"COVID will be part of the community, we will become sick with COVID and it won't put us in hospital, and it won't put people into dire straits because we'll have a vaccine," Ms Hrdlicka said. "Some people may die, but it will be way smaller than with the flu."

'Boycott Virgin' trends as Virgin Australia CEO Jayne Hrdlicka's border comments face backlash

Calls for a boycott of Virgin Australia were trending on Twitter on Tuesday in the wake of CEO Jayne Hrdlicka's comments that borders should reopen even if "some people may die".

www.traveller.com.au

“SOME PEOPLE MAY DIE”: VIRGIN AUSTRALIA SUFFERS PR NIGHTMARE FOLLOWING CEO’S CONTROVERSIAL COMMENTS​

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN FORCED TO DEFEND THE IMPORTANCE IT PLACES ON THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PASSENGERS, FOLLOWING A CONTROVERSIAL SPEECH BY THE AIRLINE’S CEO.

“Some people may die”: Virgin Australia suffers PR nightmare following CEO’s controversial comments - Travel Weekly

Virgin Australia has been forced to defend the importance it places on the health and safety of passengers, following a controversial speech by its CEO.

www.travelweekly.com.au

 

[BNEFlyer]

As someone else said, her whole statement should be read. This has all come from a media produced headline.

MFW on Twitter were ropeable yesterday, but a Doctor who was at the lunch clarified that Jayne didn't say those words to that effect. But reporting what was actually said wouldn't create all the drama that we're seeing.

 

[jakeseven7]

She was completely on the money. Wish more prominent people would voice the same sentiment, perhaps with a little more finesse though.

Agree, just needs a PR lesson from her minders!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

As someone else said, her whole statement should be read. This has all come from a media produced headline.

MFW on Twitter were ropeable yesterday, but a Doctor who was at the lunch clarified that Jayne didn't say those words to that effect. But reporting what was actually said wouldn't create all the drama that we're seeing.

Agree, but at that level it’s almost certain the person would have received some sort of media training, and should be aware that any snippet can be used. Alternative wording would have avoided any issue.

 

[kyle]

Some people just can't handle the truth.

 

[oz_mark]

Agree, just needs a PR lesson from her minders!

Well, given the eliminationists have got the upper hand, her statements got a bit of cut through (even if the media spun it into something different from what was actually said..)

 

[N860CR]

I've never said such nonsense so don't put words into my mouth. You're just being nasty because you cannot accept a point of view that differs from your own so I'll disengage from your childishness now

No, I’m having an adult discussion, you’ve carried on like a primary school student who can’t accept feedback. Good luck to you

 

[Seat0B]

What would a 'plan' right now look like? Presumably opening time includes some % of the Australian population being vaccinated. But they can't make people get vaccinated, so what happens if that % isn't met? Presumably it would include recognition of the risks of people going to, and coming from overseas countries. But how could they define that? Perhaps a % of that countries' population vaccinated - but what if that country has porous borders (Like the vast majority of them do).

I can't see any point in announcing a 'roadmap' now, as the only think you could be sure of is that it wouldn't be the path actually taken.

They certainly managed to do roadmaps and plans for the way out of lockdowns last year, despite the huge uncertainties at the start of the pandemic. Every state and territory had one, so honestly, I don;t see what is so hard about this.

Given that we don't force people in Australia to get vaccinated, then the % should relate to a time after everyone relevant has been offered a vaccination - which they are free to accept or reject. I don't see why someone's individual decision not to vaccinate (rational or rabid anit-vaxxer, don't really care) should continue to prevent me from seeing my son who lives overseas. I also say everyone relevant, because some commentators have started saying that 25% of our population, being children, will not be vaccinated under current rules, therefore we will never have enough people shot up to open up. That is a real double standard, given that we spent the whole of last year being told that children didn't get it or spread it, did not need to social distance, did not need to wear masks and that teachers were not at any more risk than the rest of the community and that if a teacher got COVID, it was from another teacher or a parent. So in those circumstances, it should not be necessary for children to be vaccinated for the country to open up.

And another part of the plan would be about reason for travel. I'm perfectly fine with inbound and outbound tourism restrictions to stop hordes of potentially infected people coming here just for fun. However, given that 30% of Australians were born overseas and many more have expat relatives, there are now millions of people in Australia and abroad who have been denied the basic right to see their family members for almost 18 months now, and by all reports at least another year to wait. In the meantime, Olympians, tennis players, cricket players and celebrities seem to be given special treatment. Not fair at all. So I think they should at least announce the priority for people to leave/enter even if the timeframes have to be kept fluid.

 

[Seat0B]

I personally find those comments absolutely shameful- peoples' lives should always go first, full stop.

So yes, they're disgusting- exactly like their lousy catering and mediocre staff. But hey, each to their own!

I agree that the comments were insensitive and badly phrased and probably badly timed as well, but really I feel that she was just saying what is true but no one wants to be the one to say.

For example, she could just as easily have said "well if we let people fly on our planes who haven't had the flu vaccination, there is a possibility that they might give the flu to a vulnerable person, who could die, so unless we totally stop all flying/only allow vaccinated people to fly this winter, some people will die" and that would be true too. Or your driver's licence could say "if you choose to use this licence to drive a car, or even to be a passenger in a car, you might die because of a bad decision that you make, your driver makes or another driver makes." So therefore, we should not let people drive because of that because letting people drive means that "some people will die." Unpalatable, but unfortuately also true.

 

[jakeseven7]

A more thoughtful reflection (in my opinion) on the VA PR fiasco:

----

Storm over Hrdlicka’s hard truth exposes our politicians’ timidity​

The inevitability of death is a difficult thing for most of us to accept. This is doubly so for politicians, who can be said to die twice: once when they are voted out of office and again when they take their last breath.

Yet, even allowing for the unease that comes from knowing elections will be held and polling conducted long after every sitting MP is dead and gone, the reaction to Jayne Hrdlicka’s hard truth about living in a pandemic reveals what a timid lot our political leaders have become.

Her essential point is that, once our elderly, our immunocompromised and those most vulnerable to serious respiratory illness are vaccinated, the risk of further deaths from the virus will be outweighed by the benefits of Australia reconnecting with the outside world.

Storm over Hrdlicka’s hard truth exposes our politicians’ timidity

You might have expected the PM to agree with the Virgin boss on the cost of opening up. Instead, he rounded on her with the reliability of a Cartier watch.

www.theage.com.au

 

[dajop]

Yet, even allowing for the unease that comes from knowing elections will be held and polling conducted long after every sitting MP is dead and gone, the reaction to Jayne Hrdlicka’s hard truth about living in a pandemic reveals what a timid lot our political leaders have become.

Now I wonder why politicians would be timid, with the sort of headlines ( that taking the comment from Ms Hrdlika out of context), gained across the media?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Now I wonder why politicians would be timid, with the sort of headlines ( that taking the comment from Ms Hrdlika out of context), gained across the media?

It wasn't the greatest choice of words. Airline CEOs don't say 'it's inevitable some people will die when airliners crash'. Instead they say 'flying is extremely safe', and 'safety is our priority'.

Ms Hrdlicka could have applied the same to her comments about vaccines and opening up borders. And this wasn't a one-off misreading the situation given the response by the public at the AO.

 

[jakeseven7]

Virgin boss Jayne Hrdlicka explains ‘some people may die’ comments

Virgin Australia boss Jayne Hrdlicka has explained her controversial comment that Australia’s borders need to reopen even if “some people may die” in a memo to staff.

Ms Hrdlicka sparked outrage earlier this week when attempting to make the case that Australians needed to accept COVID in the community.
“It will make us sick but won’t put us into hospital. Some people may die but it will be way smaller than the flu,” she said.

In an internal memo to all Virgin employees on Wednesday, Ms Hrdlicka softened her language.

“I absolutely understand how those comments, taken in isolation, have upset some in the community — and that was never my intention,” Ms Hrdlicka said.
“If I had my time again, I would make my point a bit differently.”

Virgin boss Jayne Hrdlicka explains ‘some people may die’ comment

Virgin Australia boss Jayne Hrdlicka has explained her controversial comment that Australia’s borders need to reopen even if “some people may die” in a memo to staff.

www.news.com.au