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#252482 by VS075
24 Dec 2007, 13:47
Statement taken from the main website, MAXjet is no longer flying.

IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM MAXJET
Information below regarding those who have booked travel

Dear Friends of MAXjet:

It is with deep regret that I must inform you that MAXjet filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on 24 December 2007. With todays fuel prices and the resulting impact on the credit climate for airlines, we are forced to take this drastic measure. Our top priority is to assist our customers, particularly those who already have begun their travel with us, in securing alternative flight accommodations.

MAXjet has contracted with Eos Airlines for seats on Eos scheduled all-Premium service to accommodate passengers awaiting a return flight between New York and London. Passengers needing return travel between London, Los Angeles and Las Vegas will be contacted regarding their flight re-accommodations. Any customers who choose to make flight accommodations directly should seek a refund from their point of purchase (credit card or travel agency) for the unused leg of their journey.

We have also secured hotel rooms in London, New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles through early January 2008 which we will provide to affected passengers whose travel plans have been disrupted.

On behalf of the entire MAXjet family, we extend our apologies to you for the inconvenience. We are extremely saddened to discontinue a service that we so passionately believe in, and we thank our loyal flyers who helped build MAXjet since our start in 2005.


Sincerely,
William D. Stockbridge
President and CEO
#429768 by mcmbenjamin
24 Dec 2007, 14:12
Basing an airline out of Washington never seems to work out....
#429769 by honey lamb
24 Dec 2007, 14:36
Originally posted by Decker
http://www.v-flyer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=18913

Whoops

Ooops! [:0]
#429782 by Decker
24 Dec 2007, 16:57
don't say.... [;)]
#429783 by willd
24 Dec 2007, 17:15
And there is the first casualty of the new open skies policy....and thats before the policy even comes into force. AA arriving into STN must have been the final nail in the coffin.

I did a presentation on the Open Skies policy last week to some senior partners at a large city firm and we were all in agreement that MaxJet would be the first to go.

So is anyone going to go in and buy it off the administrator?

Eos would be a likely candidate and has been rumored amongst analysts for a while but i struggle to see how the 762 will fit in and dont see an overlap between Eos and Max. But there is now slack in the market so to speak so maybe Eos might do it. Would imagine an expansion by Eos would be more likely rather than buying up Max assets.

Other option is of course that the 762's make there way over to Silverjet and Silverjet pick up some of the slack. Especially given the extra £22 million in funding they recently got- I can see demand for LTN-LAX for example.


Hope Stoneman manages to sort something out. Thoughts have to be with all the employees- not a nice Christmas present at all.
#429792 by andrew.m.wright
24 Dec 2007, 19:26
I'll throw my my thoughts in at this point :

Virgin's near 52 week Premium Economy Sale in 2007 and other offers had a lot to do with it.

I sat next to a businessman on the way to Newark in May who'd flown in on Maxjet.

He said that the product was very similar to VS PE.

We'll now see if there's the same number of PE Sales this year now Maxjet has gone!
#429795 by Scrooge
24 Dec 2007, 19:36
Originally posted by willd
A
Other option is of course that the 762's make there way over to Silverjet and Silverjet pick up some of the slack. Especially given the extra £22 million in funding they recently got- I can see demand for LTN-LAX for example.



First of all let me say that this sucks, getting laid off the day before Christmas...not good [:#]

Of course my 'love' of Maxjet makes this an even harder pill to swallow, however with (fingers crossed) VS starting LAS - LHR service next year I am at the least a little better off.

I could see the 762 ER's going over to Silverjet, if they can afford them, then again CO and DL also seem to love them, as long as they are in good working order.

Good luck to all the staff of MY.
#429825 by lynnewob
25 Dec 2007, 07:53
Oh B******.

I think we may well have lost our money now for 20 January.

Not sure what to do as of course nothing is open today.
#429837 by andrew.m.wright
25 Dec 2007, 11:16
Originally posted by lynnewob
Oh B******.

I think we may well have lost our money now for 20 January.

Not sure what to do as of course nothing is open today.


If you booked through a ABTA/ATOL agent then you should get your money back. If not your Travel Insurance should pay.
#429841 by catsilversword
25 Dec 2007, 12:13
I was pretty sad to hear about this, even though i wasn't surprised. Isn't it similar to the way Laker Airways went the second time round though? Flew with them once and it was a good product, but no doubt the big boys just play around with the smaller players. What a shame.
#429867 by stoneman
26 Dec 2007, 10:07
Originally posted by Decker
http://www.v-flyer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=18913

Whoops

I am deeply touched by the concern shown.[:?]
Not to worry, all sorted. Maxjet have arranged upper class with Virgin to Gatwick on our departure day, paid in advance for a driver to take us to Stansted, and have advised us that they have informed our CC company (Virgin Amex) that they did not supply the service so we SHOULD get a full refund as well. Even in the depths of despair they still managed to be very helpful. Maybe this was their downfall, being too generous to customer complaints seemed to be a recuring theme with them.
I must say that my first thoughts when I was informed of this 2 days ago was not about our own plight, something that can always be resolved, but I was deeply sorry for all of the staff losing their jobs so close to Xmas. I hope that they all manage to find employment quickly. My heart goes out to them.
#429868 by catsilversword
26 Dec 2007, 10:26
Originally posted by lynnewob
Oh B******.

I think we may well have lost our money now for 20 January.

Not sure what to do as of course nothing is open today.


You should be able to get a refund if you paid by credit card... for services not delivered...
#429869 by catsilversword
26 Dec 2007, 10:29
Originally posted by stoneman
Originally posted by Decker
http://www.v-flyer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=18913

Whoops

I am deeply touched by the concern shown.
Not to worry, all sorted. Maxjet have arranged upper class with Virgin to Gatwick on our departure day, paid in advance for a driver to take us to Stansted, and have advised us that they have informed our CC company (Virgin Amex) that they did not supply the service so we SHOULD get a full refund as well. Even in the depths of despair they still managed to be very helpful. Maybe this was their downfall, being too generous to customer complaints seemed to be a recuring theme with them.
I must say that my first thoughts when I was informed of this 2 days ago was not about our own plight, something that can always be resolved, but I was deeply sorry for all of the staff losing their jobs so close to Xmas. I hope that they all manage to find employment quickly. My heart goes out to them.


Agree with you regarding their customer services - I did need to contact them a couple of times - via email - and they replied very quickly, without fail. Such a rarity...
#429872 by Bazz
26 Dec 2007, 11:21
According to The Times and the FT Virgin and BA have both put their own plans for business class only flights on hold. That has to be good short term for EOS and SilverJet. Both have recently received further funding so it will now be a case of wait and see as the market for this product evolves over the coming year.
#429874 by jtlc2345
26 Dec 2007, 11:42
Originally posted by Bazz
According to The Times and the FT Virgin and BA have both put their own plans for business class only flights on hold. That has to be good short term for EOS and SilverJet. Both have recently received further funding so it will now be a case of wait and see as the market for this product evolves over the coming year.


Here is the Times article that Bazz mentioned.

Jonathan
#429875 by Bazz
26 Dec 2007, 11:47
... thanks and here is the link to the latest FT piece (as of 26 Dec.).
#429881 by mcmbenjamin
26 Dec 2007, 16:40
Originally posted by Bazz
... thanks and here is the link to the latest FT piece (as of 26 Dec.).


Glad to see 'FT' used correctly here on VF [y][:p]
#429890 by VS075
26 Dec 2007, 20:54
Originally posted by jtlc2345
Here is the Times article that Bazz mentioned.

Jonathan


To quote the article, 'Maxjet, launched only a year ago...', proves that even the broadsheets get facts wrong [V] as MAXjet was launched two years ago.
#429896 by Armonk
27 Dec 2007, 07:51
I think that's £2k down the drain for me. Booked with my company chargecard which won't be covered under the 1974 Consumer Credit Act, and very doubtful my annual travel insurance will have 'Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance' as most don't. Booked directly with Maxjet, so no cover via travel agent. [:#]

My family of 4 was flying out to LAX in April UC using rewards, but didn't have enough miles for return so was using Maxjet from LAS. Now looking for the cheapest one way fares back to the UK from LAX,LAS or SFO, or may have to cancel whole trip and go to Skegness instead.

But as someone mentioned earlier, at least I haven't lost my job at Christmas, which puts things a little more into perspective.
#429933 by Scrooge
27 Dec 2007, 20:28
CO stops accepting them Jan 6th

Out of interest, why won't the charge be covered ?
I am guessing that the credit act only covers personal charges, but having never dealt with it I am just being a curious person [:D]

Back on topic...

So where do we go from here ?

Eos and Silverjet are supposedly doing well, to quote Lawrence Hunt, CEO of Silverjet link

'MAXjet's issues shouldn't be applied to the rest of the all-business class segment. Silverjet generates about three times as much revenue per plane as MAXjet, for planes of comparable size and configuration, Hunt said. Also, Silverjet has been able to keep its fuel costs nearly 40 percent below MAXjet's'

Now the question has to be, can these other airlines survive without leaching on to a main line carrier.

Whilst the business plan for an all J carrier (not out of LHR) is a little dicey to start with, when AA with it's corporate contracts turns it's sights on you you are in trouble.

So could the all J airlines fair better if they reached a code share agreement with say UA/AA/CO/BA/VS ?
#429948 by willd
28 Dec 2007, 02:50
Originally posted by Scrooge


Now the question has to be, can these other airlines survive without leaching on to a main line carrier.


Well that is the big question- time will tell.


Whilst the business plan for an all J carrier (not out of LHR) is a little dicey to start with, when AA with it's corporate contracts turns it's sights on you you are in trouble.

So could the all J airlines fair better if they reached a code share agreement with say UA/AA/CO/BA/VS ?


Moving into the realms of fantasy here. I wonder if- given that BA have put the whole euro business class TATL flights on hold apparently- could we see BA get a stake in Silverjet? It would mean that BA had a finger in the pie so to speak but can then just sit back and see what happens in the market? I wonder.....

I cant see Eos being willing to allow its image to be tarnished by a legacy with a poor first class- after all they have worked hard for a good resectable image. VS and a Silverjet codeshare could work- especially as Silverjet come across as very Virgin esque.

The honest answer is I/we just do not know.
#429953 by oxmatt
28 Dec 2007, 11:03
Silverjet could be in for a boost if the BAA strikes go ahead (and continue if there is no resolution)
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