V-Flyer

Message on their website says they ceased trading today.... tough times....

Originally posted by capetownflyer
Message on their website says they ceased trading today.... tough times....

I hate to speak ill of the dead but I'm sure that BA VS and others will be relieved this morning that three of their competitors have gone out of business in the last 6 months.

Question is - and as LRoM mentioned about rising fares in the other Silverjet thread, does this now mean the end of the near constant VS Premium Economy sale we've seen since January 2007?

Based on sitting next to a businessman last year in PE who used VS PE & maxJet, I'm sure that's gone along way to securing the fate of the three.

This is up so quickly you'd almost think they had it ready prepared [;)]

I would almost be surprised if they did not have it prepared.
Signs were fairly clear for the last few days; SJ would be getting very few new bookings.

Very sad to see this but given the predatory actions of some airlines (AA in particular), Maxjet,Eos and Silverjet would find their business model extremely difficult to follow without major input of funds.
Is it significant that a mid-east source seemed to hold out hope to both Eos & SJ only to have it pulled last minute and thus causing the final collapse?

I actually hope that we will see fares rise now - if we don't, we could see more losses.

I actually hope that we will see fares rise now -

Whaaaaat[}:)][V]

VS offering special prices to those stranded

[url=http://www.virginatlantic.com/en/gb/passengerinformation/latestnews/silverjet.jsp]

Originally posted by Darren Wheeler
VS offering special prices to those stranded

[url=http://www.virginatlantic.com/en/gb/passengerinformation/latestnews/silverjet.jsp]

See McMaddog's post above [;)]

Originally posted by Bill S

Originally posted by Darren Wheeler
VS offering special prices to those stranded

[url=http://www.virginatlantic.com/en/gb/passengerinformation/latestnews/silverjet.jsp]

See McMaddog's post above [;)]

I had read somewhere that BA and VS were preparing for this, as it is in their interest to try and tempt the pax over to them.

Man I am feeling controversial tonight....

It was coming from the outset in many ways - cheap isn't always the best. Rocking in and offering business class for £999, when other establisehed airlines are charging typically double or more?

It then does force the other airlines down for a while, but then it takes down margin to a much reduced level. Along comes an event like the fuel pricing, and the margin is now so thin that pain is suffered by both sides.

There are cheap fares, and then there are stupid fares that do more damage in the long run.

And how funny the VS TV commercials for The Upper Class Wing have started airing again tonight!

I find this very sad, simply because I think Silverjet was the best business-class-only airline out there, despite never getting a chance to try it out. I wonder what will happen to the private terminal at LTN and the lounge at EWR?

It is sad the SJ have bitten the dust, as for MaxJet and Eos - especially for the stranded passengers all of whom I hope can get themselves where they need to be.

However, it is business - OK AA may have put the knife into MaxJet and Eos but with SJ the firm gave it a go, they had an appealing product and tried to differentiate, but they couldn't make the numbers work ... then were stung as costs rose beyond what they could sustain.

Airlines flying from LHR must be quietly smiling however, now that at least six flights a day to New York (2 x SJ, 2 x MaxJet and 1 x Eos, or the other way around plus the AA one from STN???) have gone that's a few hundred J / PE equivalent seats taken off the market ... but it restricts choice and results in an effective cartel of LHR to most cities in North America - play watch those prices between VS / BA / AA / CO / etc and I bet they all end up very close, just as now.

Is quite clear that AA just launched STN-JFK to see off Eos, Maxjet and indirectly Silverjet.

It is sad that none of these airlines have survived, especially Silverjet who did seem very Virgin in their approach with clever advertising etc.

L'Avion surely cannot be far behind these three although they seem to have had a bit of a hand out from BA's new Open Skies airline.

A possible reprieve?

buns

Originally posted by buns4vs
A possible reprieve?

buns

Oh I do hope so - I have had the pleasure of flying with them recently to DXB a couple of times and what a pleasure it was - real executive service all round and edible food. One of the best flights to DXB I have ever had.

There is a chance. Staff, even the cc who haven't been paid last month, are still hoping. There is a lot of loyalty there.
Reputed to be 3 buyers interested - Heritage Cie, Reuben brothers and an 'airline'. No formal negotiation and they would need up front capital to get CAA permission to restart.

We can hope!

Only problem I can see is the brand damage thing.

Can they realistically look to relaunch as 'Silverjet'?
What about all those thousands of stranded passengers from the other week?
And would YOU book a ticket on one of their flights for more than a week in advance? Investment or no investment, they haven't filled peoples minds with confidence...


I know it's a bit of a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't situation, but I know *personally*, I'd want to see 'The New Silverjet' profitable for a few YEARS before considering a ticket purchase and basing any plans on their long term existence.

Yeah, I would really not trust the stability of the airline, though I guess sometimes you have to forget things like that. People still check baggage with BA. They'll have a bad rep, but to customers looking for a cheap business class flight, they might not. Silverjet's story wasn't carried very much, if at all, on American news channels and websites, so it's unlikely many people here noticed.

The suggestions are that CAA will require them to prove they have sufficient capital in hand to cover operating costs for 6 months in order to get their license back.
Not many airlines have that (eg for VS to meet the same restriction, they'd need over £900 million!)

That would be a very firm assurance for future pax.
It also would depend upon the buyer - it could be another airline....

Flights now to resume link

As has been said, Woould you now put your confidence in them again?

'Fool me once, shame on you.........'

Originally posted by McMaddog
Flights now to resume link

A slightly more cautious report in today's Guardianpointing out that one 'rescue' had already fallen through.

Paul

p.s. And would you trust an administrator named after a pyscho character from 'Trainspotting' ?

Unfortunately today Silverjet announced that they have let their entire workforce go as a rescue deal has broken down ...

Oh dear - sounds like that really is that. Feel sorry for the staff as it's not going to be easy to get back into the aviation industry in the current climate.

Originally posted by clarkeysntfc
it's not going to be easy to get back into the aviation industry in the current climate.

You never know ... link[:w]

Seriously though, a real shame for PAX and crew. I wish them all the best.