[Anonymous]

[CharlieBrown]

Here’s a video shoot of a Virgin Atlantic jumbo entering the paint shop for a nice makeover. I like the simplicity of their new livery whilst this video illustrates how much effort goes into undertaking such work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uRFBuXtvdk&playnext=1&videos=2ohNbtToY50&feature=sub

[MarcusUK]

Fascinating clip.

There is a major re-branding strategy ahead for all The Virgin Groups to amalgamate, Virgin Atlantic, VAustralia, VirginAmerica, VirginBlue etc…end of this year.
Clearly the Virgin tail is to be a feature common to all of the Companies, but under one brand.
IT moves are being made in the background of the Australian Airline groups to offer amalgamated FF programs, & interline booking…(despite some saying they cannot).
Regardless of time scales, the involvement of the crew Managers of VAustralia & their information to me 6 months ago, is proving very accurate in setting the Airline strategy.
The new CEO of VAustralia / Virgin Blue has fresh ideas, & the direction also has changed, in line with the common goal of all Virgin’s Airlines!
We shall see a more common branding & steady merger in the months ahead.

[VintageKrug]

What I said was there is no evidence of this *global* integration actually happening at present.

Evidence (rather than the usual hearsay and hyperbole) is that I booked a flight SYD-LAS on V:Australia last week.

Despite Virgin America having perfectly acceptable flights LAS-LAX, at convenient times for connections to be made and suiting my schedule, on both internal legs I was sold a seat on United Airlines, despite being asked for a through ticket within the Virgin Group. So interlining is certainly not possible at present.

I would be very doubtful that Virgin would be able to align Virgin America with its other Group partners within the next four months (as I think you originally stated this would be available in the New Year).

I would certainly welcome this development, and indeed it is likely to come quicker for Virgin’s Asian brands Virgin Blue/Virgin Pacific/V:Australia. Maybe even by New Year, if the new management team gets its skates on. Although with recent concerns over the ownership of the right to use the Virgin brand in Australia (remember Branson only owns 25% of Virgin Blue) this is far from certain.

But I believe it will take considerably longer to fully integrate Virgin Atlantic and especially Virgin America not least because of competition/ownership concerns in the USA.

It is a sensible strategy (albeit seemingly gleaned from galley chatter rather than anyone credible) but I just don’t believe the suggested timescale for “global” integration is accurate.

[Binman62]

Looks very contemporary and appears to be trying to cast off the tacky bucket and spade look….which is lost a bit by having Virgin painted on the belly!!!!

Gone too is the Union flag from the winglets or did I just miss something.

[Flyboy18]

Virgin should may have given its staff a pay rise over painting its aircraft…they have not had a pay rise for 4 years…

[VintageKrug]

I think this new livery might actually save money, using lighter weight paints and a simpler design often does – just look at American Airlines “silver” planes.

[MarcusUK]

The Virgin Airline Groups’ integration as mentioned some months ago, has taken place with the Frequent Flyer programs.
All FFP members should have received the email today.

With Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Blue & VAustralia, & Virgin America ,you can now be earning & spending with the same benefits on the Global Airlines of the Virgin Group, worldwide.

This was why the Australia website was upgraded 2 months ago, so the “galley chatter”, (at least an Airline that engages it’s employees as teams in decision making), was absolutely spot on.
Great to see such an energetic Team with VAustralia, steering their own direction, with all staff teams involved, very sensible & contemporary style of Airline Management.

VAustralia have a couple of new 777-300 ER’s to add this year, so will either extend existing route capacity, or choose a new route to fly. One possible route being debated was SYD-LGW via Phuket, or taking the VS SYD-HKG sectors, due to the brand restrictions..
Meanwhile the Thai flights, & South Africa, & LAX routes are running well & profitably i hear.

We shall see if their is a greater marketing move for the “Global” Virgin Airlines, & their inter-lining for paid reservations follows shortly.

Adds greater value to my Virgin Gold card, along with the choice partners of FC, quite a great alternative to one of the major alliances, that have become stale & outdated.

The new CEO of VAustralia / VBlue, has a clear direction for the Airlines in Oz
It does, as i stated on here,

[Bullfrog]

I flew VS LGW – LAS in March. A real ‘bucket & spade’ flight .. really tacky .. the 14 Upper Class seats had 7 noisy VS ‘holidaying’ staff talking with such raised voices with no consideration for any other passengers.

Memorable incident of flight was the unfortunate ‘passing away’ of a passenger mid flight.

Tacky flight was made up by lovely stay at Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Virgin America (F class) flight to SFO had no interlining provision for onward (J Class) on Virgin Atlantic to LHR which was a far more professional & better quality transatlantic flight than the ex LGW service.

[Reinier]

Unfortunately, the video has been removed :/

[MarcusUK]

VK was wrong!

“Galley Chatter” in a well run Airline like VAustralia, clearly has some value. Managing a new Concept Airline in a Contemporary way as VAustralia does, proves that involvement of the teams counts, matters, & an informed staff group, shows through every aspect of the experience with them. Taking some time to talk the The Cabin Managers, encouraging & asking what goes on, pays off for all concerned. Both in March & June these issues were confirmed, all was going ahead well.
However, the new CEO of VAustralia & Virgin Blue has a clear new strategic plan. With 4 new 777-300ER’s and two more to arrive within the next 2 months, it is small enough to involve its staff teams, & a real sense of community within the group is sensed.

I haven’t flown VAmerica, but certainly the Australian Airlines are something different, refreshing, really modern & fresh compared to the stale old style of some of the other Airlines, & indeed other Alliances.

In many ways, Virgin Airlines Group attracts people of a certain Business style, more contemporary in their own behaviour & style, where -as other carriers have their own types of passenger & their expectations of what service or travel experience they prefer. Australians & The Dutch are considerably less formal, & their Airlines reflect this, as in the culture & nature of the people.

I see BT have posted the interlining news of the FF Programs & bookings already.

Great to see a strategy growing from within the staff teams, become a reality.
Clearly, the Livery change was also set in this strategy, & is in itself, a marketing strategy.

[CharlieBrown]

Here is another link to that same video Reinier:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo7n8-EIMaA

[VintageKrug]

Well, I am pleased an announcement has been made that this is planned to happen in the future. Well done to MarkRoberts9 for picking up on this.

However, this sending out an email does not mean as MarcusUK stated “the Virgin Airline Groups’ integration as mentioned some months ago, *has taken place* with the Frequent Flyer programs”. Far from it.

As with your quite shocking belief that millions in the US and Europe would die from Bird Flu (only shocking as you are apparently a medical professional..) it is clear that the global Virgin FFP integration far from complete and is happening over the coming 12 months and should only be complete by end June 2011.

I was spot on that while this Frequent Flyer integration is planned to be completed Q4 this year for the Asian elements of Virgin, Virgin Atlantic and Elevate FFPs will not be fully integrated until the middle of 2011, not “by the New Year” as was originally claimed.

I still maintain that the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and I can see no evidence that after integration of the FFPs it will be possible to purchase fully interlined tickets on all these airlines (except Virgin Atlantic and Virgin America, when booked on the Virgin Atlantic website).

It is not clear to me whether integrated ticketing and interlining (which is really what integrates an airline from a passenger perspective) is planned or indeed will actually work “through the global Virgin Group of Airlines” as was originally claimed by MarcusUK, and as I recall this revelation was revealed about six months ago (when it was claimed the entire global integration would be complete by end 2010). It plainly will not.

We shall see.

The “stale and outdated” alliances to which you refer have been doing this for decades.

[Reinier]

@Thomas txs for the videolink !

[trident3]

Back to that ‘new image’ font – anyone else think it’s not a million miles away from
the Star Alliance ‘billboard’ aircraft ? Not exactly ‘cutting edge’ then…

[Author]

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