Virgin Blue
Encyclopedia
Virgin Australia Airlines, formerly Virgin Blue Airlines, is Australia's second-largest airline as well as the largest by fleet size to utilise the Virgin brand. Now based in Bowen Hills, Brisbane
, Queensland, Australia, the airline was co-founded by British businessman Sir Richard Branson
and former Virgin Blue CEO, Brett Godfrey. It was established in 2000 with two aircraft operating on a single route, and suddenly found itself catapulted to the position of Australia's second airline after the collapse of Ansett Australia
in September 2001. The airline has grown to directly serve 29 cities in Australia from hubs in Brisbane
, Sydney
and Melbourne
, using a fleet of narrow-body
Boeing and Embraer jets and Airbus widebody jets.
After several years operating as a low-cost carrier
it improved its services to become a so-called (self-described) "new world carrier" – essentially a business model with aspects of the "no frills" approach of low-cost carriers but offering services more in line with full-service airlines – in order to compete more effectively with Qantas
in the business travel market. In 2011 it took the strategy further with new uniforms; new catering on board; new widebody aircraft to compete with Qantas on Perth – Sydney services; and the concurrent introduction of business class; together with a new livery and a renaming to Virgin Australia. Currently the airline is considered a four-star airline by research consultancy firm Skytrax
.
Virgin Australia was launched as Virgin Blue in August 2000, with two . Initially offering seven return flights a day between Brisbane
and Sydney, this has since been expanded to cover all major Australian cities and many holiday destinations. The Virgin Blue name was the result of an open competition; it was a play on the predominantly red livery and the Australian slang tradition of calling a red-headed
male 'Blue' or 'Bluey'.
The timing of Virgin Blue's entry into the Australian market was fortunate as it was able to fill the vacuum created by the failure of Ansett Australia
in September 2001. Ansett's failure allowed Virgin to grow rapidly to become Australia's second domestic carrier, rather than just a cut-price alternative to the established players. It also gave Virgin access to terminal space without which growth would have been significantly limited. Delays in negotiating access to the former Ansett terminal at Sydney Airport
however forced Virgin to use its original terminal there—a collection of prefabricated buildings without aerobridges—longer than was needed. As the airline grew, it acquired new equipment, enabling it to phase-out its older 737-400s in favour of 737-700 and −800
series aircraft with modern glass cockpits, winglets and greater fuel efficiency.
Virgin Group's holding in Virgin Australia has since been reduced, initially via a sale of a half interest to Australian logistics conglomerate Patrick Corporation
, and later by a public float. In early 2005 Patrick launched a hostile takeover for Virgin Blue. Patrick had been unhappy for some time with the company's direction. By the closure of the offer, Patrick held 62% of the company, giving it control. Virgin Group retains a 25% share.
In May 2006 Toll Holdings
acquired Patrick and became the majority owner of Virgin Blue. In July 2008 Toll sold its majority holding via a special dividend and now holds 1.7% of the company. Air New Zealand currently owns 19.99% of the company.
Virgin Blue previously used a familiar formula pioneered by airlines such as Southwest Airlines
and Ryanair
eliminating costs such as included in-flight meals and printed tickets in favour of selling food on-board and using telephone and internet booking systems. It also cut costs in the past by limiting the number of airports serviced and by operating one type of aircraft, the Boeing 737. This strategy changed with the introduction of a second type into the fleet. The airline ordered 20 Embraer E-jets
, in a mix of six E170s and 14 E190s. These were ordered specifically so that the airline could re-enter the Sydney–Canberra
market that it abandoned in 2004, and to fly to less populous areas. The first E-170 arrived in Australia in September 2007 and by the end of the year the three on initial order had been delivered. These were placed on limited-frequency services before full-scale operations were launched on 4 February 2008 with services from Sydney to Canberra (branded as 'Capital Jet' services), Mackay
in Queensland, and the New South Wales regional centres of Port Macquarie
and Albury
, which were promoted with a one-cent fare. The flights to Canberra and the regional centres signified an effort to compete more directly with Qantas and its subsidiary QantasLink
operation, which flies to all three cities, and with independent Regional Express Airlines
.
At its inception in 2000, Virgin Blue did not have interline or marketing alliances with other airlines. However, after the collapse of its domestic competitor Ansett Australia, it began a codeshare agreement with United Airlines
. This allowed United customers to fly from the United States to any of Virgin Blue's Australian destinations that United did not already serve. In 2006, in an effort to compete with Qantas, Virgin Blue started exploring these relationships, forming frequent flyer agreements with Emirates Airline
, Hawaiian Airlines
and Malaysia Airlines
. Virgin Blue also has an Interline Agreement with Regional Express Airlines for travellers to and from smaller regional centres in the eastern states of Australia, and codeshares with Skywest Airlines
on two routes in Western Australia. In November 2007, the airline announced an agreement with Garuda Indonesia
, offering easy transfer from a domestic Virgin Blue flight to an international Garuda service departing from Perth
, Melbourne, Sydney or Darwin
. Since then Virgin Blue has also announced an agreement with Vietnam Airlines
which allows passengers to fly from Melbourne and Sydney and connect with Vietnam Airlines's destinations through its flight network.
On Friday, 7 May 2010, Brett Godfrey officially stepped down as Virgin Blue CEO after steering the company through its first ten years. John Borghetti, former Qantas executive general manager, took over as the new Chief Executive. The year also saw Virgin Blue win SkyTrax's Best Low-Cost Airline Australia / Pacific at 2010 World Airline Awards, aheading of Jetstar and Tiger Airways.
In December 2010, Virgin Blue entered into alliances with Etihad Airways
and Air New Zealand
for code-sharing, reciprocal lounge and frequent flyer access and other co-operational projects.
Virgin Blue also entered into talks with Delta Air Lines
about the possibility of joining SkyTeam
, one of the top three alliance
s in the world, as V Australia
and Delta sought approval for an agreement between the two airlines to co-operate on trans-Pacific services. The agreement was rejected by the United States Department of Transportation
under United States antitrust law. Upon review the agreement was approved by the United States Department of Transportation on 10 June 2011.
Early in 2011 it was announced that Virgin Blue had signed a ten-year deal with Perth-based regional airline Skywest Airlines, for Skywest to operate up to 18 turboprop
aircraft leased by Virgin, in order to better compete in east coast regional markets served by QantasLink and Regional Express Airlines. The turboprops would supplement the existing Embraer E-190s and replace the E-170s, which would be phased out due to their being uneconomical on the routes operated by Virgin.
On 20 January 2011, Air New Zealand announced it would take a shareholding stake of between 10% and 14.99% in Virgin Blue. Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe described the investment "as part of Air New Zealand's strategy to develop scale and reach in this region" but said the airline had no intention of making a full takeover.
In October 2011, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
(ACCC) approved a proposed code-share alliance between Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia. The alliance is subject to other regulatory approvals in both countries.
Since the arrival of John Borghetti (former Qantas
senior executive) as the CEO of Virgin Blue there has been much speculation regarding a forthcoming re-brand of the airline.
A number of key Qantas staff moved to Virgin Blue while key Virgin Blue staff departed the airline. The airline further announced its intention to operate Airbus A330
aircraft between Perth and the East Coast, starting in May 2011.
In February 2011, the re-brand was confirmed when the airline announced that the word 'Blue' would be dropped from its name as part of a campaign to attract more business travellers away from rival Qantas. This came shortly after the unveiling of new crew uniforms and business-class seats. The airline stated that the re-brand would proceed in stages and would reportedly include a new fleet livery and the renaming of the other Virgin Blue Group airlines as well.
On 4 May 2011, the former Virgin Blue revealed its new name, Virgin Australia, as well as its new livery. In addition to the new name, branding and livery, the airline also showed off its new flagship the Airbus 330 with new domestic business class. Boeing 737 business class seating was also revealed, to be introduced on all of Virgin's jet aircraft by the end of 2011. Pacific Blue and V Australia
will both be folded into the new Virgin Australia brand, following an agreement with Virgin Atlantic shareholder Singapore Airlines
, which ever since the establishment of Virgin Blue in 2000 had previously prohibited use of the Virgin brand outside Australia. Both business and economy class feature grey leather seats, while the 737 also features the new Boeing ‘Sky Interior’ with re-sculpted sidewalls and larger overhead bins.
. As of 2008 1,000 employees work at Virgin Village. The building, with about 13220 sqm A-Grade office space, was triple net leased to Virgin Blue.
As the airline started operations, it decided to place its head office in the Brisbane area. Brett Godfrey, the airline co-founder and Chief Executive for 10 years, said in 2006 that the decision "was a long considered one and has worked well." The airline originally had its head office in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. The airline purchased a $61 million site in Bowen Hills for its new head office. The firm Sunland Group, which had acquired the Bowen Hills site for $8 million in 2005, had scheduled to complete the new head office in March, and the airline would be ready to move into the new head office by August of the following year. The current head office facility, Virgin Village, formally opened on 17 October 2008.
and Qantas
on trans-Tasman routes. Pacific Blue also operates services on behalf of the Polynesian Blue
joint-venture with the government of Samoa
. Pacific Blue will also come under the Virgin Australia name, livery and operated by Virgin Australia later this year (part of the re-branding)..
In early 2006, Virgin Blue's parent company announced its intention to operate up to seven flights a week to the United States using either Los Angeles International Airport
or San Francisco International Airport
, saying that the route was needed to make the airline as profitable as possible. On 25 July 2007, it was announced that "V Australia
" would be the name of the new carrier.
Since its inception, Virgin Blue had sponsored many sporting teams in a bid to promote its brand.
In February 2007, Virgin Blue signed a two-year sponsorship deal with NRL
team the South Sydney Rabbitohs
. The Rabbitohs are the first rugby league team Virgin Australia has sponsored. Boeing 737–800 VH-VUA has slight changes to its livery to commemorate this sponsorship. The Australian flag held by the "Virgin Girl" is replaced by the Rabbitohs' flag. Virgin Australia is also the official sponsor of the National Basketball League
(NBL), and the title sponsor of NBL team the Brisbane Bullets
.
In November 2010, the Australian Football League
(AFL) decided not to renew its marketing contract with Qantas, instead choosing Virgin Blue for a deal worth A$
5–8 million.
Virgin Blue gained extra revenue (and publicity) by painting two aircraft as "flying billboard
s". One promoted a brand of men's razor, the other a Queensland Government
campaign to attract businesses to the state
. Both aircraft have since been withdrawn from the Virgin Blue fleet.
In 2007 Virgin Blue introduced an advertising campaign with the slogan "Get What You Want". The television commercials used in the campaign featured a song of the same name by Queensland band Operator Please
. In 2009, Virgin Blue introduced an all new advertising campaign entitled "Now there's an idea". TV Commercials showing comparisons between flying in Australia in 1999 as opposed to 2009 were screened, to the tune a song by The Cat Empire
. New billboard advertising was launched, showcasing Virgin Blue's variety of products and on-time performance records. In 2011, with the airline's rebranding as Virgin Australia, the airline's slogan was changed to "Now you're flying".
2002 Airline of the Year Survey, the airline has also been voted best airline in a number of different categories and by a number of different organisations.
The airline's Frequent Flyer program Velocity Rewards won the 2009 Freddie Awards
, the largest award in the travel industry, for Best Frequent Flyer Program, Best Award Redemption, Best Affinity Credit Card, Best Member Communications, Best Website. This was the fourth consecutive Freddie Awards that Velocity has won.
Initially Virgin Blue leased its aircraft but many recent additions to the fleet have been purchased outright. Virgin Blue-owned Boeing 737s are indicated by the Boeing customer code FE in the model suffix.
In November 2006, Virgin Blue announced plans to purchase 11 Embraer E190
and three Embraer E170
aircraft with options for six more E-jets. These later became orders for an additional three E170s and three E190s. In February 2008 a further four E190s were ordered, leaving six options and ten purchase rights.
Virgin Blue received its first Embraer 170
in early September 2007 at a special ceremony at the Embraer
plant in Sao Jose dos Campos. The ERJ-170s introduced a revised logo on their tails, bringing the Virgin Blue brand into line with the logos of other Virgin-branded companies.
Like Virgin Atlantic
, Virgin Blue gives the aircraft in its fleet names, often incorporating female names and words connected with Australian cities and localities or other quintessentially Australian themes. Names on Virgin Blue aircraft include 'Brissie Lizzie' ("Brissie" being an Australian slang name for Brisbane, and "Lizzie" being slang for Elizabeth), 'Sassy Sydney' (Sydney is a female name as well as the name of Australia's largest city), 'Prue Blue' (incorporating the name Prudence and also a pun
on the Australian phrase "true blue", meaning "patriotic"), 'Tassie Tigress' (incorporating both the slang name for Tasmania and the common name for the Thylacine
) and 'Mackay-be Diva' (a pun on the city of Mackay, Queensland
and Makybe Diva
, a famous Australian racehorse
). Each aircraft in the Virgin Blue livery (some are painted in Pacific Blue livery for cross-promotional reasons) also features a "virgin girl" as nose art, complete with a wide-brimmed Aussie hat, trailing an Australian flag
.
On 24 October 2007, Virgin Blue announced the introduction of Premium Economy on all domestic flights. As the E-jets already have four-abreast seating, the number of seats on these aircraft remained unchanged after the rollout of Premium Economy.
An agreement was signed with Boeing on 1 April 2010 for an order of fifty firm Boeing 737–800 aircraft, with flexibility to convert to either Boeing 737–700 or Boeing 737-900ER, as well as 25 additional options and 30 future purchase rights. Delivery is scheduled from June 2011 through to 2017. The new aircraft are expected to replace some of Virgin Blue’s existing narrow body fleet, while the remainder will be deployed to new routes and boost frequency according to demand.
, to operate up to 18 new Virgin-branded turboprop
aircraft from mid-2011. On 23 February, it was announced that the aircraft would be ATR-72s, to enter service beginning in May 2011; they would allow Virgin Blue to both replace its fleet of Embraer E170s and introduce new regional routes. The turboprops will be operated by Skywest Airlines under a wet lease agreement. The May in-service date was not met, and in late July the first announcement was made concerning routes to be served. It was reported that the ATR-72s would be initially employed on services between Brisbane and Gladstone, Queensland
; from Brisbane and Sydney to Port Macquarie in New South Wales; and on additional services between Sydney and Canberra.
The food menu is accompanied by a premium range of Australian wines, beers and spirits and non-alcoholic beverages, including barista style coffee.
Economy Class depending on the fare purchased, offers an all inclusive meal for Flexi fare passengers. Alternately, for Saver Fare passengers, a buy on board
service with food and drinks available for purchase is offered from a separate menu by Luke Mangan which includes a gourmet range of snacks, meals and beverages. The menu is available on all flights and on selected flights passengers also have access to hot snacks, hot meals and speciality products such as gourmet ice cream. The airline also serves snacks and drinks, free of charge, including beer and wine after 4pm on Capital Connect services. These services include flights between Canberra to Sydney and Melbourne.
and Austar
, to introduce a "Live2Air" service on most flights by mid 2007. The Live2Air system is only available on some Boeing 737 aircraft.
The reservation suffered a system crash on the weekend of 26 September 2010 disrupting passenger arrival and departure services nationally.
facility for travellers. Originally this was called The Blue Room and provided facilities to members and guests on a pay-as-you-go basis. Many of these facilities became available when Virgin relocated into the former Ansett
terminals across the country, with the defunct Golden Wing club lounges left behind being utilised as Blue Room lounges, complete with furnishings.
In 2006, Virgin revamped the lounge facilities and re-launched the product as The Lounge, which offered all-inclusive facilities on a membership fee or casual fee basis. Upgraded facilities provided included buffet
food and refreshments, newspapers, showers, computers, and WiFi
internet access for travellers.
In May 2011, Virgin again renamed the lounge simply referring to it as Virgin Australia lounge.
offering a companion credit card. By 2007, points collected from selected Westpac
, American Express
and Diners Club
Cards could be transferred to Velocity Rewards, and effective September 2008, ANZ Reward Visa Card points as well.
Initially, Velocity was different from most other frequent flyer programs in two ways. First, points were earned relative to the cost of a flight, rather than the length. Velocity members originally earned 6 points per dollar spent on Virgin Blue flights. This was later altered due to the introduction of status levels; Red members now earned 5 points per dollar, Silver members remained at 6 points, and Gold members earned 7. Points on Virgin Blue's long-haul carrier V Australia
, as well as the majority of Velocity's airline partners have always been earned per mile.
Second, Velocity was the first frequent flyer program in Australia to offer "any seat, any time" reward flight availability. The amount of points required to redeem an award seat directly corresponds to the current fare of that seat, allowing any seat currently available to be redeemed. Rival Qantas
introduced a similar feature to their frequent flyer program in May 2008.
Status levels were introduced to the program in late 2007 as part of continued efforts to attract business travelers. Alongside the entry-level "Red" status, frequent travelers were given the opportunity to attain "Silver" and "Gold" status, each with its own set of benefits.
In August 2011, the program was relaunched as "Velocity Frequent Flyer" and a Platinum status level was introduced among other changes.
As of February 2008, Velocity Rewards had 1.3 million members and Virgin Blue stated it was considering selling it or entering into a joint venture once its operation was profitable, and considered a membership of 1.6 to 1.7 million members would put the operation in a break-even position.
1. Virgin Australia has a written agreement with Virgin Atlantic for Virgin Blue to use the "Virgin" callsign domestically in Australia. Outside Australia it cannot be used, so separate brands like Pacific Blue (callsign Bluebird for Pacific Blue NZ or Bluey for Pacific Blue International services operated by Virgin Australia) and joint venture Polynesian Blue have been created.
References
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland, Australia, the airline was co-founded by British businessman Sir Richard Branson
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
and former Virgin Blue CEO, Brett Godfrey. It was established in 2000 with two aircraft operating on a single route, and suddenly found itself catapulted to the position of Australia's second airline after the collapse of Ansett Australia
Ansett Australia
Ansett Australia, Ansett, Ansett Airlines of Australia, or ANSETT-ANA as it was commonly known in earlier years, was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne. The airlines flew domestically within Australia and to destinations in Asia during its operation in 1996...
in September 2001. The airline has grown to directly serve 29 cities in Australia from hubs in Brisbane
Brisbane Airport
Brisbane Airport is the sole passenger airport serving Brisbane and the third busiest in Australia, after Melbourne and Sydney Airports. Brisbane Airport has won many awards. Located in the suburb with the same name, the airport serves the city of Brisbane and the surrounding metropolitan area...
, Sydney
Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada...
and Melbourne
Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport , also known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne and the second busiest in Australia. It was opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is the sole international airport of the four airports serving the...
, using a fleet of narrow-body
Narrow-body aircraft
A narrow-body aircraft is an airliner with a fuselage aircraft cabin width typically of 3 to 4 metres , and airline seat arranged 2 to 6 abreast along a single aisle...
Boeing and Embraer jets and Airbus widebody jets.
After several years operating as a low-cost carrier
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
it improved its services to become a so-called (self-described) "new world carrier" – essentially a business model with aspects of the "no frills" approach of low-cost carriers but offering services more in line with full-service airlines – in order to compete more effectively with Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
in the business travel market. In 2011 it took the strategy further with new uniforms; new catering on board; new widebody aircraft to compete with Qantas on Perth – Sydney services; and the concurrent introduction of business class; together with a new livery and a renaming to Virgin Australia. Currently the airline is considered a four-star airline by research consultancy firm Skytrax
Skytrax
Skytrax is a United Kingdom-based consultancy, the public face of Inflight Research Services, which has the largest airline and airport review and ranking site. It conducts research for commercial airlines...
.
Early years
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and Sydney, this has since been expanded to cover all major Australian cities and many holiday destinations. The Virgin Blue name was the result of an open competition; it was a play on the predominantly red livery and the Australian slang tradition of calling a red-headed
Red hair
Red hair occurs on approximately 1–2% of the human population. It occurs more frequently in people of northern or western European ancestry, and less frequently in other populations...
male 'Blue' or 'Bluey'.
The timing of Virgin Blue's entry into the Australian market was fortunate as it was able to fill the vacuum created by the failure of Ansett Australia
Ansett Australia
Ansett Australia, Ansett, Ansett Airlines of Australia, or ANSETT-ANA as it was commonly known in earlier years, was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne. The airlines flew domestically within Australia and to destinations in Asia during its operation in 1996...
in September 2001. Ansett's failure allowed Virgin to grow rapidly to become Australia's second domestic carrier, rather than just a cut-price alternative to the established players. It also gave Virgin access to terminal space without which growth would have been significantly limited. Delays in negotiating access to the former Ansett terminal at Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada...
however forced Virgin to use its original terminal there—a collection of prefabricated buildings without aerobridges—longer than was needed. As the airline grew, it acquired new equipment, enabling it to phase-out its older 737-400s in favour of 737-700 and −800
Boeing 737 Next Generation
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners...
series aircraft with modern glass cockpits, winglets and greater fuel efficiency.
Virgin Group's holding in Virgin Australia has since been reduced, initially via a sale of a half interest to Australian logistics conglomerate Patrick Corporation
Patrick Corporation
Patrick Corporation Ltd was an Australian publicly listed logistics conglomerate. Headed by CEO Chris Corrigan before it was absorbed by Toll Holdings in 2006, Patrick had interests in shipping, rail and aviation, including a 62% shareholding in airline Virgin Blue...
, and later by a public float. In early 2005 Patrick launched a hostile takeover for Virgin Blue. Patrick had been unhappy for some time with the company's direction. By the closure of the offer, Patrick held 62% of the company, giving it control. Virgin Group retains a 25% share.
In May 2006 Toll Holdings
Toll Holdings
TOLL , properly TOLL Holdings Limited, is Australia's largest transport company, based in Melbourne, Victoria. The company has operations in road, rail, sea and air in 55 countries....
acquired Patrick and became the majority owner of Virgin Blue. In July 2008 Toll sold its majority holding via a special dividend and now holds 1.7% of the company. Air New Zealand currently owns 19.99% of the company.
Virgin Blue previously used a familiar formula pioneered by airlines such as Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
and Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
eliminating costs such as included in-flight meals and printed tickets in favour of selling food on-board and using telephone and internet booking systems. It also cut costs in the past by limiting the number of airports serviced and by operating one type of aircraft, the Boeing 737. This strategy changed with the introduction of a second type into the fleet. The airline ordered 20 Embraer E-jets
Embraer E-Jets
The Embraer E-Jets are a series of narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range, jet airliners produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft. Announced at the Paris Air Show in 1999, and entering production in 2002, the aircraft series...
, in a mix of six E170s and 14 E190s. These were ordered specifically so that the airline could re-enter the Sydney–Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
market that it abandoned in 2004, and to fly to less populous areas. The first E-170 arrived in Australia in September 2007 and by the end of the year the three on initial order had been delivered. These were placed on limited-frequency services before full-scale operations were launched on 4 February 2008 with services from Sydney to Canberra (branded as 'Capital Jet' services), Mackay
Mackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
in Queensland, and the New South Wales regional centres of Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie, New South Wales
Port Macquarie is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, located about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The city is located on the coast, at the mouth of the Hastings River, and has an estimated population of 44,313....
and Albury
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
, which were promoted with a one-cent fare. The flights to Canberra and the regional centres signified an effort to compete more directly with Qantas and its subsidiary QantasLink
QantasLink
QantasLink is a regional brand of Australian airline Qantas and is an affiliate member of the Oneworld airline alliance. It is a major competitor to Regional Express Airlines, Virgin Australia and Skywest Airlines. As of September 2010 QantasLink provides 1900 flights each week to 54 domestic and...
operation, which flies to all three cities, and with independent Regional Express Airlines
Regional Express Airlines
Regional Express Pty Ltd is an airline based in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. It operates scheduled regional services. It is Australia's largest regional airline outside the Qantas group of companies and serves New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, North Queensland and Tasmania...
.
At its inception in 2000, Virgin Blue did not have interline or marketing alliances with other airlines. However, after the collapse of its domestic competitor Ansett Australia, it began a codeshare agreement with United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
. This allowed United customers to fly from the United States to any of Virgin Blue's Australian destinations that United did not already serve. In 2006, in an effort to compete with Qantas, Virgin Blue started exploring these relationships, forming frequent flyer agreements with Emirates Airline
Emirates Airline
Emirates is the airline based in the Emirate of Dubai part of the United Arab Emirates . Based at Dubai International Airport it is the largest airline in the Middle East, operating over 2,400 flights per week, from its hub at Terminal 3, to 111 cities in 62 countries across six continents...
, Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a major airline of the United States. It is the largest airline based in the State of Hawai'i, and is the 11th largest commercial airline in the country. Based in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, the airline operates its main hub at Honolulu International...
and Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysian Airline System Berhad , DBA Malaysia Airlines , is the government-owned flag carrier of Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines operates flights from its home base, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and its eastern hub in Kota Kinabalu. It has its headquarters on the grounds of Sultan Abdul Aziz...
. Virgin Blue also has an Interline Agreement with Regional Express Airlines for travellers to and from smaller regional centres in the eastern states of Australia, and codeshares with Skywest Airlines
Skywest Airlines
Skywest Airlines Pty Ltd is a regional airline company based in Perth, Western Australia, Australia; servicing key towns in the state of Western Australia, Darwin, Northern Territory and Melbourne, Victoria; as well as charter flights to Bali, Indonesia....
on two routes in Western Australia. In November 2007, the airline announced an agreement with Garuda Indonesia
Garuda Indonesia
PT Garuda Indonesia Tbk , publicly known as Garuda Indonesia, is the flag carrier of Indonesia. It is named after the mystical giant bird Garuda of Hinduism and Buddhist mythology. It is headquartered at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, near Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia...
, offering easy transfer from a domestic Virgin Blue flight to an international Garuda service departing from Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Melbourne, Sydney or Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
. Since then Virgin Blue has also announced an agreement with Vietnam Airlines
Vietnam Airlines
Vietnam Airlines Company Limited, trading as Vietnam Airlines , is the national flag carrier of Vietnam. Founded in 1956 under the name Vietnam Civil Aviation, the airline was established as a state enterprise in April 1989. Vietnam Airlines is headquartered in Long Bien, Hanoi, with hubs at Noi...
which allows passengers to fly from Melbourne and Sydney and connect with Vietnam Airlines's destinations through its flight network.
Recent developments
In 2008, Premium Economy Class was introduced throughout its entire fleet. New seating was installed in the first three rows of the cabin. These could be converted from three seats in Economy configuration to two seats for Premium Economy. The premium product offered priority check-in, larger baggage allowance, lounge access, priority boarding, increased legroom and all-inclusive in flight entertainment and meals/beverages on board. The product was aimed at business and corporate customers. The airline began charging Economy Class passengers for checked baggage in September 2008.On Friday, 7 May 2010, Brett Godfrey officially stepped down as Virgin Blue CEO after steering the company through its first ten years. John Borghetti, former Qantas executive general manager, took over as the new Chief Executive. The year also saw Virgin Blue win SkyTrax's Best Low-Cost Airline Australia / Pacific at 2010 World Airline Awards, aheading of Jetstar and Tiger Airways.
In December 2010, Virgin Blue entered into alliances with Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways is the flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates. Established in July 2003 and based at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Etihad commenced operations in November 2003....
and Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
for code-sharing, reciprocal lounge and frequent flyer access and other co-operational projects.
Virgin Blue also entered into talks with Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
about the possibility of joining SkyTeam
SkyTeam
SkyTeam, branded as SKYTEAM, is an airline alliance with its centralised management team, SkyTeam Central, based at the World Trade Center Schiphol Airport on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands...
, one of the top three alliance
Airline alliance
An airline alliance is an agreement between two or more airlines to cooperate on a substantial level. The three largest passenger alliances are the Star Alliance, SkyTeam and Oneworld. Alliances also form between cargo airlines, such as that of WOW Alliance, SkyTeam Cargo and ANA/UPS Alliance...
s in the world, as V Australia
V Australia
Virgin Australia International Airlines Pty Ltd, trading as V Australia, is a long haul international airline owned by Virgin Blue Holdings. It operates as an international feeder for Virgin Australia...
and Delta sought approval for an agreement between the two airlines to co-operate on trans-Pacific services. The agreement was rejected by the United States Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
under United States antitrust law. Upon review the agreement was approved by the United States Department of Transportation on 10 June 2011.
Early in 2011 it was announced that Virgin Blue had signed a ten-year deal with Perth-based regional airline Skywest Airlines, for Skywest to operate up to 18 turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
aircraft leased by Virgin, in order to better compete in east coast regional markets served by QantasLink and Regional Express Airlines. The turboprops would supplement the existing Embraer E-190s and replace the E-170s, which would be phased out due to their being uneconomical on the routes operated by Virgin.
On 20 January 2011, Air New Zealand announced it would take a shareholding stake of between 10% and 14.99% in Virgin Blue. Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe described the investment "as part of Air New Zealand's strategy to develop scale and reach in this region" but said the airline had no intention of making a full takeover.
In October 2011, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is an independent authority of the Australia government. It was established in 1995 with the amalgamation of the Australian Trade Practices Commission and the Prices Surveillance Authority to administer the Trade Practices Act 1974...
(ACCC) approved a proposed code-share alliance between Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia. The alliance is subject to other regulatory approvals in both countries.
Re-organisation and re-branding
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
senior executive) as the CEO of Virgin Blue there has been much speculation regarding a forthcoming re-brand of the airline.
A number of key Qantas staff moved to Virgin Blue while key Virgin Blue staff departed the airline. The airline further announced its intention to operate Airbus A330
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
aircraft between Perth and the East Coast, starting in May 2011.
In February 2011, the re-brand was confirmed when the airline announced that the word 'Blue' would be dropped from its name as part of a campaign to attract more business travellers away from rival Qantas. This came shortly after the unveiling of new crew uniforms and business-class seats. The airline stated that the re-brand would proceed in stages and would reportedly include a new fleet livery and the renaming of the other Virgin Blue Group airlines as well.
On 4 May 2011, the former Virgin Blue revealed its new name, Virgin Australia, as well as its new livery. In addition to the new name, branding and livery, the airline also showed off its new flagship the Airbus 330 with new domestic business class. Boeing 737 business class seating was also revealed, to be introduced on all of Virgin's jet aircraft by the end of 2011. Pacific Blue and V Australia
V Australia
Virgin Australia International Airlines Pty Ltd, trading as V Australia, is a long haul international airline owned by Virgin Blue Holdings. It operates as an international feeder for Virgin Australia...
will both be folded into the new Virgin Australia brand, following an agreement with Virgin Atlantic shareholder Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
, which ever since the establishment of Virgin Blue in 2000 had previously prohibited use of the Virgin brand outside Australia. Both business and economy class feature grey leather seats, while the 737 also features the new Boeing ‘Sky Interior’ with re-sculpted sidewalls and larger overhead bins.
Head office
Virgin Australia has its head office in Virgin Village in Bowen Hills, BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. As of 2008 1,000 employees work at Virgin Village. The building, with about 13220 sqm A-Grade office space, was triple net leased to Virgin Blue.
As the airline started operations, it decided to place its head office in the Brisbane area. Brett Godfrey, the airline co-founder and Chief Executive for 10 years, said in 2006 that the decision "was a long considered one and has worked well." The airline originally had its head office in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. The airline purchased a $61 million site in Bowen Hills for its new head office. The firm Sunland Group, which had acquired the Bowen Hills site for $8 million in 2005, had scheduled to complete the new head office in March, and the airline would be ready to move into the new head office by August of the following year. The current head office facility, Virgin Village, formally opened on 17 October 2008.
Subsidiaries
In September 2003, Virgin Blue announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Pacific Blue would offer a low-cost service between New Zealand and Australia. Pacific Blue aimed to position itself as a low-cost competitor to Air New ZealandAir New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
and Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
on trans-Tasman routes. Pacific Blue also operates services on behalf of the Polynesian Blue
Polynesian Blue
Polynesian Blue is a Virgin Blue Holdings airline that flies between Samoa, Australia and New Zealand. It is 49% owned by the Samoan government,...
joint-venture with the government of Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
. Pacific Blue will also come under the Virgin Australia name, livery and operated by Virgin Australia later this year (part of the re-branding)..
In early 2006, Virgin Blue's parent company announced its intention to operate up to seven flights a week to the United States using either Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
or San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport
San Francisco International Airport is a major international airport located south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States, near the cities of Millbrae and San Bruno in unincorporated San Mateo County. It is often referred to as SFO...
, saying that the route was needed to make the airline as profitable as possible. On 25 July 2007, it was announced that "V Australia
V Australia
Virgin Australia International Airlines Pty Ltd, trading as V Australia, is a long haul international airline owned by Virgin Blue Holdings. It operates as an international feeder for Virgin Australia...
" would be the name of the new carrier.
Marketing and sponsorship
Since its inception, Virgin Blue had sponsored many sporting teams in a bid to promote its brand.
In February 2007, Virgin Blue signed a two-year sponsorship deal with NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
team the South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
. The Rabbitohs are the first rugby league team Virgin Australia has sponsored. Boeing 737–800 VH-VUA has slight changes to its livery to commemorate this sponsorship. The Australian flag held by the "Virgin Girl" is replaced by the Rabbitohs' flag. Virgin Australia is also the official sponsor of the National Basketball League
National Basketball League (Australasia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
(NBL), and the title sponsor of NBL team the Brisbane Bullets
Brisbane Bullets
The Brisbane Bullets were, until 2008, a professional basketball team competing in Australia's National Basketball League. The Bullets were one of only two teams that survived since the NBL's inception in 1979; the only surviving team is now the Wollongong Hawks. The team played in Midnight Navy...
.
In November 2010, the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL) decided not to renew its marketing contract with Qantas, instead choosing Virgin Blue for a deal worth A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
5–8 million.
Virgin Blue gained extra revenue (and publicity) by painting two aircraft as "flying billboard
Billboard
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s". One promoted a brand of men's razor, the other a Queensland Government
Government of Queensland
The Government of Queensland is commonly known as the "Queensland Government".The form of the Government of Queensland is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1859, although it has been amended many times since then...
campaign to attract businesses to the state
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. Both aircraft have since been withdrawn from the Virgin Blue fleet.
In 2007 Virgin Blue introduced an advertising campaign with the slogan "Get What You Want". The television commercials used in the campaign featured a song of the same name by Queensland band Operator Please
Operator Please
Operator Please are an Australian pop band, originating on the Gold Coast of Queensland, in 2005. Their current lineup consists of vocalist and guitarist Amandah Wilkinson, drummer Tim Commandeur, keyboardist Chris Holland, Ashley McConnell on bass guitar, and violinist Taylor Henderson.The...
. In 2009, Virgin Blue introduced an all new advertising campaign entitled "Now there's an idea". TV Commercials showing comparisons between flying in Australia in 1999 as opposed to 2009 were screened, to the tune a song by The Cat Empire
The Cat Empire
The Cat Empire are an Australian ska and jazz band formed in 1999. Core members are Harry James Angus , Will Hull-Brown , Jamshid "Jumps" Khadiwhala , Ollie McGill , Ryan Monro and Felix Riebl...
. New billboard advertising was launched, showcasing Virgin Blue's variety of products and on-time performance records. In 2011, with the airline's rebranding as Virgin Australia, the airline's slogan was changed to "Now you're flying".
Awards
Virgin Blue Airlines has won a number of awards since its inception. The airline and certain of its employees won five 2009 Service Excellence Awards of the Customer Service Institute of Australia. Since being named as Best Low-Cost Airline in the Asia/Pacific region in the SkytraxSkytrax
Skytrax is a United Kingdom-based consultancy, the public face of Inflight Research Services, which has the largest airline and airport review and ranking site. It conducts research for commercial airlines...
2002 Airline of the Year Survey, the airline has also been voted best airline in a number of different categories and by a number of different organisations.
The airline's Frequent Flyer program Velocity Rewards won the 2009 Freddie Awards
Freddie Awards
The Freddie Awards, named after Sir Freddie Laker in honor of his accomplishments in marketing travel during the 1970s, is the "oldest and most prominent" recognition award for frequent traveler reward programs....
, the largest award in the travel industry, for Best Frequent Flyer Program, Best Award Redemption, Best Affinity Credit Card, Best Member Communications, Best Website. This was the fourth consecutive Freddie Awards that Velocity has won.
Fleet
As of October 2011 the Virgin Australia fleet consists of the following aircraft:| Aircraft | In Fleet | Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | W | Y | Total | |||||
| Airbus A330-200 Airbus A330 The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo.... |
||||||||
| Boeing 737–700 Boeing 737 Next Generation The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners... |
||||||||
| Boeing 737–800 Boeing 737 Next Generation The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners... |
||||||||
| Boeing 777-300ER Boeing 777 The Boeing 777 is a long-range, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It is the world's largest twinjet and is commonly referred to as the "Triple Seven". The aircraft has seating for over 300 passengers and has a range from , depending on model... |
||||||||
| Embraer E-170 Embraer E-Jets The Embraer E-Jets are a series of narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range, jet airliners produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft. Announced at the Paris Air Show in 1999, and entering production in 2002, the aircraft series... |
1 | To be phased out in 2011/2012. | ||||||
| Embraer E-190 Embraer E-Jets The Embraer E-Jets are a series of narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range, jet airliners produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft. Announced at the Paris Air Show in 1999, and entering production in 2002, the aircraft series... |
18 | |||||||
| Total | 91 | |||||||
Initially Virgin Blue leased its aircraft but many recent additions to the fleet have been purchased outright. Virgin Blue-owned Boeing 737s are indicated by the Boeing customer code FE in the model suffix.
In November 2006, Virgin Blue announced plans to purchase 11 Embraer E190
Embraer E-Jets
The Embraer E-Jets are a series of narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range, jet airliners produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft. Announced at the Paris Air Show in 1999, and entering production in 2002, the aircraft series...
and three Embraer E170
Embraer E-Jets
The Embraer E-Jets are a series of narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range, jet airliners produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft. Announced at the Paris Air Show in 1999, and entering production in 2002, the aircraft series...
aircraft with options for six more E-jets. These later became orders for an additional three E170s and three E190s. In February 2008 a further four E190s were ordered, leaving six options and ten purchase rights.
Virgin Blue received its first Embraer 170
Embraer E-Jets
The Embraer E-Jets are a series of narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range, jet airliners produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft. Announced at the Paris Air Show in 1999, and entering production in 2002, the aircraft series...
in early September 2007 at a special ceremony at the Embraer
Embraer
Embraer S.A. is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and executive aircraft and provides aeronautical services....
plant in Sao Jose dos Campos. The ERJ-170s introduced a revised logo on their tails, bringing the Virgin Blue brand into line with the logos of other Virgin-branded companies.
Virgin Atlantic Airways
Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited is a British airline owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and Singapore Airlines...
, Virgin Blue gives the aircraft in its fleet names, often incorporating female names and words connected with Australian cities and localities or other quintessentially Australian themes. Names on Virgin Blue aircraft include 'Brissie Lizzie' ("Brissie" being an Australian slang name for Brisbane, and "Lizzie" being slang for Elizabeth), 'Sassy Sydney' (Sydney is a female name as well as the name of Australia's largest city), 'Prue Blue' (incorporating the name Prudence and also a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
on the Australian phrase "true blue", meaning "patriotic"), 'Tassie Tigress' (incorporating both the slang name for Tasmania and the common name for the Thylacine
Thylacine
The thylacine or ,also ;binomial name: Thylacinus cynocephalus, Greek for "dog-headed pouched one") was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger or the Tasmanian wolf...
) and 'Mackay-be Diva' (a pun on the city of Mackay, Queensland
Mackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
and Makybe Diva
Makybe Diva
Makybe Diva is a British-bred, Australian-trained Thoroughbred who became the first racehorse to win the famed Melbourne Cup on three occasions: 2003, 2004, and 2005. In 2005, she also won the Cox Plate. Makybe Diva is the highest stakes-earner in Australasian horse racing history, with winnings...
, a famous Australian racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
). Each aircraft in the Virgin Blue livery (some are painted in Pacific Blue livery for cross-promotional reasons) also features a "virgin girl" as nose art, complete with a wide-brimmed Aussie hat, trailing an Australian flag
Flag of Australia
The flag of Australia is a defaced Blue Ensign: a blue field with the Union Flag in the canton , and a large white seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter...
.
On 24 October 2007, Virgin Blue announced the introduction of Premium Economy on all domestic flights. As the E-jets already have four-abreast seating, the number of seats on these aircraft remained unchanged after the rollout of Premium Economy.
An agreement was signed with Boeing on 1 April 2010 for an order of fifty firm Boeing 737–800 aircraft, with flexibility to convert to either Boeing 737–700 or Boeing 737-900ER, as well as 25 additional options and 30 future purchase rights. Delivery is scheduled from June 2011 through to 2017. The new aircraft are expected to replace some of Virgin Blue’s existing narrow body fleet, while the remainder will be deployed to new routes and boost frequency according to demand.
2011 regional expansion
On 10 January 2011, Virgin Blue entered a 10 year strategic alliance with Perth-based Skywest AirlinesSkywest Airlines
Skywest Airlines Pty Ltd is a regional airline company based in Perth, Western Australia, Australia; servicing key towns in the state of Western Australia, Darwin, Northern Territory and Melbourne, Victoria; as well as charter flights to Bali, Indonesia....
, to operate up to 18 new Virgin-branded turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
aircraft from mid-2011. On 23 February, it was announced that the aircraft would be ATR-72s, to enter service beginning in May 2011; they would allow Virgin Blue to both replace its fleet of Embraer E170s and introduce new regional routes. The turboprops will be operated by Skywest Airlines under a wet lease agreement. The May in-service date was not met, and in late July the first announcement was made concerning routes to be served. It was reported that the ATR-72s would be initially employed on services between Brisbane and Gladstone, Queensland
Gladstone, Queensland
- Education :Gladstone has several primary schools, three high schools, and one university campus, Central Queensland University. It is also home to CQIT Gladstone Campus.- Recreation :...
; from Brisbane and Sydney to Port Macquarie in New South Wales; and on additional services between Sydney and Canberra.
Food and beverages
Virgin Australia offers Business Class passengers a "sophisticated" gourmet menu created by Australian chef Luke Mangan. For lunch and dinner this includes a full three course meal prepared on board by the crew.The food menu is accompanied by a premium range of Australian wines, beers and spirits and non-alcoholic beverages, including barista style coffee.
Economy Class depending on the fare purchased, offers an all inclusive meal for Flexi fare passengers. Alternately, for Saver Fare passengers, a buy on board
Buy on board
In commercial flight, buy on board is a system where food or beverages are paid for on board; often food or beverages are not included in the ticket price for certain fare classes....
service with food and drinks available for purchase is offered from a separate menu by Luke Mangan which includes a gourmet range of snacks, meals and beverages. The menu is available on all flights and on selected flights passengers also have access to hot snacks, hot meals and speciality products such as gourmet ice cream. The airline also serves snacks and drinks, free of charge, including beer and wine after 4pm on Capital Connect services. These services include flights between Canberra to Sydney and Melbourne.
Live2Air
In December 2006, Virgin Blue announced a partnership between Australian cable television providers FoxtelFoxtel
Foxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation....
and Austar
Austar
Austar is an Australian telecommunications company. Its main business activity is Subscription Television but it is also involved with internet access and mobile phones...
, to introduce a "Live2Air" service on most flights by mid 2007. The Live2Air system is only available on some Boeing 737 aircraft.
Reservation system
Virgin Australia's reservation system is managed by Navitaire.The reservation suffered a system crash on the weekend of 26 September 2010 disrupting passenger arrival and departure services nationally.
Virgin Australia lounge
To capture a share of the business traveller market, Virgin decided to provide a members' loungeAirport lounge
An airport lounge is a lounge owned by a particular airline . Many offer private meeting rooms, phone, fax, wireless and Internet access and other business services, along with provisions to enhance comfort such as free drinks and snacks...
facility for travellers. Originally this was called The Blue Room and provided facilities to members and guests on a pay-as-you-go basis. Many of these facilities became available when Virgin relocated into the former Ansett
Ansett Australia
Ansett Australia, Ansett, Ansett Airlines of Australia, or ANSETT-ANA as it was commonly known in earlier years, was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne. The airlines flew domestically within Australia and to destinations in Asia during its operation in 1996...
terminals across the country, with the defunct Golden Wing club lounges left behind being utilised as Blue Room lounges, complete with furnishings.
Buffet
A buffet is a system of serving meals in which food is placed in a public area where the diners generally serve themselves. Buffets are offered at various places including hotels and many social events...
food and refreshments, newspapers, showers, computers, and WiFi
WIFI
WIFI is a radio station broadcasting a brokered format. Licensed to Florence, New Jersey, USA, the station is currently operated by Florence Broadcasting Partners, LLC.This station was previously owned by Real Life Broadcasting...
internet access for travellers.
In May 2011, Virgin again renamed the lounge simply referring to it as Virgin Australia lounge.
Locations
- BrisbaneBrisbane Airport, QueenslandBrisbane Airport is a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Brisbane Airport is located approximately north-east from the Brisbane central business district. The majority of the land is occupied by the Brisbane Airport...
– Virgin Australia Domestic Terminal, opposite Gate 41. (Refurbished and reopened July 2011.) - Sydney – Terminal 2, To the right of security or via escalator from the food court on the concourse level. (Refurbishment is planned in mid 2011)
- Melbourne – Terminal 3, Down check-in escalators to the left of security check point.
- Adelaide – Domestic Terminal, Departures Level, opposite Gate 18.
- CanberraCanberra International AirportCanberra International Airport , now trading as Canberra Airport, is the airport serving Australia's capital city, Canberra, and the city of Queanbeyan, NSW. Located at the eastern edge of North Canberra, it is the 8th busiest airport in Australia. The airport is the main hub for Brindabella Airlines...
– Virgin Australia Domestic Terminal, Level 1 – Departures. - PerthPerth AirportPerth Airport is an Australian domestic and international airport serving Perth, the capital and largest city of Western Australia. The airport itself is located in the suburb of Perth Airport....
– Virgin Australia Domestic Terminal, Ground floor (Terminal 3) - Gold CoastGold Coast AirportGold Coast Airport, or Coolangatta Airport, is an Australian domestic and international airport on the Gold Coast and is located some south of Brisbane and 25 km south of Surfers Paradise. The entrance to the airport is situated in the suburb of Bilinga on the Gold Coast...
– Planned opening by end of 2011 - MackayMackay AirportMackay Airport located in Mackay, Queensland, Australia is a major Australian regional airport that services the city of Mackay, with flights to the cities of Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns...
– Planned opening by end of 2011
Velocity Frequent Flyer
The then Virgin Blue launched its frequent-flyer program Velocity Rewards in 2005, with partner National Australia BankNational Australia Bank
National Australia Bank is one of the four largest financial institutions in Australia in terms of market capitalisation and customers. NAB is ranked 17th largest bank in the world measured by market capitalisation...
offering a companion credit card. By 2007, points collected from selected Westpac
Westpac
Westpac , is a multinational financial services, one of the Australian "big four" banks and the second-largest bank in New Zealand....
, American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
and Diners Club
Diners Club
Diners Club International, founded as Diners Club, is a charge card company formed in 1950 by Frank X. McNamara, Ralph Schneider and Matty Simmons...
Cards could be transferred to Velocity Rewards, and effective September 2008, ANZ Reward Visa Card points as well.
Initially, Velocity was different from most other frequent flyer programs in two ways. First, points were earned relative to the cost of a flight, rather than the length. Velocity members originally earned 6 points per dollar spent on Virgin Blue flights. This was later altered due to the introduction of status levels; Red members now earned 5 points per dollar, Silver members remained at 6 points, and Gold members earned 7. Points on Virgin Blue's long-haul carrier V Australia
V Australia
Virgin Australia International Airlines Pty Ltd, trading as V Australia, is a long haul international airline owned by Virgin Blue Holdings. It operates as an international feeder for Virgin Australia...
, as well as the majority of Velocity's airline partners have always been earned per mile.
Second, Velocity was the first frequent flyer program in Australia to offer "any seat, any time" reward flight availability. The amount of points required to redeem an award seat directly corresponds to the current fare of that seat, allowing any seat currently available to be redeemed. Rival Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
introduced a similar feature to their frequent flyer program in May 2008.
Status levels were introduced to the program in late 2007 as part of continued efforts to attract business travelers. Alongside the entry-level "Red" status, frequent travelers were given the opportunity to attain "Silver" and "Gold" status, each with its own set of benefits.
In August 2011, the program was relaunched as "Velocity Frequent Flyer" and a Platinum status level was introduced among other changes.
As of February 2008, Velocity Rewards had 1.3 million members and Virgin Blue stated it was considering selling it or entering into a joint venture once its operation was profitable, and considered a membership of 1.6 to 1.7 million members would put the operation in a break-even position.
Controversies
- In 2003 a man with a disability and having incomplete quadriplegiaQuadriplegiaTetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is paralysis caused by illness or injury to a human that results in the partial or total loss of use of all their limbs and torso; paraplegia is similar but does not affect the arms...
was removed from a Virgin Blue flight because staff thought he was drunk or a terrorist. He subsequently settled a lawsuit against the airline.
- In October 2005 the airline lost a discrimination case over the age of flight attendants they employed. Eight former flight attendants aged over 34 previously employed by the collapsed Ansett AustraliaAnsett AustraliaAnsett Australia, Ansett, Ansett Airlines of Australia, or ANSETT-ANA as it was commonly known in earlier years, was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne. The airlines flew domestically within Australia and to destinations in Asia during its operation in 1996...
had applied for employment with Virgin Blue but none had gained work. They claimed they were discriminated against because of their age and won compensation in March 2006. The airline's appeal against this decision failed and the company was ordered to pay costs.
- In May 2006 a controversy arose over Virgin Blue's policy with regard to passengers with disabilities. Former Chief Executive Brett Godfrey affirmed the policy of the company that passengers who were "unable to look after themselves on board should travel with carers". After a hearing in the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity CommissionHuman Rights and Equal Opportunity CommissionThe Australian Human Rights Commission is a national human rights institution, a statutory body funded by, but operating independently of, the Australian Government. It has the responsibility for investigating alleged infringements under Australia’s anti-discrimination legislation...
, Virgin Blue backed down from this policy, agreeing to limit it to passengers weighing over 130 kg. However the chair of the ACT Disability Advisory Council, Craig Wallace, who uses a wheelchair, was refused passage on a Virgin Blue flight booked for 8 October 2006. In a media release on 29 September, ACTDAC claimed that "Virgin Blue has also refused to refund $418 in fares from the flight for Mr Wallace or Council staff. Ironically, they have listed these fares as a ‘credit’ – a credit Mr Wallace or other people in his situation are prohibited from accessing by Virgin’s own policy".
- In January 2007 Virgin Blue attracted controversy when its staff at Adelaide Airport ordered a passenger to remove a T-shirt bearing the slogan World's Number One Terrorist above an image of George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. The wearer, Allen Jasson from London, was informed that the garment was potentially offensive. Jasson had also experienced difficulty on earlier flights with Qantas. A spokeswoman for Virgin Blue defended the decision.
- In November 2009 Virgin Blue's Velocity Rewards Programme incorrectly emailed over 1 million members advising them they had been upgraded to Gold Status for free. The airline later retracted the offer with a subsequent email advising Friday the 13th Strikes.
- In January 2011 the airline was fined $110,000 after breaking anti-spammingE-mail spamEmail spam, also known as junk email or unsolicited bulk email , is a subset of spam that involves nearly identical messages sent to numerous recipients by email. Definitions of spam usually include the aspects that email is unsolicited and sent in bulk. One subset of UBE is UCE...
regulations. Consumers complained they were unable to unsubscribe from the airline's mailing list. The Australian Communications and Media Authority said the airline would:"Engage an independent third party to thoroughly assess its email marketing processes and to implement any recommended changes."
Footnotes
Notes1. Virgin Australia has a written agreement with Virgin Atlantic for Virgin Blue to use the "Virgin" callsign domestically in Australia. Outside Australia it cannot be used, so separate brands like Pacific Blue (callsign Bluebird for Pacific Blue NZ or Bluey for Pacific Blue International services operated by Virgin Australia) and joint venture Polynesian Blue have been created.
References