Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Virgin Blue shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Virgin Blue offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Virgin Blue at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Virgin Blue? Wrong! If the Virgin Blue is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Virgin Blue then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Virgin Blue? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Virgin Blue and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Virgin Blue wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Virgin Blue then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Virgin Blue site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Virgin Blue, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Virgin Blue, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
For the company that owns Virgin Blue see Virgin Blue Holdings Limited.
{{Infobox Airline| airline = Virgin Blue| logo = virgin_blue_new_logo.jpg| logo_size = 200px| fleet_size = 53 (26 orders)| destinations = 22| IATA = DJ| ICAO = VOZ| callsign = VIRGIN | parent = Virgin Blue Holdings Limited| headquarters = [Brisbane,
Queensland, Australia ([President)
Brett Godfrey (
CEO)]
Melbourne AirportKingsford Smith International Airport (Sydney)]| frequent_flyer =
Velocity Rewards
(formerly Blue Room)| alliance =| subsidiaries =| website = http://www.virginblue.com.au-->
Virgin Blue Airlines Pty Ltd is an [Australian low-cost carrier and Australia's second-biggest
airline. It was founded by the United Kingdom businessman Richard Branson
Virgin Group and is now majority controlled by
Toll Holdings. It is based in
Brisbane, Queensland, and is currently the third most profitable low-cost airline in the world, behind Brazil's
Gol Transportes Aéreos, and
Ryanair.http://www.crikey.com.au/Business/20070821-Virgin-Blue-the-third-most-profitable-airline-in-the-world.html
History
Virgin Blue was launched on 3 August
2000, with two aircraft initially offering 7 return flights a day between Brisbane and Sydney. This has been expanded to cover all major Australian cities and many holiday destinations.
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 Blue to grow rapidly to become Australia's second domestic carrier, rather than just a cut-price alternative to the established players. It also gave them access to terminal space without which growth would have been significantly limited. Delays in negotiating access to the former Ansett terminal at Kingsford Smith International Airport however forced Virgin Blue to initially use a temporary terminal there.
image:Virgin_Blue_737.jpgVirgin Group's holding in Virgin Blue has since been reduced, initially via a sale of a half interest to Australian logistics conglomerate
Patrick Corporation, and later by a public IPO. 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.
Virgin Blue uses 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 has also cut costs by limiting the number of airports serviced and by operating one type of aircraft, the
Boeing 737.
In September 2003, Virgin Blue announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Pacific Blue (airline), would offer a similar cheaper service between New Zealand and mainland Australia. Pacific Blue aims to position itself as a low-cost competitor to
Air New Zealand and Qantas on trans-Tasman routes. Air New Zealand have also created a low-cost airline Freedom Air and Qantas deployed Jetstar on selected NZ routes. Both Qantas (through Qantas and also its wholly owned NZ subsidiary Jetconnect operating as a Qantas branded franchise) and Air NZ continue to operate these routes in their own right.
image:Boeing 737-800 Virgin Blue MEL.JPG-800 at Melbourne
Qantas responded to Virgin Blue's lower cost base by creating a new low-cost domestic carrier, Jetstar Airways in 2004. In May 2005 Jetstar announced that it would also commence services to Christchurch, New Zealand and in 2006 many other overseas destinations.
Like other brands in the Virgin family, Virgin Blue takes an informal and humorous approach to business. On one flight, Richard Branson held a toilet paper race down the aisle of a Virgin Blue plane. Its inflight food menu is named A La Cart (a parody of the manner that food is served using a cart). However, this attitude has been reviewed, due to the airline's recent focus on corporate customers.
From its inception in 2000, Virgin Blue did not have interline or marketing alliances with any other airline. The first exception to this was after the collapse of its domestic competitor Ansett where it began a codeshare agreement with
United Airlines, which allowed United customers to fly from America to any of Virgin Blue's Australian destinations that United did not already serve. In 2006, in an effort to be more competitive with arch rival Qantas, Virgin Blue started exploring these relationships, forming frequent flyer agreements with
Emirates,
Hawaiian Airlines and Malaysia Airlines. Virgin Blue also has an Airline Agreement with Regional Express for Regional Travelers.
Virgin Blue's name was the result of an open competition; it is a play on the predominantly red livery and the Australian words#Terms for people tradition of calling a
red hair male 'Blue' or 'Bluey'. Virgin Press Release, 5 February 2000
New international services
For full article see V AustraliaIn early
2006 Virgin Blue announced its intention to operate up to 7 flights a week to the US using either
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) or
San Francisco International Airport (SFO), saying that the route was needed to make the airline as profitable as possible. The airline has also expressed interest in flying to
Japan.
They were granted approval for up to 10 flights a week from Australian regulatory bodies on
July 25,
2007. They are still waiting on approval from the United States authorities.
Virgin Blue has acquired six Boeing 777 aircraft from Boeing for use on international routes. Virgin Blue Orders Boeing 777 Aircraft (Reuters: February 19, 2007) They will lease a seventh aircraft from ILFC.
Naming competition
The name of Virgin Blue's international airline was decided in the same way that Virgin Blue's own name was found, with a public naming competition conducted in early June 2007.
On
25 June,
2007, Virgin Blue released the 8 finalists of the naming competition. They are as follows:
- Matilda Blue
- V Australia Airlines
- Australia Blue
- Virgin Pacific
- Amelia Blue
- Didgeree Blue
- Liberty Blue
- Virgin Australia
Australia Blue and Virgin Pacific were early favourites to win the competition, despite a problem with the latter, as Singapore Airlines (through their stake in
Virgin Atlantic) have control over the use of the 'Virgin' name on International air routes, and have not, in the past, allowed its use (see
Pacific Blue.)
On
July 25,
2007, it was announced by Virgin Blue that "
V Australia" will be the name of the new carrier.
Services are scheduled to begin in the second half of
2008.
Fleet
The Virgin Blue fleet consists of the following aircraft as of September
2007{]|22|144||-|
Boeing 737-800|1
(5 orders)|78|Entry into service: 2007|-|[Embraer 190 by exercising purchase rights it held. Delivery of the aircraft is scheduled to begin in 2008 .
In November 2006, Virgin Blue announced plans to purchase 11 [Embraer 190 and three Embraer 170 aircraft with options for six more E-Jets, which later became orders for 3 Embraer 170s and 3 Embraer 190s. Virgin Blue Orders Embraer E-Jet Aircraft (The Australian: November 2, 2006) These options are now exercised taking the total firm orders to 14 X E-190 and 6 x E170. Virgin Blue also holds another 3 options and 17 purchase rights on E-jets and have announced their intentions to possibly take the total fleets size to 40 E-jets if they perform to expectations.
In January 2007, German newspaper Börsen Zeitung Virgin Blue Planning US Flights (Reuters: January 17, 2007) told of information that Virgin Blue is in the final stages of buying a brand new fleet of long distance Airbus or Boeing aircraft. This is to start new routes between Australia and long haul destinations in response to Jetstar Airways recently starting long distance international routes. On
February 19, 2007 Virgin Blue announced it had exercised the options for the additional Embraer E-Jets. In March 2007 Virgin Blue announced it would purchase six
Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and lease a seventh, to be used on long-haul routes to the United States. Virgin Blue Orders Boeing 777-300ER Aircraft For New Long-Haul Flights (Reuters:
February 19,
2007)
Like "big brother" Virgin Atlantic Airways, Virgin Blue gives its planes imaginative and amusing names. Each aircraft also features a "virgin girl" as nose art, complete with a wide-brimmed Aussie hat, trailing an
Flag of Australia.
Blue received its first Embraer E-Jets in early September 2007 at a special ceremony at the Embraer plant in Sao Jose dos Campos." Virgin Blue takes delivery of its first Embraer E-170 airliner" Flight Global, 04/09/07
Incidents and accidents
In December 2005 a
Virgin Blue Boeing 737-700 was flying from Townsville to Brisbane when a cockpit window smashed. The plane made an emergency landing at Brisbane Airport. Due to the rapid descent some passengers suffered ear discomfort and other minor injuries.
In August 2007 a
Virgin Blue Boeing 737 was flying from Brisbane to Hamilton Island when an engine was stopped. The plane made an emergency landing at Rockhampton Airport. It was a safe landing and no injuries were recorded. Media Release ATSB (
December 5, 2005)
The Lounge
To capture a share of the business traveller market, Virgin Blue decided to provide a
Airport lounge facility for travellers. Originally this was called
The Blue Room and provided facilities to members and guests on a pay-as-you-go basis.
In 2006, Virgin Blue revamped the lounge facilities and renamed it
The Lounge, which offers all-inclusive facilities for a membership fee or casual fee basis. Facilities that are provided include buffet food and refreshments, newspapers, computers, and WiFi internet access for travellers.
Currently they are located at
Brisbane,
Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra airports.
Live2Air
In December 2006, Virgin Blue announced a partnership between Australian cable television providers
Foxtel and
Austar, to introduce a "Live2Air" service on all flights by mid 2007. Approximately half the fleet had been fitted with Live2Air facilities by March 2007.
Virgin Blue was the first carrier outside North America to introduce multi-channel real-time satellite TV to its flights.
The Live2Air service costs customers $5 per flight sector during an 'introductory period'. Following the 'introductory period', the service will cost $5 on flights under 2 hours and $10 on flights over 2 hours. The only payment method is via an in-seat credit card swipe facility. Debit cards cannot be used.
Live2Air is available free to unaccompanied minors, provided a parent's written permissionis supplied.
Sponsorship and marketing
On 8 February 2007, it was announced that Virgin Blue had signed a two year sponsorship deal with National Rugby League team
South Sydney Rabbitohs. The Rabbitohs are the first rugby league team Virgin Blue has sponsored.http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news07/82-SydneyRabbitohs.shtml Boeing 737-800 VH-VUA has slight changes to its livery to commerorate this sponsorship. The Australian flag held by the 'Virgin Girl' replaced with the Rabbitohs flag.
For the 2007 Super 14 season Virgin Blue is the sleeve sponsor for Queensland Reds.
Virgin Blue is also the official sponsor of the (Australian) National Basketball League (NBL), and the title sponsor of NBL team the
Brisbane Bullets. http://www.bullets.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=66851
Controversy
- In 2003 A man with a disability and having incomplete quadriplegia was removed from a Virgin Blue flight because staff thought he was drunk or a terrorist. He subsequently settled a lawsuit against the airline.http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-105678115.html
- 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. Bush. The wearer, Allen Jasson of London, was informed that the garment was potentially offensive. Jasson had also experienced difficulty on earlier flights with Qantas#Controversy. A spokeswoman for Virgin Blue defended the decision.
- In April 2007 the airline lost a discrimination case appeal, over the age of flight attendants they employed. Eight former flight attendants from another airline had applied for employment with Virgin Blue but none had gained work, claiming that age was a factor in the case. They won compensation for this discrimination in March 2006, however the airline appealed against this decision, a move which failed and the company was ordered to pay costs.http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Virgin-Blue-loses-discrimination-appeal/2007/04/05/1175366394741.html Tribunal member Douglas Savage found that the assessors were biased against older women, and that the company had failed to offer a reasonable explanation for why no one over 36 was employed as cabin crew during the airline's recruitment drive between 2001 and 2002
- In May 2006 a controversy arose over Virgin Blue's policy with regard to passengers with disabilities. 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". The Age, Virgin Blue defends wheelchair policy After a hearing in the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, 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 .http://au.biz.yahoo.com/060929/31/wrmu.html 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".
Services
Associated carriers
- Pacific Blue (airline) - Operates trans-Tasman services and also services the Pacific Islands.
- Polynesian Blue - a joint venture between Virgin Blue and The Samoan Government, Polynesian Blue operates direct flights Apia - Sydney - Apia and Apia - Auckland - Apia with many other connections to other cities.
Notes
1. Virgin Blue has a written agreement with Virgin Atlantic for Virgin Blue to use the 'Virgin' callsign domestically in Australia. Outside of Australia it cannot be used, hence why separate brands like Pacific Blue (Callsign, Bluebird) have been formed.
References
External links
- Virgin Blue
- Virgin Blue Fleet Detail
- Airliners.net Virgin Blue Photos
For the company that owns Virgin Blue see Virgin Blue Holdings Limited.
{{Infobox Airline| airline = Virgin Blue| logo = virgin_blue_new_logo.jpg| logo_size = 200px| fleet_size = 53 (26 orders)| destinations = 22| IATA = DJ| ICAO = VOZ| callsign = VIRGIN | parent =
Virgin Blue Holdings Limited| headquarters = [Brisbane,
Queensland, Australia ([President)
Brett Godfrey (CEO)]
Melbourne Airport
Kingsford Smith International Airport (
Sydney)]| frequent_flyer =
Velocity Rewards
(formerly Blue Room)| alliance =| subsidiaries =| website = http://www.virginblue.com.au-->
Virgin Blue Airlines Pty Ltd is an [Australian low-cost carrier and Australia's second-biggest airline. It was founded by the
United Kingdom businessman Richard Branson
Virgin Group and is now majority controlled by Toll Holdings. It is based in Brisbane,
Queensland, and is currently the third most profitable low-cost airline in the world, behind Brazil's Gol Transportes Aéreos, and
Ryanair.http://www.crikey.com.au/Business/20070821-Virgin-Blue-the-third-most-profitable-airline-in-the-world.html
History
Virgin Blue was launched on
3 August 2000, with two aircraft initially offering 7 return flights a day between Brisbane and Sydney. This has been expanded to cover all major Australian cities and many holiday destinations.
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 Blue to grow rapidly to become Australia's second domestic carrier, rather than just a cut-price alternative to the established players. It also gave them access to terminal space without which growth would have been significantly limited. Delays in negotiating access to the former Ansett terminal at
Kingsford Smith International Airport however forced Virgin Blue to initially use a temporary terminal there.
image:Virgin_Blue_737.jpg
Virgin Group's holding in Virgin Blue has since been reduced, initially via a sale of a half interest to Australian logistics conglomerate
Patrick Corporation, and later by a public IPO. 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.
Virgin Blue uses 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 has also cut costs by limiting the number of airports serviced and by operating one type of aircraft, the
Boeing 737.
In September 2003, Virgin Blue announced that its wholly owned subsidiary,
Pacific Blue (airline), would offer a similar cheaper service between
New Zealand and mainland
Australia. Pacific Blue aims to position itself as a low-cost competitor to Air New Zealand and
Qantas on trans-Tasman routes. Air New Zealand have also created a low-cost airline
Freedom Air and Qantas deployed Jetstar on selected NZ routes. Both Qantas (through Qantas and also its wholly owned NZ subsidiary Jetconnect operating as a Qantas branded franchise) and Air NZ continue to operate these routes in their own right.
image:Boeing 737-800 Virgin Blue MEL.JPG-800 at Melbourne
Qantas responded to Virgin Blue's lower cost base by creating a new low-cost domestic carrier,
Jetstar Airways in 2004. In May 2005 Jetstar announced that it would also commence services to Christchurch, New Zealand and in 2006 many other overseas destinations.
Like other brands in the Virgin family, Virgin Blue takes an informal and humorous approach to business. On one flight, Richard Branson held a toilet paper race down the aisle of a Virgin Blue plane. Its inflight food menu is named A La Cart (a parody of the manner that food is served using a cart). However, this attitude has been reviewed, due to the airline's recent focus on corporate customers.
From its inception in 2000, Virgin Blue did not have interline or marketing alliances with any other airline. The first exception to this was after the collapse of its domestic competitor Ansett where it began a codeshare agreement with United Airlines, which allowed United customers to fly from America to any of Virgin Blue's Australian destinations that United did not already serve. In 2006, in an effort to be more competitive with arch rival Qantas, Virgin Blue started exploring these relationships, forming frequent flyer agreements with
Emirates,
Hawaiian Airlines and Malaysia Airlines. Virgin Blue also has an Airline Agreement with Regional Express for Regional Travelers.
Virgin Blue's name was the result of an open competition; it is a play on the predominantly red livery and the
Australian words#Terms for people tradition of calling a red hair male 'Blue' or 'Bluey'. Virgin Press Release, 5 February 2000
New international services
For full article see V AustraliaIn early 2006 Virgin Blue announced its intention to operate up to 7 flights a week to the US using either Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) or
San Francisco International Airport (SFO), saying that the route was needed to make the airline as profitable as possible. The airline has also expressed interest in flying to
Japan.
They were granted approval for up to 10 flights a week from Australian regulatory bodies on
July 25,
2007. They are still waiting on approval from the United States authorities.
Virgin Blue has acquired six Boeing 777 aircraft from Boeing for use on international routes. Virgin Blue Orders Boeing 777 Aircraft (Reuters: February 19, 2007) They will lease a seventh aircraft from
ILFC.
Naming competition
The name of Virgin Blue's international airline was decided in the same way that Virgin Blue's own name was found, with a public naming competition conducted in early June 2007.
On 25 June, 2007, Virgin Blue released the 8 finalists of the naming competition. They are as follows:
- Matilda Blue
- V Australia Airlines
- Australia Blue
- Virgin Pacific
- Amelia Blue
- Didgeree Blue
- Liberty Blue
- Virgin Australia
Australia Blue and Virgin Pacific were early favourites to win the competition, despite a problem with the latter, as Singapore Airlines (through their stake in
Virgin Atlantic) have control over the use of the 'Virgin' name on International air routes, and have not, in the past, allowed its use (see Pacific Blue.)
On July 25,
2007, it was announced by Virgin Blue that "
V Australia" will be the name of the new carrier.
Services are scheduled to begin in the second half of 2008.
Fleet
The Virgin Blue fleet consists of the following aircraft as of September
2007{]|22|144||-|
Boeing 737-800|1
(5 orders)|78|Entry into service: 2007|-|[Embraer 190 by exercising purchase rights it held. Delivery of the aircraft is scheduled to begin in 2008 .
In November 2006, Virgin Blue announced plans to purchase 11 [Embraer 190 and three
Embraer 170 aircraft with options for six more E-Jets, which later became orders for 3 Embraer 170s and 3 Embraer 190s. Virgin Blue Orders Embraer E-Jet Aircraft (The Australian: November 2, 2006) These options are now exercised taking the total firm orders to 14 X E-190 and 6 x E170. Virgin Blue also holds another 3 options and 17 purchase rights on E-jets and have announced their intentions to possibly take the total fleets size to 40 E-jets if they perform to expectations.
In January 2007, German newspaper Börsen Zeitung Virgin Blue Planning US Flights (Reuters: January 17, 2007) told of information that Virgin Blue is in the final stages of buying a brand new fleet of long distance Airbus or Boeing aircraft. This is to start new routes between Australia and long haul destinations in response to Jetstar Airways recently starting long distance international routes. On February 19, 2007 Virgin Blue announced it had exercised the options for the additional Embraer E-Jets. In March 2007 Virgin Blue announced it would purchase six
Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and lease a seventh, to be used on long-haul routes to the United States. Virgin Blue Orders Boeing 777-300ER Aircraft For New Long-Haul Flights (Reuters: February 19, 2007)
Like "big brother"
Virgin Atlantic Airways, Virgin Blue gives its planes imaginative and amusing names. Each aircraft also features a "virgin girl" as nose art, complete with a wide-brimmed Aussie hat, trailing an
Flag of Australia.
Blue received its first Embraer E-Jets in early September 2007 at a special ceremony at the
Embraer plant in Sao Jose dos Campos." Virgin Blue takes delivery of its first Embraer E-170 airliner" Flight Global, 04/09/07
Incidents and accidents
In December 2005 a Virgin Blue Boeing 737-700 was flying from
Townsville to
Brisbane when a cockpit window smashed. The plane made an emergency landing at
Brisbane Airport. Due to the rapid descent some passengers suffered ear discomfort and other minor injuries.
In August 2007 a
Virgin Blue Boeing 737 was flying from
Brisbane to
Hamilton Island when an engine was stopped. The plane made an emergency landing at Rockhampton Airport. It was a safe landing and no injuries were recorded. Media Release ATSB (December 5,
2005)
The Lounge
To capture a share of the business traveller market, Virgin Blue decided to provide a
Airport lounge facility for travellers. Originally this was called
The Blue Room and provided facilities to members and guests on a pay-as-you-go basis.
In 2006, Virgin Blue revamped the lounge facilities and renamed it
The Lounge, which offers all-inclusive facilities for a membership fee or casual fee basis. Facilities that are provided include buffet food and refreshments, newspapers, computers, and WiFi internet access for travellers.
Currently they are located at Brisbane,
Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and
Canberra airports.
Live2Air
In December 2006, Virgin Blue announced a partnership between Australian cable television providers Foxtel and Austar, to introduce a "Live2Air" service on all flights by mid 2007. Approximately half the fleet had been fitted with Live2Air facilities by March 2007.
Virgin Blue was the first carrier outside North America to introduce multi-channel real-time satellite TV to its flights.
The Live2Air service costs customers $5 per flight sector during an 'introductory period'. Following the 'introductory period', the service will cost $5 on flights under 2 hours and $10 on flights over 2 hours. The only payment method is via an in-seat credit card swipe facility. Debit cards cannot be used.
Live2Air is available free to unaccompanied minors, provided a parent's written permissionis supplied.
Sponsorship and marketing
On 8 February
2007, it was announced that Virgin Blue had signed a two year sponsorship deal with
National Rugby League team South Sydney Rabbitohs. The Rabbitohs are the first rugby league team Virgin Blue has sponsored.http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news07/82-SydneyRabbitohs.shtml Boeing 737-800 VH-VUA has slight changes to its livery to commerorate this sponsorship. The Australian flag held by the 'Virgin Girl' replaced with the Rabbitohs flag.
For the 2007 Super 14 season Virgin Blue is the sleeve sponsor for Queensland Reds.
Virgin Blue is also the official sponsor of the (Australian) National Basketball League (NBL), and the title sponsor of NBL team the
Brisbane Bullets. http://www.bullets.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=66851
Controversy
- In 2003 A man with a disability and having incomplete quadriplegia was removed from a Virgin Blue flight because staff thought he was drunk or a terrorist. He subsequently settled a lawsuit against the airline.http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-105678115.html
- 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. Bush. The wearer, Allen Jasson of London, was informed that the garment was potentially offensive. Jasson had also experienced difficulty on earlier flights with Qantas#Controversy. A spokeswoman for Virgin Blue defended the decision.
- In April 2007 the airline lost a discrimination case appeal, over the age of flight attendants they employed. Eight former flight attendants from another airline had applied for employment with Virgin Blue but none had gained work, claiming that age was a factor in the case. They won compensation for this discrimination in March 2006, however the airline appealed against this decision, a move which failed and the company was ordered to pay costs.http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Virgin-Blue-loses-discrimination-appeal/2007/04/05/1175366394741.html Tribunal member Douglas Savage found that the assessors were biased against older women, and that the company had failed to offer a reasonable explanation for why no one over 36 was employed as cabin crew during the airline's recruitment drive between 2001 and 2002
- In May 2006 a controversy arose over Virgin Blue's policy with regard to passengers with disabilities. 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". The Age, Virgin Blue defends wheelchair policy After a hearing in the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, 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 .http://au.biz.yahoo.com/060929/31/wrmu.html 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".
Services
Associated carriers
- Pacific Blue (airline) - Operates trans-Tasman services and also services the Pacific Islands.
- Polynesian Blue - a joint venture between Virgin Blue and The Samoan Government, Polynesian Blue operates direct flights Apia - Sydney - Apia and Apia - Auckland - Apia with many other connections to other cities.
Notes
1. Virgin Blue has a written agreement with Virgin Atlantic for Virgin Blue to use the 'Virgin' callsign domestically in Australia. Outside of Australia it cannot be used, hence why separate brands like Pacific Blue (Callsign, Bluebird) have been formed.
References
External links
- Virgin Blue
- Virgin Blue Fleet Detail
- Airliners.net Virgin Blue Photos
Virgin Blue Home
National low fare airline. Online bookings and schedules available.
Virgin Blue > Careers
People say that our culture is unique and we agree! We're happy to share our secrets though! More about our unique Virgin Blue culture and values
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Virgin Blue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Virgin Blue is an Australian low-cost airline, it is Australia's second-biggest airline [1] as well as the largest airline (by fleet size) with the Virgin branding.