http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/ Engadget Comments for The Engadget Interview: Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Group http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/And for the record to the best of my knowledge, AA has never filed any type of banruptcy protection.]]>Aug 9th 2007 1:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 1:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/
That's a disingenous comment. In EU, they keep subsidizing companies so they never reach bankrupcy. A prime example is the airline Alitalia, in which Italian government has finally had enough and is trying to rid itself of it. Unfortunately, with all the restrictions placed, no one wants. It should have been dead long ago.]]>Aug 9th 2007 1:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 2:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 4:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/
You may be confusing state owned airlines with subsidies. Again these are few and far between. We don't have Chapter 11 equivelents in the EU. If a business cannot raise capital through shareholders, banks or states at commerical rates then the company is in administration and ceases business until a buyer can be found. Is is legal for a state to own a percentate of a business and therefore an airline but rules still apply and many airlines have been found in breach of rules and had to pay back money they have received.

The American system is very different and the chapter 11 option does not allow new businesses to florish but keeps inept businesses alive. United and others should have died like PanAm some time back but the system keeps them alive. True it doesn't get state loans but it doesn't face market forces equally either. New airlines in the EU are florishing at the expense of the older larger ones. In the US there isn't enough small airlines competing at a national or international level to force United and others to sort themselves out.
]]>Aug 9th 2007 4:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/
You mean like the "launch subsidy" that Airbus receives?
]]>Aug 9th 2007 5:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 10th 2007 2:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 1:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/08/virgin-americas-inaugural-flight/

9:27AM: "I don't know who organized the weather today!" New York got nailed by some horrible weather this morning, and we're running about an hour late. Stephen Colbert, who the plane is named after and is supposed to be christening the plane this morning, is stuck in traffic, along with a few other main figures. We're going to carry on all the same. Sir Richard mentions how hard this has been to get off the ground, but it's finally happening. "It's time Americans get the airline they deserve, it's been much too long." Applause. ]]>Aug 9th 2007 1:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 2:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 2:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 2:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 2:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 2:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/
This is one of the major criticisms of the American Airline Industry. Down to its core it is very anti-competitive. It prevents many airlines that offer better and cheaper service to operate in the US. Of course the legacy carriers wouldn't have it any other way. If you ever get the chance, go to Europe and fly around on their regional airlines. It is a different world from what we experience here in the US.]]>Aug 9th 2007 2:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 2:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 2:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 7:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 2:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 2:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/
The EU model is different. No such restrictions on foreign ownership exists but the EU does have much much stricter competion rules to prevent monopolies, therefore an American business cannot buy a German, Polish, Spanish or British firm if the combined output of the American and European business would breach certain thresholds. Many US takeovers of EU firms have been stopped this way because competition would be affected.

United, for example, could not take over or merge with British Airways (the reverse could never happen because of old fashioned rules on ownership) unless the combined business gave up 50% of it's landing and take off slots. This would clearly make the deal unworthy.

The EU market is much more flexible and fluid than the American one which still enjoys state protection when businesses over a certain size fall into trouble.]]>Aug 9th 2007 5:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/
Man, I certainly hope you mean "AFFECTING".]]>Aug 9th 2007 2:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 4:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/
I can agree somewhat with his assessment of legacy airlines in the US. I mean, I used to fly on NWA weekly. What a joke that airline is. I feel for the crew and the employees as I'm sure they do the best they can with what they have but, man...Flying economy is just so demeaning these days. You really do feel poor when you fly economy. And then First Class is not even like it used to be. I remember only getting a free bag of nuts and pretzels when I used to fly First Class between DTW to BOS on NWA. The planes were obsolete and looked so freakin' used. Plus the cabin usually stank of old plane. Just not nice at all.

I wonder how much change VA will make to this industry in America. Did Jet Blue change the same industry here? No. Did Song change the industry here? No. It went belly up though. Did South West change things here? Maybe. Fares are lower now. Let's see if these old farts running the legacy airlines will at least put some sort of in-flight entertainment that won't cost an arm and a leg to view. I think that's about as far as the changes may go with the old airlines.]]>Aug 9th 2007 2:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/
I think Jet Blue did change the industry. I fly jetblue as often as possible and I HATE when I have to fly another airline (especially American). I for one hate this whole business, first class, first first class, ultimate first class seperation. Why not do what jet blue does? Treat everyone like first class. And in their case jet blue "coach" seats have better inflight entertainment that most of the other airlines first class.

As great as Song was Delta didn't give it the attention and time it deserved. Ironically the first time I flew Song, it was their last flight ever. New york to Miami.

Southwest is an incredible competitor in pricing.

By what I see VA offers rates from JFK to LAX as low as 129 each way. Which is ridiculously cheap. Would love to see VA and Jet Blue push the oh-so-low standard of flying in the US.]]>Aug 9th 2007 3:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 2:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 2:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 2:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 4:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 5:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 2:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 3:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/
On a personal note, as a resident of San Francisco can I say thank you for making us your first hub. I'm a founding member of eleVAte and look forward to taking to the skies on VA!]]>Aug 9th 2007 3:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/
that is the abhorrent way that US airlines treat
passengers. it starts with the gate and ends
with the gate. they are responsible for everything
in between and they mess it up daily.
1 - if a flight is cancelled and there isn't a new plane to cover the route or the weather is a factor, why not have access to pre-reserved rooms at the airports for all your customers? some brilliant joing marketing between the airports and the hotel industry will make all layovers much more civil.
2 - can you take an example from Virgin and have
decent seats?
3 - partner with someone like Panera and provide real food on the flights. allow people to grab something to eat at the boarding and zip onto the plane for gods sake.
4 - if you take a reservation, and promise a plane,
you are obligated to fly the passenger, even if they are the only one on the plane.
5 - have some enforcement of passenger carryon luggage to be stored where the passengers sit, not above someone closer to the gate.
i could go on and on but it will take a change of minds
to achieve friendly skies once again.

i disagree on whether Euro or other airlines are that free to fail. most of them are highly subsidized and more a reflection of state honor than a bottom line.

]]>Aug 9th 2007 4:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/
RE 3: Again, this is nothing new. AA offers this, and they generally work with locally know delis to provide something halfway decent. Thing is, nobody seems interested. Most people are content picking something up at the airport and carrying it aboard.

RE 5: Fat chance enforcing this one. So... suppose the jackass sitting next to me monopolizes the overhead space for my row. Does this mean I'm screwed? Beyond enforcing carryon limits (which I fully support), I don't think there's a whole lot the airlines can do here. Your solution would probably make things every worse.]]>Aug 9th 2007 5:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 9:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 4:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/
-and even MORE with Virgin Galactic!

]]>Aug 9th 2007 4:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/they r the only ones that have a dignified economy class with some good seats.
as for american airliners, they should jus rename economy to "third class".

and for all u branson haters--
"compare your life to his....and then kill urself" :P
i knw i knw, its jus an improvisation of bender's one liner :)]]>Aug 10th 2007 7:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 9th 2007 5:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 10th 2007 8:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/My wife has worked for Virgin Atlantic and currently works for Midwest - I'm always happy to fly Midwest as they offer first-class leather seating for the entire cabin as well as their signature fresh-baked cookies on board. I hope they stick around and get through this hostile takeover bid from AirTran. : x]]>Aug 9th 2007 9:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/
BA, Europe's largest airline, is based in one of the most restrictive airports in the world, shielded with Bilateral Agreements everwhere you look. Competitors can't come into Heathrow, they have to purchase slots first, and fat chance at that, much less securing the route authority. And the restrictions flying from London to America were controlled for YEARS under Bermuda II, specifying everything from the airlines to operate the routes (only two American airlines permitted at Heathrow, UA/AA) to the destinations the planes can land at. Denver-London was NOT permitted under Bermuda II for a US-based carrier. Virgin Atlantic shook this notion up, so it seems Branson is trying to have it both ways. The man has a long history of telling outright lies regarding US Legacy carriers (hell, look how he just dismissed the fact that AMR never entered Ch. 11), constantly calling for their demise.

Not many know, but Virgin America's plan was to take over San Francisco after UAL Corp.'s expected immediate liquidation following their entry in Ch.11 back in 2003. They found their way through and have emerged as a much more tangible airline than they were before, their SFO hub fully intact. I can see why Branson would be a bit bitter over Ch.11 hurting their game plan. VA has been delayed for YEARS on that issue as well as every single legacy carrier (Continental at the head) petitioning the DOT to deny VA's application on the grounds it exceeded the foreign ownership law, and it worked, VA having to change thier ownership structure.

It is ironic that Glen Tilton, Chairman and CEO of UAL, has been tirelessly publically stating that foreign ownership laws of the US should be expanded greatly, the same thing Branson is whining about. When that happens, Lufthansa AG buys a significant portion in UAL. ]]>Aug 9th 2007 8:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 11th 2007 12:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/
The reason why UAL wanna the foreign ownership laws to be expanded was the fact that they are in Chapter 11 and they can't find anyone willing to keep them afloat except their Star Aliance partner.

The American airline industry really need a reform, they really need to bring in more competition and let those subpar legacy carriers to just die off. Anyone who has ever fly anywhere outside of USA will know that most of the US carriers provide no service in their domestic operations (even if the flight is like 3 or 4 hours long, they will just provide nuts and coke), but if you look at overseas carriers, any flight over 2 hours during meals time will offer hot meals (outside of meal time will offer hot snack). Also a lot of US legacy carriers staff are unhappy and just rude to their passengers, they do not understand what's the meaning of service. Besides transporting people from point A to point B safely and on time, airline is a part of the SERVICE industry, the quality of service is important. This simply doesn't exisit in most US carriers.

The fact that there's a lack of quality competition in the US airline industry are not helping the US domestic carriers. Also when people say US airline fares are cheap, I will have to tell you, they ain't that cheap. You will find the bargain fare if you book early but you can also do the same anywhere in the world. If you look at the average fare pay for a given route (over a certain distance), the US carriers are not charging any less than any European or Asian carriers (on their domestic routes), yet they are not providing any form service to their customer. It is just crazy that airline like this are allow to exist, they should all goes bankrupt and let other people offer better product to the travelling public. ]]>Aug 18th 2007 12:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/Aug 11th 2007 9:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/
Still do not agree this is anything other than a freebie, not an engadget story, maybe a review of the onboard entertainment, but they did that, so the launch flight was a thank-you for that imo!]]>Aug 10th 2007 1:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/the-engadget-interview-sir-richard-branson-chairman-of-virgin/
(1) Coach class should not be a cramped cattle car that leaves you with aching sore knees at the end of the flight. American had the right idea with their "Extra room in Coach" concept a couple of years' back.

(2) We don't want to travel through "hubs" - we want to go from A to B directly, whenever possible.

(3) We want to go faster than the speed of sound. My mother flew from Boston to San Francisco in 5 1/2 hours back in the early 70's - we're still stuck there 35 years later. I grew up thinking "2001" was my Possible Future and that I, too, would be flying PanAm (oops) to the Moon for vacations by the time 2010 rolled around (not to mention flying around town in my own jet-pack). While I applaud Burt Rutan and the whole Virgin Galactic concept whole-heartedly, it still doesn't replace the concept of a full-sized SST that mere mortals can afford to travel on. The demise of the Concorde and the lack of any replacement (from Boeing/Airbus/anyone) is a disgrace.
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