Thread: Corona Virus

Originally Posted by incisor

see virgin have folded into administration over the virus

this mob own a lot of Virgin "Australia"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HNA_Group

Bloody Hell! It make one wonder whether this is a part of the Master Plan.



"Wot Plan is that Mr Bee?"


"The one that just sprang to most of our minds after reading that of course."

Originally Posted by 4bee

Bloody Hell! It make one wonder whether this is a part of the Master Plan.



"Wot Plan is that Mr Bee?"


"The one that just sprang to most of our minds after reading that of course."

Yes, the very clever master plan of giving your country it’s first recession and destroying your main overseas markets .... don’t think so.

Originally Posted by Arapiles

So, will the Government now allow a Chinese company to purchase a company that went into administration because of a virus that spread from China? Well, the realpolitik is that if there’s no other credible buyers and it’s a choice between tens of thousands of people being unemployed versus not so then you’d expect that they’d get the nod.

This was a really good post I read on FB:

Well unlike a lot of my posts I make, this is of a more serious nature.
As many of you would know I’ve been a pilot for a number of years, 40 in fact and I may well have flown some of you around Australia, Asia and the pacific. I have worked for Virgin Australia as a captain for the last 18 years.
This has to do with jobs….there is a lot of misinformation out there around my company’s dire financial situation. There are a lot of commentators that seem to be lampooning the idea that we should get some sort of assistance from the government to stay solvent until the coved – 19 virus issue is over.
It’s true that we are majority owned by overseas interests. These shareholders have invested millions if not billions of dollars into our airline over the past decade in the belief that it would turn around financially and was a worthwhile initiative.
Due to decisions which were beyond the control of employees such as myself we haven’t made a profit for at least 7 years so no money has disappeared off shore, Is that my or indeed any of my colleagues fault, no it’s not. Have any of these offshore investors taken a dividend, I don’t think so. Have 10,000 employees paid tax, yes they have. Has the airline paid air navigation charges and landing fees at all the airports we land at, yes it has. Has the airline paid tax on fuel, yes it has. In no small way the airline has paid its way and contributed to the economy of Australia.
If you have flown with our opposition you would have benefited from our existence by virtue of competitive fares and add ons. If you have flown with us you would have seen the benefits directly.
This country needs 2 airlines competing to give YOU the travelling public a fair deal. There are a number of options available to the government to assist our airline. I should point out that the rhetoric about the collapse of Ansett is irrelevant, Ansett was just one airline in isolation . What we have now is a global industry meltdown.
The suggestion another airline could start up is laughable. The only reason my company was able to continue operation at the outset is that it entered the market as a low cost operator, something that never existed in this country prior. Traction was gathered with the untimely demise of Ansett. Note that a lot of our employees came from that company including myself.
Compass 1 and 2 failed, as did Ausjet and others. It would take a decade or more for a new entrant to have any impact on the larger airline. In short our opposition will undertake fare gouging for the next decade.
I was fortunate to have once worked for a regional airline that grew to be the largest in the country. I know the owner…what the hell… Don Kendell. He sold his car to pay his staff during a particularly tough time. When the company was wound up he knew every employee by name and their partners and their children’s names, there were 350 pilots when the door closed. He was by any measure what I would call a true Australian.I see those values and principles in our organisational leadership right now.
When I see the political manoeuvring going on at the moment I have to ask how AUTRALIAN are these people. Cabinet meet today to decide the outcome for my company, so this is extremely urgent. A buy in to save Virgin will reduce the overseas shareholders to unsecured creditors, in short Virgin would become Australian owned. When the industry picks up as it will, the government could refloat the company or sell it off recouping the outlay to save the business. This should allay concerns the taxpayers have of sending a one way financial bail out.
If you’ve stuck with me this far I thank you. Could you please look beyond your frequent flyer points and your misguided national parochialness and see that 10,000 Australians are relying on rational decision making to preserve their jobs and to “ keep the air fair”. The country will benefit.
And could you also contact your local member to try and convince the Prime Minister in particular but also those in cabinet that are reticent to assist our company in offering a lifeline. Also bear in mind Qantas are not far behind us financially.
There is a moratorium on social media posts so don’t be frightened about repercussions from sharing this message far and wide through sharing.
Editorial licence used to suit the context, “ the only thing necessary for disaster to triumph is that good people do nothing”.
Yours sincerely
Shane

Originally Posted by superquag

Here's the latest mortality stats, - compare the locked-down with 'open' countries....

• Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths by country worldwide 2020 | Statista

Notice that a certain cruise ship gets it's own listing... more than New Zealand. !

I like this site for stats:

Coronavirus Update (Live): 2,424,634 Cases and 166,053 Deaths from COVID-19 Virus Pandemic - Worldometer

36% death rate in the US. For a country that wealthy it's astounding and....unforgivable. It's hard to see that number staying under 80K as speculated by their fearless leader.

With that leadership, what hope do they have, those poor buggers:

trump-reddit-coronavirus-statements.jpg

Having flown on Virgin, Jetstar and Qantas (bumped from Jetstar), I'd much prefer Virgin.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

Having flown on Virgin, Jetstar and Qantas (bumped from Jetstar), I'd much prefer Virgin.

Im exactly the same. Unless there isn't an option I also fly Virgin.

Originally Posted by Slunnie

This was a really good post I read on FB:

Disagree.
At this time, if we can't have two airlines, then we just can't have ém, who give a flying **** about "cheaper airfares" at this time,.....surely there are more pressing matters where our efforts should be dedicated at this time. The Government & its team have done a top job, but there are only so many dollars,....whilst my financial future/wellbeing has been severely affected, I have to face reality,.....there's nothing I can do about it,.....another forum member has mentioned how he will be affected by property owner rental issues ......Like him, I'm in the same boat as most Aussies....He's cared & planned for his financial future, to have that future security demolished.
I'm not knocking you, we are all getting a kick in the guts by the Virus,..I am, as a self funded retiree,....in the situation where all my conservative plans for my retirement, paid from my own dollars, whereby I'm NO drain on the public purse, may now go up in smoke ( as a consequence of which I will claim a Govt. pension) ,......I don't like it,.....but I'm like everyone else,.......we're all gonna take a hit, and all of us, for absolutely no fault of our own.
As I've seen on so many internet sites, and indeed in some questions I have had, a common answer has been, "Deal with it",.....and I am trying to do exactly that, & do I like it? NO,...I do not,......but what can I do,.....we're all in the same boat.
I do know this though, we are in a better position than any other country on the planet, so IMHO, whatever we are all suffering here, it is worse everywhere else.
Can somebody name a country in a better position than Aussie at this time?
Pickles.

Originally Posted by Pickles2

Disagree.

Disagree.