Why is Virgin America so Cool? | Hacker News Reader

Why is Virgin America so Cool?

geoffreynuval.devhub.com

13 pointsevomediagroup10 comments

Virgin America knew that the only way to compete in the commoditized service of air travel, where competitors are forced to compete on price, was to invest in elevating the experience itself. That's why they're so cool (and financially successful)

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If you're interested in learning the philosophy behind Virgin from start to finish, I highly recommend Richard Branson's Business Stripped Bare.

I just finished reading it a couple weeks ago. It's a quick/enjoyable read, but also contains quite a few valuable takeaways that are applicable to any business.

http://www.amazon.com/Business-Stripped-Bare-Adventures-Entr...

(Unrelated, and this one obviously isn't, but what's the HN stance on affiliate links to sites like Amazon?)

This book is great. Branson was the first big-named businessman to convince me that "business types" weren't all backstabbing fat cats.

I haven't finished it yet, but I've liked Call me Ted in a lot of the same ways as Branson's book, so far.

http://www.amazon.com/Call-Me-Ted-Turner/dp/0446581895

His autobiography is fantastic too.

Virgin is cool unless you're a graphic designer/photographer/interior designer/etc. and you want to get some work done on the jet -- those purple/pink lights throw off the perceived color balance and screw everything up. If Virgin America were RELLY cool, they'd provide a downloadable color profile for working inside their cabins. :-)

BTW, your link points to the main page and not the virgin post at the moment.

Correct link:

http://geoffreynuval.devhub.com/blog/526362-why-is-virgin-am...

I can only comment on my Virgin Blue (low but not cutthroat budget Australian airline) experience but I have to say that the company has completely embodied the Branson attitude as described in his books. For instance we've been an hour late to a flight (that was fortunately delayed) and not only did they let us on the plane, but they managed to let us check in an unexpected baggage item (they security cleared it of course) - I have no idea what the usual domestic American carrier is like but this rule-bending on favour of the customer and common-sense (humans at all levels to paraphrase Branson) is unheard of on other (particularly traditional) carriers where, for example, you can lose your flight without refund if you are only 25 minutes early to your flight instead of 30 minutes.

Some other comparison points:

- "Web check-in" allowing you to arrive anytime up to the boarding of the plane (if flying with purely carry-on luggage) instead of having to arrive an arbitrary time before departure because of inefficient passenger processing.

- Friendly, bouncy and joking flight staff versus off-putting and critical drones who seem put out at the slightest request.

- Modern aircraft with simple amenities like screens for every seat versus tired old planes from the days where lack of competition and government monopolies dominated the industry.

- Reasonable fares without sacrificing quality versus either dated but comparable quality at a higher price or true "budget" where you sacrifice both quality and patience for a price that is often pretty close after hidden fees (e.g. A fee for booking, a fee for paying and a fee for paying via credit when this is the only accepted option).

My personal experience with VA, unlike other domestic carriers in the US, is that they don't treat you like it's a privilege that you get to fly at all. Domestic carriers treat customers as if they are doing them a favor, rather than providing a service to a paying customer that you hope will come back again.

This is the same way Southwestern does it too. It's amazing how some politeness can go a long way to brand loyalty in the US air market.

There is no such airline as "Southwestern".

Anyway, I love the legacy carriers. Last year, I flew about 110,000 miles on American, all economy. For that, I now get free upgrades to First Class, the ability to use the flagship lounge, special check-in and security lines, free stuff on board, and lots of other perks. Every time I travel, it's a joy -- there are no lines and the customer service is amazing. The service on the plane is nice too, even when I'm in economy. American makes me feel like I'm their only customer, and that they want my business.

So while it's true that the legacy airlines don't care about Joe Pricecompare who flies once a year, they do care deeply for people who consistently bring them revenue. (I miss this treatment in other industries, in fact, as I tend to be very loyal.)

Now it's true that my experience is atypical of the majority of the flying public, but it's typical of the people that keep the airlines around. The reality is that the average traveler is very hard to make money off of, and the legacy carriers just gave up. Bad for you, good for me :)

I hate when tech people do this. The source that the coolness is paying off is an Owen Thomas article about ONE quarter of profitability (5.1M) in 2009? I'd say the verdict is more than still out.

That being said, Virgin is interesting in that they are attempting to compete on brand instead of on price. Part of the problem with all the other airlines is that everybody flies whichever is cheaper, leading them all to race to the bottom.

There is more than enough meat in the concept above to have a discussion. We don't need to hold it up as PROOF OF CONCEPT with flimsy evidence just yet.

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