HI-- NEED STATISTIC HELP--Guru help please!

1- How do companies like Virgin Atlantic pay travel agents? I know that they pay them a flat rate per ticket, but do they sell their tickets to the travel agents at a discounted price? Are the travel agents allowed to mark-up the tickets? I am mostly speaking of 'business' travel agents such as Ultramar. I want to know how they work..

2- How can I find out Virgin Atlantics load factor in the different classes for 2007. I also need the nyc-london specific numbers

3- What is the mark-up that Virgin would put on its ticket---before it sells it to either the travel agent or the direct purchases? How many tickets do they sell per day to agents vs. direct purchasers for the business class seats..?? Need a benchmark please

4- Do you have any idea of the kind of incentives that Virgin would offer a large corporation such as Estee Lauder for doing most of their business with them?

5- Who us doing the best from NYC-London on Business class at the moment?

6- Average cost of a business trip ticket from NY-London on Virgin throughout the year?

Please let me know today if you can-- sorry so last minute-- was hoping to see these answers on your website..I have no idea where else to look!

Thank you

Sinead

[Decker]

Sinead

I'm GUESSING this is thesis related but unfortunately it comes over as competitive research and ultimately seeks a lot of commercially sensitive information. Perhaps some more background as to why you want this info might encourage people to chip in.

For 6 Kayak.com should help.

Regards

Decker

[Pete]

Realistically much of the information you're after is (as Decker says), commercially sensitive, so I doubt you're going to be able to lay your hands on it anywhere.

In the case of the travel agents, I believe Virgin Atlantic operate a scheme called 'Colours' which rewards agents with a sliding percentage scale commission based on their turnover level. Unfortunately I don't know the point-breaks or required volumes. Other airlines (and I think that includes British Airways) moved to a flat-rate commission a while ago, but Virgin bucked the trend.

Pete

[ChuckC]

This may sound naive, however, have you asked Virgin for assistance with your requests? They may wish to give you some information without revealing competitive advantages.

Chuck-

Oh- haha-- did not even THINK I might come across as a reporter... No I am a student pulling together a thesis and I would like to prove how successful Virgin America will be based on Virgin Atlantics' results.. All I need are averages.. Is there any way to get it? Any sort of like transportation authority etc that monitors traffic such as this.. Really need to figure out who is winning the 'Business Class' route between NYC and London and I have absolutely no idea how to even figure out how many people take that route a year..haha.. I have tried Virgin Atlantic---but noone knew the answer---and still looking for the corporate phone number! Oh dear...

[Pete]

I'd be more interested in how you're going to compare Virgin Atlantic with Virgin America. Surely they will be two very different operating models from two companies with an enforced separation (thanks to the DOT).

Virgin Atlantic, especially in their business class product, operate a full service product that has developed due to the unique competition with British Airways in transatlantic travel out of Heathrow. Due to Bermuda II, the competition on that highly-lucrative route is artificially low, allowing them to raise the bar in order to entice business passengers. In the domestic US market, business class has been eroded by a crowded market and price-pressure. Virgin America enters this market wearing a smart frock, (and although noone knows typical pricing details for VX flights yet), it would be foolish to ignore the competitive pricing landscape that rules in the US.

Other than the Virgin logo on the tail, and maybe a cheeky grin, I see very little that Virgin America and Virgin Atlantic have in common. Maybe a better comparison would be Virgin Blue?

Pete

I agree with Pete- I am rather surprised you are trying to compare VS and VX. Are you coming it at from the point of view that the Virgin name holds simular standing within US and UK consumer culture so therefore VX will be as popular/successful as VS?!

I think you will be much better to look at DJ than VS but even then the comparisons arent too great. When DJ entered the Australian market they were only competiting against QF, they operated one cabin class and specialised in short to medium range routes. VX will be up against a lot more airlines (easily ten other major carriers), they will operate two class cabins and the routes will be much longer in duration. Maybe for a more direct comparision of LCC's why not look at say Jet2 and VX- Jet2 arrived on the scene some years after the EZY/FR domination, have links to a very successful parent company (channel Express) and are begining to operate on much longer routes such as MAN-TFS (tenerife).

My thesis involves a lot bigger issue than a comparison of just Virgin American and Virgin Atlantic... I am considering Eos and Max Jet and trying to talk about the evolving nature of business class and the competition for NYC-London routes--and how some companies are hedging against the new competition (entrance of Virgin America)... THis is about three paragraphs in light of a much larger topic I am discussing.. I can easily find out the load factor for Eos...but cannot find any such statistics for Virgin Upper/Premium Economy. I am able to see how many people have flown Virgin from JFK and from Newark (traffic reports) but cant see the 'class' split. So this is why I came to you in the hope that you might be able to help me get an average/# for the q's I asked earlier. If you are unable to do so, no problem, but please direct me to a location where I might be able to get such... Dont know why I can get other flight numbers-and just not Virgin...

[Nottingham Nick]

I think you may find that Virgin play a whole lot of financial information very close to their chests.

Not just the airline either.

Nick

In the case of the travel agents, I believe Virgin Atlantic operate a scheme called 'Colours' which rewards agents with a sliding percentage scale commission based on their turnover level. Unfortunately I don't know the point-breaks or required volumes. Other airlines (and I think that includes British Airways) moved to a flat-rate commission a while ago, but Virgin bucked the trend.

Pete

Ya know-- I saw on their website that they are now offering a FLAT agent fee...so perhaps the colours days are over.. Check it out-- mayeb its only 'flat' for the new chicago route though?Thoughts???

Umm - without wishing to sound harsh - surely the only people who are going to know the information you want are Virgin themselves. Anything that anyone posts here unless they work for Virgin - must be- because of the nature of the inquiry - speculation and good guesswork.

Is there no mileage in demonstrating to VS that your thesis has some marketing benefit to them in order to solicit the required information?

And as GJ has pointed out above - if the corporate people at VS wont play ball then you are scuppered!!

Just out of interest, when is your thesis due to be submitted?

Best wishes

David

Originally posted by Nottingham Nick
I think you may find that Virgin play a whole lot of financial information very close to their chests.

Not just the airline either.

Nick

Do they not need to publish their annual accounts? Or is that just PLCs? A lot can be found from annual accounts such as director remuneration and how much the highest paid director took, share options etc. Not really the info the OP asked for, but still a lot of financially sensitive information.

Paul