Ansett Australian Global Rewards - Virgin blue makes a bid for Ansett

justplanes.com reports today:

Virgin Blue announced yesterday it intends to make a formal bid for rival carrier Ansett, but only after it has looked at the company's books.
Transport Minister John Anderson has been holding talks with both Virgin and the Fox-Lew consortium and will meet them again this week.

VIRGIN BLUE ON THE MARKET

25 November 2001

Ali Moore

"Virgin Blue now is the second airline in Australia and it's got a very unique and exciting business model..."


Last week, Virgin Blue's Brett Godfrey confirmed the airline was on the "market", with Richard Branson willing to sell up to 51 per cent to a new investor.

Mr Godfrey also revealed that the airline was working with Lang Corporation, in eyeing part or ALL of "Ansett".

This morning we have further developments. Chris Corrigan of Lang Corporation talks to Ali Moore.

http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/businesssunday/Interviews/stories/story_1542.asp

I wonder if that means Virgin Blue and Virgin Atlantic will join * Alliance?

Hope so!

Virgin Blue has no nope in hell of joining Star Alliance. Branson has never been a fan of them, labelling them "anti-competitive".

Star has Ansett, which I think will probably get back up in the air in a real form. Virgin Blue's product is totally incompatible with Star Alliance requirements.

Cheers,

Justin

The cost to DJ would be way too high to join Star. they don't really have a FF program, and all that is an added cost to administer etc with no real value addition to the airline. I mean if pax are going to funnel to them they'll do it on their own with or without partners. Plus Virgin would have to tie up with GDS systems and the like.

No hope in hell, as Justin says.


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RichardMEL, UA 1K
A Star Alliance Member.

I always thought that if Virgin joined any alliance, it would be Star. After all, they are 49% owned by Singapore Airlines, and thus shared a parent with both Ansett and AirNZ.

I certainly can't see them joining OneWorld!... :-)

SQ only owns about 4-5% of NZ these days so is not really a parent. And it is not like after the AN mess there is much love shared between SQ and the NZ board.

Mark

What do you all think: Is there a chance that Ansett is coming back to market. With intercontinental-flights?

There must be a high demand for direct-flights to Australia from all over the world. Isn't there a market for a *Alliance member Ansett? Possibilities from Europe are a little bit limited now: Many carriers pulled out of direct flights in the last months and I can't see a reason for this.