jspira

While I think it's admirable to want to start an airline, I see a lot of problems, the first being that $35 million isn't enough to start an airline that's going to run wide-bodies with very high-end first- and business-class cabins.

What does everyone else think?


LV Air to Launch in 2013

mbstone

Aren't we missing something? Like what other cities beside LAS will be served? Or what the fare is? Or what other airlines they might be competing with? How the devil am I supposed to guess whether "this" will succeed based on such little information?

Other innovations planned by the airline include hologram safety videos by celebrities

Whoop-ti-doo dah.

jspira

We're not missing anything, actually, based on what LV Air has publicly said.

But therein lies the rub.

BuckleandBoots

It could work...it will all depend on sponsorship and route network

TA

Just a guess here, but I'm going to say "no"...

767s to Vegas? Better be flying an entire division of Goldman Sachs from NY every flight to break even.

mecabq

I hope it works, but I'd be surprised. There have been multiple start-ups over the years that have tried to capture the supposed niche of premium passengers going to Las Vegas, but none have worked. Maybe this one will come up with something different. . .

WIRunner

if it follows the allegiant model, and the broke vegas idea it might do just fine.
all in all i think it will go the way of people express... all of them.

etch5895

On board blackjack tables with free booze while you're gambling?

mickeydfly13

Sign me up.

Javelin

So no route, no scheduling, and presumably, no takeoff/landing slots acquired?

Yeah—I can't wait to "private network game" on an airplane. In fact, let me just blow all my money before I even get to Vegas.

Acquiring another airline—interesting for a non-existant airline.

Showers on 767s? That would require some major modifications as the water tanks aren't nearly big enough and some kind of water heater. A bar in business class? So like VA international first class but in domestic business class instead. Translucent bulkheads? So a hairless wig.

The three features mentioned are expensive, impractical, and definitely not worth paying extra for.

Hologram safety videos—these guys have figured out how to project holograms like in Star Wars?

iPads as in-fight entertainment devices is the one thing that makes sense, though. A typical IFE system costs something like $10,000 per seat and the experience is much inferior.

Because they are just that keen to share potential incoming customer revenue with you.

This whole idea sounds like it was conceived over way too much alcohol. Will it succeed?

No.

sbm12

Any reason you chose now to dig up a tale of a nearly two-year old announcement by a guy with a history of making a huge splash and failing to deliver, leaving a mess in his wake??

http://www.lvrj.com/business/lv-air-...121375574.html
http://www.lvrj.com/business/lv-air-...122711228.html

jspira

I didn't dig it up; the new LV Air announcement was just made - I did post the article as a cautionary tale, however.

As I said in the OP, I see lots of problems. You don't even have to go back to the earlier stories about LV Air to see the problems in the current announcement.

It's like a bad version of the Energizer Bunny I suppose.

(When it came to the actual article, I found that one of our editors had already put sufficient skepticism into the news piece so as to make it palatable; otherwise, I might have vetoed its appearance in the magazine's news column.)

sbm12

So a new press release of a 2-year old story makes it into your "news" section?

jspira

The news, as it were, is that LV will supposedly launch in 2013. Even with all of the warts and flaws, it still might be of interest to readers (even if they laugh at it)