AFL switch to Virgin [merged]

[WilliamPowell]

Virgin keen to bench Qantas sponsorship
•   Mike Sheahan
•   From: Herald Sun
•   November 10, 2010 12:00AM
Source: AFP

VIRGIN Blue is tackling Qantas for the multi-million dollar rights to the title of the AFL's official carrier.

Virgin has made a powerful pitch to the AFL to break what has been seen as the Qantas stranglehold on the rights, believed to be worth up to $5 million a year.

Qantas, whose agreement expires this year, is keen to extend an association that started in 2002 after the collapse of Ansett Airlines.

Neither airline would comment yesterday, while the AFL declined to discuss the matter.

AFL spokesman Brian Walsh said only: "We don't provide running commentary on discussions with any of our commercial partners."

Qantas provides thousands of seats a year to AFL clubs at a heavily discounted price for travelling parties of up to 45 players, staff and officials.

Then there's the thousands of other seats for AFL officials and staff, and club coterie and supporter groups.

Virgin Blue is believed to see the AFL brand as a major marketing tool while Qantas is equally keen to retain the bragging rights that come with a commercial partnership with Australia's biggest sport.

While Virgin is believed to have trumped Qantas in financial terms, Qantas has scheduling advantages, particularly in terms of flights to and from Perth.

A decision is expected before Christmas.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/story/0,668,27921332-5014099,00.html

[Francois Jackson]

gee i hope Virgin get this. Would love to sink those Qantas toffs to the ground. Borgetti will transform this airline

Virgin woman put those Qantas old botox hags to shame.

[mightytiges]

The way Qantas are going at the minute they're becoming the airlines version of 'pick a part'

[one-eyed]

The AFL dumped Qantas a couple of days ago.....

AFL dumps Qantas as its official carrier, set to sign deal with Virgin

   * Mike Sheahan
    * From: Herald Sun
    * November 18, 2010 UPDATE 5.10pm:

THE bad news just keeps coming for Qantas, now the AFL has dumped the airline as its official carrier.

As reported exclusively on SuperFooty this afternoon, the league has turned to Virgin Blue after a nine-year association with the flying kangaroo.

The new arrangement - believed to be worth $6 million annually - will take effect from January 1.

Industry sources said last night the two offers were comparable, but the AFL had demanded exclusivity from Qantas, which has ongoing commercial arrangements with soccer, rugby and rugby league.

Virgin Blue is believed to have promised to refrain from any arrangement with any other football code in return for the business of Australia's biggest sport.

Virgin Blue sees sport as a powerful marketing tool and will gain huge exposure flying the AFL's 17 clubs round the country for seven months a year from Feburary next year.

Qantas spokesman Ken Ryan said today: "We've had a relationship with the AFL since we took over from Ansett in 2002.

"It's been a good partnership, but the AFL had issues with our arrangements with the other codes.

"We have a proud history of supporting all sports in Australia, including all codes of football and that's not going to change.

"We will not enter into exclusive arrangements with any sporting body.''

Several clubs, alerted to the Qantas-Virgin Blue battle by the Herald Sun on November 10, have expressed serious misgivings about the switch.

They say Qantas has a more accommodating schedule, particularly from the eastern seaboard to Perth, and a history of going above and beyond the standard in-service requirements.

Players often are upgraded to business class, particularly those who would be cramped in an economy seat.

Presently, Virgin Blue can't provide business class, but that situation is expected to change midway through next year.

The AFL is expected to make an announcement later today.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/afl-dumps-qantas-as-its-official-carrier-set-to-sign-deal-with-virgin/story-e6frf7kx-1225955673452?referrer=email&source=HS_email_nl&emcmp=HS&emchn=Newsletter&emlist=Member


And here's the official annoucement on the AFL site:
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/105337/default.aspx

[Francois Jackson]

best news for the airline. Qantas take everyone for granted cause they are the nations carrier, so this must sting real hard.

Told my mrs who works there to the upgrade only our players..lol

I seriously cant understand how we cant chase Tiger(Terrible airline) as a sponsor or Singapore Airlines(their owner) meanwhile the Pies are allowed to have Emirates the direct competitor to Etihad who Virgin are co partners with now.

[WilliamPowell]

Glad that Andy D and his merry men at Docklands are happy because it would seem clubs are not as happy

Personally I wont be flying Virgin Blue - once was enough and never again. It would have been better flight if I had of "driven" to Tasmania 

Have already booked a number of flights for next season - all QANTAS all dirt cheap. The new direct flight to Darwin was an absolute bargin 

[mightytiges]

Don't forget to bring along some sticky tape WP just in case something falls off the plane  

The "Qantas Socceroos" with the Socceroos livery on the plane mid-year during the World Cup ticked the AFL off. The AFL wants exclusivity from its major sponsors as much as the sponsors want exclusivity from the AFL.

[one-eyed]

Virgin deal with the Suns angers other AFL clubs
Caroline Wilson
December 1, 2010

VIRGIN is poised to become a major sponsor of the Gold Coast in a lucrative agreement certain to fuel a further backlash from clubs already smarting at the AFL's decision to ditch Qantas in favour of the smaller carrier.

The Age has learned that the league's 17th club looks certain to announce the airline as its co-major sponsor next week. Allegations of a ''sweetheart'' deal were last night building among key club officials.

It has also emerged that Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has put in writing what was building as a chorus of disapproval among the clubs over the Virgin deal. Kennett is understood to have fired off an angry letter to the AFL accusing the code's governing body of a lack of consultation in the significant decision to abandon Qantas.

Kennett echoed the thoughts of several clubs when he accused the AFL of abandoning the national carrier for reasons irrelevant to the weekly demands of football clubs travelling across the country.

Although the AFL's financial boss Ian Anderson responded to Kennett, several clubs remained disillusioned with the AFL's decision unaware that the league-backed Suns were negotiating a major guernsey deal with the airline.

Gold Coast chief executive Travis Auld refused to confirm or deny the forthcoming sponsorship arrangement although The Age understands that Virgin will share naming rights on the Suns' new jumper with co-major sponsor Host Plus.

''We're hopeful of being in a position to announce something soon,'' said Auld. ''But that's all I can say at this stage.''

Most angry at the new airline deal are the West Australian clubs concerned at Virgin Blue's relative lack of leg room and restricted flight schedule compared to Qantas.

Players from Fremantle and West Coast have lodged complaints with the AFL Players' Association. Recruiting staff at several Melbourne-based clubs have indicated they will not be flying with Virgin Blue due to the restricted schedule. Virgin Blue carries about 10 per cent of Australia's domestic travellers.

West Coast boss Trevor Nisbett described his club's concerns as an ''occupational health and safety issue''.

''[The players] are extremely unhappy about Virgin and to what extent it will be able to accommodate the needs of footballers in rehabilitation mode and in terms of travel flexibility. Our people are already looking at how we are going to deal with this and the players' concerns are with the AFLPA.''

The Virgin Blue group's directors include Sam Mostyn, an AFL commissioner, although the league stressed Mostyn excluded herself from all discussions on the new agreement.

Virgin Blue was announced two weeks ago as the new official airline of the AFL in a deal worth at least $6 million annually with the league ditching its nine-year flying partner Qantas. It claimed that the airline's naming rights to the Socceroos, the Wallabies and its strong ties with rugby league meant Australian rules was not given preferential treatment.

In what is Australia's largest sports sponsorship deal in monetary terms for airlines, Virgin Blue will fly players, team staff and officials of the 17 teams for matches across Australia.

Recent reports put AFL-related tourism at about $400 million annually with the sponsorship giving Virgin Blue deeper access to that market as well as the AFL's extensive corporate connections. Some Virgin planes are expected to be fitted with extra business-class seating during 2011.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/virgin-deal-with-the-suns-angers-other-afl-clubs-20101130-18fcv.html

[WilliamPowell]

It has also emerged that Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has put in writing what was building as a chorus of disapproval among the clubs over the Virgin deal. Kennett is understood to have fired off an angry letter to the AFL accusing the code's governing body of a lack of consultation in the significant decision to abandon Qantas.

Kennett echoed the thoughts of several clubs when he accused the AFL of abandoning the national carrier for reasons irrelevant to the weekly demands of football clubs travelling across the country.

Most angry at the new airline deal are the West Australian clubs concerned at Virgin Blue's relative lack of leg room and restricted flight schedule compared to Qantas.

Players from Fremantle and West Coast have lodged complaints with the AFL Players' Association. Recruiting staff at several Melbourne-based clubs have indicated they will not be flying with Virgin Blue due to the restricted schedule. Virgin Blue carries about 10 per cent of Australia's domestic travellers.

Virgin Blue was announced two weeks ago as the new official airline of the AFL in a deal worth at least $6 million annually with the league ditching its nine-year flying partner Qantas. It claimed that the airline's naming rights to the Socceroos, the Wallabies and its strong ties with rugby league meant Australian rules was not given preferential treatment.

In what is Australia's largest sports sponsorship deal in monetary terms for airlines, Virgin Blue will fly players, team staff and officials of the 17 teams for matches across Australia.

Recent reports put AFL-related tourism at about $400 million annually with the sponsorship giving Virgin Blue deeper access to that market as well as the AFL's extensive corporate connections. Some Virgin planes are expected to be fitted with extra business-class seating during 2011.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/virgin-deal-with-the-suns-angers-other-afl-clubs-20101130-18fcv.html

Despite what they say this just another another AFL based decision based solely on the $$$$ on the table ....

Andy D's crap about it's never just about the $$$$ but what's in the best interests of all our stakeholders has proven again to have more holes in it than swiss cheese

They did it with the last TV rights deal, they've done it with this and they'll do it with the next TV rights

I applaud the AFLPA & Kennett for making an issue about this. Based on an OH&S viewpoint it was a very very poor decision and one that could bite the AFL on the bum. If it does they would have deserved it 

[Francois Jackson]

It has also emerged that Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has put in writing what was building as a chorus of disapproval among the clubs over the Virgin deal. Kennett is understood to have fired off an angry letter to the AFL accusing the code's governing body of a lack of consultation in the significant decision to abandon Qantas.

Kennett echoed the thoughts of several clubs when he accused the AFL of abandoning the national carrier for reasons irrelevant to the weekly demands of football clubs travelling across the country.

Most angry at the new airline deal are the West Australian clubs concerned at Virgin Blue's relative lack of leg room and restricted flight schedule compared to Qantas.

Players from Fremantle and West Coast have lodged complaints with the AFL Players' Association. Recruiting staff at several Melbourne-based clubs have indicated they will not be flying with Virgin Blue due to the restricted schedule. Virgin Blue carries about 10 per cent of Australia's domestic travellers.

Virgin Blue was announced two weeks ago as the new official airline of the AFL in a deal worth at least $6 million annually with the league ditching its nine-year flying partner Qantas. It claimed that the airline's naming rights to the Socceroos, the Wallabies and its strong ties with rugby league meant Australian rules was not given preferential treatment.

In what is Australia's largest sports sponsorship deal in monetary terms for airlines, Virgin Blue will fly players, team staff and officials of the 17 teams for matches across Australia.

Recent reports put AFL-related tourism at about $400 million annually with the sponsorship giving Virgin Blue deeper access to that market as well as the AFL's extensive corporate connections. Some Virgin planes are expected to be fitted with extra business-class seating during 2011.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/virgin-deal-with-the-suns-angers-other-afl-clubs-20101130-18fcv.html

Despite what they say this just another another AFL based decision based solely on the $$$$ on the table ....

Andy D's crap about it's never just about the $$$$ but what's in the best interests of all our stakeholders has proven again to have more holes in it than swiss cheese

They did it with the last TV rights deal, they've done it with this and they'll do it with the next TV rights

I applaud the AFLPA & Kennett for making an issue about this. Based on an OH&S viewpoint it was a very very poor decision and one that could bite the AFL on the bum. If it does they would have deserved it 

complete and utter rubbish.

why should Qantas have the sports market all to themselves. So the footballers cant get upgraded to business class for what 2 months. Well well well what a shame that is. All the players and the Kennetts out there cant clock up Frequent Flyer points anymore.
My heart bleeds

In case you hadnt noticed Virgin Blue will be upgrading their fleet to accomodate business class by June so really its 2 months the players will have to make do with premium seats.

They will also be annoucing extra schedules to accomodate the footballers. FACT!!

Qantas has had their time and they have proven lately that that have become complacent, particulary on safety.

I personally would rather support an airline that hires Australian maintenance staff than a company, sorry a "National Carrier" that employs maintenance staff off shore

[10 FLAGS]

The AFL has enough money. They should buy a couple of jets that seat say 40 people each and they should fly the teams during the season.

[WilliamPowell]

complete and utter rubbish.

why should Qantas have the sports market all to themselves. So the footballers cant get upgraded to business class for what 2 months. Well well well what a shame that is. All the players and the Kennetts out there cant clock up Frequent Flyer points anymore.
My heart bleeds

In case you hadnt noticed Virgin Blue will be upgrading their fleet to accomodate business class by June so really its 2 months the players will have to make do with premium seats.

They will also be annoucing extra schedules to accomodate the footballers. FACT!!

Qantas has had their time and they have proven lately that that have become complacent, particulary on safety.

I personally would rather support an airline that hires Australian maintenance staff than a company, sorry a "National Carrier" that employs maintenance staff off shore

daniel, with all due respect the facts are the AFL made this decision without consultation with the clubs that they are supposed to act on behalf of or the players who if we don't have them running around out on the grounds then we dont have a competition. Issue here which is Kennett and most other clubs and players are angry about is the no consultation!.

The offers on the table from the 2 parties which were similar in nature with the exception of 2 key points. 1/ was the guarantee not sponsor other sporting codes  (a staggering request from a non international sporting body but I digrese) and 2/ the $$$ on offer.

As always the AFL choose the $$$ because their track record in these things tell us they will always chose the greater $$$ over anything else, they don't think they don't plan they look at those $$$ signs and say let's go

And regarding QANTAS maintenace workers being off-shore. Again 2 points 

I must remember to tell a family friend who is a senior engineer for QANTAS that he is a fraud and liar because he's based here in Melb and keeps telling us that he works here in Aust - I'll call him on it

and

Are you seriously telling me that Virgin Blue don't have maintenance workers overseas that services their planes before they fly back to Australia? Gee if they do they aren't very safety conscience or are they being complacent 

[Francois Jackson]

complete and utter rubbish.

why should Qantas have the sports market all to themselves. So the footballers cant get upgraded to business class for what 2 months. Well well well what a shame that is. All the players and the Kennetts out there cant clock up Frequent Flyer points anymore.
My heart bleeds

In case you hadnt noticed Virgin Blue will be upgrading their fleet to accomodate business class by June so really its 2 months the players will have to make do with premium seats.

They will also be annoucing extra schedules to accomodate the footballers. FACT!!

Qantas has had their time and they have proven lately that that have become complacent, particulary on safety.

I personally would rather support an airline that hires Australian maintenance staff than a company, sorry a "National Carrier" that employs maintenance staff off shore

daniel, with all due respect the facts are the AFL made this decision without consultation with the clubs that they are supposed to act on behalf of or the players who if we don't have them running around out on the grounds then we dont have a competition. Issue here which is Kennett and most other clubs and players are angry about is the no consultation!.

The offers on the table from the 2 parties which were similar in nature with the exception of 2 key points. 1/ was the guarantee not sponsor other sporting codes  (a staggering request from a non international sporting body but I digrese) and 2/ the $$$ on offer.

As always the AFL choose the $$$ because their track record in these things tell us they will always chose the greater $$$ over anything else, they don't think they don't plan they look at those $$$ signs and say let's go

And regarding QANTAS maintenace workers being off-shore. Again 2 points 

I must remember to tell a family friend who is a senior engineer for QANTAS that he is a fraud and liar because he's based here in Melb and keeps telling us that he works here in Aust - I'll call him on it

and

Are you seriously telling me that Virgin Blue don't have maintenance workers overseas that services their planes before they fly back to Australia? Gee if they do they aren't very safety conscience or are they being complacent 

now WP your friend who is based here in oz is probably one of only a few.

There are so many based off shore and putting our countries citizens at risk by doing so.

To answer your question Virgin Blue DO NOT send their maintenance off shore. FACT!!! If the plane is there for the night well then its a no brainer that it will get serviced there.

That is not what we are talking about here. We are talking about Qantas deliberately sending their planes to the Phillipines or Malaysia for cheap parts and cheap labour. Big difference, you should do your research a bit more thouroughly

As for ANDY D well the more money they secure the more beneficial it is for clubs like Richmond so im all for it. Like i said its more about players not clocking up Frequent Flyer Points and Business Class for 2 months till DJ introduces it,  than anything else. Get Over it i say.

[WilliamPowell]

now WP your friend who is based here in oz is probably one of only a few.

There are so many based off shore and putting our countries citizens at risk by doing so.

To answer your question Virgin Blue DO NOT send their maintenance off shore. FACT!!! If the plane is there for the night well then its a no brainer that it will get serviced there.

That is not what we are talking about here. We are talking about Qantas deliberately sending their planes to the Phillipines or Malaysia for cheap parts and cheap labour. Big difference, you should do your research a bit more thouroughly

Gee daniel I don't know how much more thorough I can be with my research seeing I know someone who is based in Aust, works for QANTAS as a senior Maintenance engineer and has explained to me how the off-shore maintenance thing works and how when required Aust based staff will go to all the places you mention if they are needed for bigger maintenance jobs outside normal servicing & repairs. Don't know how much more research I can do really

As for ANDY D well the more money they secure the more beneficial it is for clubs like Richmond so im all for it. Like i said its more about players not clocking up Frequent Flyer Points and Business Class for 2 months till DJ introduces it,  than anything else. Get Over it i say.

Well that's good daniel,

And I'll make sure I remember that it's all about Frequent Flyer points when and if before June when we have 2 trips to the NT and if one of our players sustains an injury (knee ligament strain, bad hammy etc) that needs the said player to be upgraded that it's only about FF points and not player welfare 

[Loui Tufga]

And I'll make sure I remember that it's all about Frequent Flyer points when and if before June when we have 2 trips to the NT and if one of our players sustains an injury (knee ligament strain, bad hammy etc) that needs the said player to be upgraded that it's only about FF points and not player welfare 

What's it got to do with player welfare? Virgin has upgrades to, it's not all cattle class.........
I love your loyalty WP but I think your being a little hysterical about the whole situation.