Henderson, CO — bluWave Airlines today announced their first ever “Thank You” sale in light of the upcoming 2012 holiday season, featuring one-way airfares starting at $49 on select flights throughout the airline’s market segment. The sale will kickoff tonight at 11:59 pm PT and will be valid for any flight through Friday, January 11, 2013. The sale will end on Tuesday, November 20 at 12am PT. Market restrictions apply.

“The idea of the sale is to deliver a fond, sincere thanks to our loyal customers who have chosen to fly bluWave again and again across the regions we fly,” President and CEO Connor Levens said at the press conference earlier this morning. “Without these people, there would be no one spreading the word that our services have abundant value to them and their families. And without that, our brand would not be as successful as we are today.”

Examples of these one-way, low airfares include (see fare rules below):

• A $49 one-way, non-stop flight between Las Vegas and Denver
• A $64 one-way, non-stop flight between Denver and Phoenix
• A $69 one-way, non-stop flight between Seattle and Oakland, Calif.
• A $71 one-way, non-stop flight between Sacramento, Calif. and Seattle
• A $78 one-way, non-stop flight between Salt Lake City and Denver

COO Johnathon Neilsen wasn’t hesitant in chiming in on the press conference either, even though he was running a few minutes late. “This sale gives us the opportunity to reward the people who have helped us take to the skies in 2010,” the number two executive at bluWave told reporters. “The fact that it comes so close to Thanksgiving is a mere coincidence.”

Passengers may purchase tickets at these fares at www.bluwavevirtual.org, from their local travel agent, or via the bluWave Airlines reservation system at 1-800-BLU-WAVE. For reservations in Spanish, customers are encouraged to call bluWave Airlines’ multi-lingual customer representatives at 1-877-421-6600.

Fare rules: Tickets are limited due to a set number of available seats on each flight. Certain markets are not subject to operate daily service. Any ticket purchased in person at a bluWave Airlines customer service desk or via 1-800-BLU-WAVE will be subject to a $15 convenience fee. Tickets are nonrefundable. Changes to date and/or time are subject to a $25 convenience fee, while changes to destination and/or origin are subject to a $35 convenience fee. All fares, taxes, and fees are shown based on one-way travel and may be doubled if traveling round-trip. Checked baggage is subject to baggage fees. Additional fees apply to check more than three (3) bags and for all overweight or oversized items. Fares are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions, such as blackout dates and advance purchase requirements, may also apply. Visit www.bluwavevirtual.org or call the bluWave Airlines reservations system at 1-800-BLU-WAVE for additional information.

About bluWave Airlines
bluWave Airlines, Inc. was founded in the autumn of 2010 and serves fourteen (14) destinations in eight (8) states and carries over four (4) million passengers annually (estimated). The airline holds a partnership with Starbucks Corp. and serves a select Starbucks blend on each of its flights. Its flagship aircraft is the Boeing 737-800, each of which are equipped with winglets, the latest RNAV equipment, and intuitive in-flight entertainment resources. The airline is in no alliance and at the moment has no partnerships with other airlines in the virtual airline industry. bluWave Airlines, Inc. is not a public company.

NOTE: This document is fictional. There is no real-world corporation known as bluWave Airlines, Inc., nor does the corporation have any affiliation with the Starbucks Corp., nor do any of the above 1-800 telephone numbers connect any caller to a bluWave Airlines customer service representative.

Although it is unclear which specific product the airline is interested in, sources say that the airline will be laying off a “decent chunk” of mechanics by the end of the year, eluding to a classic labor-management “fire-pit” scenario in Henderson, NV–the airline’s headquarters.

“We never know what [the executives] are up to,” Hank Finley, chief mechanic at the airline’s maintenance facility in Las Vegas told reporters. “But they earned our loyalty when they managed to bring us out of bankruptcy without laying off any of my guys here at McCarran [in 2011].”

bluWave filed voluntary petitions for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada in January 2011 and managed to get back into the market within a year. However, despite a short turnaround, promising earnings, and steadily increasing performance, the company has failed to show any signs of significant expansion post the addition of San Antonio and Austin to the firm’s route structure in July. A source close to the airline’s management team in Henderson told us that in each board meeting–consisting of the airline’s half-dozen investors; Connor Levens, President and CEO; and Johnathon Neilsen, COO–one side of the room wants to push for further expansion, while the other side wants to remain conservative and keep the company’s money in one spot.

“You can’t operate a company that way,” the source, who asked to remain anonymous, told us. “Leadership needs to have one overall goal with one main viewpoint. They [can't] be two and the same.”

Whether or not signing ST Aerospace as the airline’s sole MRO provider falls into the “expansion” category or the “conservative” category is another story, but the source says the rumors have had off-domicile mechanics squirming. However, outsourcing this operation isn’t uncommon to most airlines. Almost every legacy carrier in the business outsources at least a fraction of their MRO, while low-cost carrier jetBlue Airways [NASDAQ: JBLU] outsources the operation in its entirety.

There are many industry analysts that swear by this type of outsourcing, yet there are also many who say it has the capability of severely reducing employee morale. Earlier this week, it became official that American Airlines would be closing their Alliance maintenance base by the end of this year and that they’d be shipping the work overseas to Hong Kong. Such a change has the employees of American in angst, and is a result of “corporate greed,” the President of the Transportation Workers Union told NBC 5 reporters.

“If [bluWave] does go through with this contract, it will be interesting to see how they address the morale issue,” industry analyst Alex Barnes told us over the phone. “I’ve always thought highly of the firm, and what I’ve always loved most was how they treated their employees. But if they don’t handle the issue responsibly, they’ll end up with stir-fried labor contracts up the kazoo.”

bluWave Airlines Director of Human Resources Michael Shaw declined to comment on any rumors about the supposed layoffs in the airline’s maintenance department, as did COO Johnathon Neilsen about any rumors to outsource the company’s MRO operations.

NOTE: This document is fictional. There is no real-world corporation known as bluWave Airlines, Inc., nor does the corporation have any affiliation with and/or have entered into any contracts with ST Aerospace.

The full press release will be available via the bluWave Airlines Blog by 2:15pm PT later this afternoon.

According to bluWave Airlines COO Johnathon Neilsen, the company’s half-year results for 2012 are enroute to climb above past earnings records set by the firm since its inception in 2010. This interview comes after the airline released its Q2 results on July 26, demonstrating stabilization and a positive outlook for the rest of the year. However, the company was hit hard by high fuel cost as it entered its second year of operations, triggering Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada in January 2011.

Although Neilsen joined the airline earlier this year after it resumed normal operations, he says that the firm has a lot to offer its market and that the management is steering the company clear of any obstacles that get in their way. The COO was formerly the Vice President of Operations at Qantas Virtual, which has since closed.

Late last week, we were able to speak with Neilsen on the phone where he was excited to talk about the airline’s progress and his prospects for the rest of the year.

VAFlash: We’ll get to the results in a moment, but earlier last month you and Connor Levens [President and CEO of bluWave] visited Embraer’s facilities in São Paulo, Brazil. Did anything come out of that trip? Or was it “just for show.”

Neilsen: Connor’s “Celebrating the Fourth of July in São Paulo?” blog post was “just for show” as we didn’t really spend the holiday in Brazil, but in terms of anything that came out of it, I can’t really say too much. We took a tour of their facilities with some of Embraer’s executives, exchanged a few business cards, and walked through the cabin of a few of their aircraft. But, honestly, the trip was only to get a feel of what they had to offer. We don’t intend on buying any regional aircraft any time soon, and we don’t expect to have anything come out of this except for a few occasional calls from Embraer executives inviting us out to dinner. Other than that, we’re happy with our seven-threes.

VAFlash: You mentioned on the phone last week when we scheduled this interview that your forecast for Q3 2012 earnings were looking relatively low. Can you provide us with any sort of insight or clarification as to what you mean by “relatively low?”

Neilsen: Again, there’s not much I can say about that. However, due to the fact that we’re a private company, I can afford to give you a few details.

First, we’re confident that the guidance that we’ve given in our half-year report will only be an underestimate to our actual earnings in both Q3 and Q4. As you know, we’re not a public corporation so we do not have to disclose our earnings to the public, but I can tell you that one of the things our investors are happy with are our operating margins. They’ve remained very attractive through the years and that’s been driven by our increase in overall operational efficiency in combination with the restructuring efforts put together by Connor throughout 2011.

In addition, we’re having good success with our “springboard” initiatives which entail jumping into markets that are out-of-reach to our competitors, like the Bay Area and San Antonio.

VAFlash: Of course, it’s only a matter of time until your competitors tap into those “springboard” initiatives and the board goes dull, in which you’ll have to discover newer, untapped markets.

Neilsen: Not necessarily. When those markets “go dull,” as you put it, it doesn’t mean we have to reach out to find something else at the pick of a hat. We can afford to build upon what we already have and bet against our competitors in the overall market share. This will enable us to grow and become more visible to other potential customers while maintaining our overall target market in the west coast; as we reach eastward, that is.

VAFlash: Speaking of eastward, are there any new highlights on the drawing board as it pertains to moving further east?

Neilsen: If you’re betting on a quick hop, skip, and a jump to Myrtle Beach, I can assure you that is not the direction we’re headed in. What about heading east, yet west of the Mississippi? Yes. That’s what it’s looking like for the time being. After all, we can’t go anywhere west of California except for Hawaii (which requires an ETOPS rating on our 737s). We’re not expecting getting an ETOPS rating anytime soon. Although, you’ll know when we get one. (Those filings will be all over the FAA’s databases, which are in the public domain!)

VAFlash: What does “west of the Mississippi” mean for the second half of 2012?

Neilsen: In layman’s terms? Nothing. We’ve rapidly expanded throughout much of 2012 and we’re not going anywhere new, indefinitely, until 2013.

VAFlash: What about long-term growth? How solid are the targets you’re setting for the company and will you be able to continue to invest with the returns you’re currently receiving?

Neilsen: Yes, absolutely. We’ve positioned ourselves such that, at our core, we remain strong and our growth prospects over the long-term stay positive. We are committed to our strategy for accelerating profitable growth by launching service in up-and-coming areas throughout the country, betting on economic recovery and giving back to the community by creating jobs.

Take the Bay Area for example. We continue to be committed to making it easy for our passengers to get to their final destination as quickly as possible once they land, and in the areas surrounding the Bay, you have three (3) major destinations to choose from: San Francisco, Oakland, or San Jose. It’s exuberantly frustrating to travel from SFO to Oakland or Silicon Valley, and with SJC and OAK within their immediate vicinities, there’s no reason not to serve them.

Additionally, serving these airports required us to hire a total of twenty (20) plus flight crews. I don’t want to brag, but in this case, everybody wins!

VAFlash: Something that you have a strong belief about is the moral character of each bluWave employee. From an operational standpoint, where does this impact the airline most and is this really about saving cost?

Neilsen: Great question. When I was in college, I heavily studied the impact of “employee morale” on a company’s overall efficiency. Contrarily, Connor studied the same subject as it pertained to a company’s overall earnings. These two studies go hand-in-hand and companies that don’t spend the necessary amount of time and resources in bonding with their employees are destined to have a much harder time getting what they need out of their workforce.

Connor often refers to TWA as a major player in this area, as he believes they single-handedly defined employee morale as is pertains to the airline industry. From baggage handlers to veteran captains of L1011s, TWA employees knew how to put 110% of their effort in to get the job done right. That same mentality is what we aim for here at bluWave and I’ll put my job on the line if someone can prove us wrong.

Anyway, to answer your question: where does this impact the airline most? Easily in customer service, first. On-time efficiency, second. We rank right up there with JetBlue and Alaska in terms of treating our customers the right way, with Southwest in the latter. These are two categories that we’re proud to strive in, and it’s not to say that they still don’t need maintaining, but we’re happy with where they currently stand.

In terms of saving cost, you better ask Connor this one. Undoubtedly does it increase earnings potential, but just do the math: if customer service is ranked highly along with on-time efficiency, how can anyone say earnings are twice as likely to get shot down? Not me!

NOTE: This document is fictional. There is no real-world airline known as bluWave Airlines, Inc.

For additional information, read the original press release here.

According to the carrier’s website, improved quarterly reports have played a key factor in the firm’s recent operational tactics which seem to justify the management’s decision to build the facility. However, analysts remain skeptical.

“It’s one thing if an airline shows increased performance quarter after quarter,” Michele Ryan told VAFlash reporters. “It’s another thing if an airline shows increased performance quarter after quarter and spends their resources wisely. What is not something is if a startup airline shows increased performance quarter after quarter and spends their resources benefiting their pilots.”

Alex Barnes, senior analyst at Jefferies & Company, specializes on the West coast market of the airline industry and mentioned at the celebratory convention that although Ryan’s statement was generally true for most of the legacy carriers, he believes that it doesn’t hold water.

“You’re talking about an airline that, yes–is new to the market–but at the same time repeatedly gains market share every six (6) months,” Barnes told VAFlash. “I agree with Ryan that their move to build a crew facility this soon in the process is rare for most companies in this industry, but I think the firm can ‘carry the wave through to shore.’”

bluWave currently leases the two (2) of its buildings that will be neighboring its to-be crew facility along East Diablo Avenue and Haven Street, featuring its training facility and its maintenance hangar, respectively. COO Johnathan Neilsen stated that in addition to keeping travel expenses at a minimal, constructing these buildings within such a close vicinity of each other allows for the three (3) departments to operate as one while on the ground at McCarran.

The building is only intended for use during overnight layovers. All other operations will continue to be housed at the company’s headquarters in Henderson. Construction is expected to be completed by summer 2013.

The management of bluWave Airlines declined to make any additional comments on this article.

NOTE: This document is fictional. There is no real-world airline known as bluWave Airlines, Inc. and the firm does not intend to build a physical crew facility in Las Vegas, NV by year-end 2013.

For additional information, read the full press release here.

These plans come after bluWave expanded its presence in the Bay Area earlier this month thanks to a push from industry analysts hired by the firm in light of its purchase of four (4) Boeing 737s from the now defunct SnapJet Airlines, LCC in January.

“It’s been clear to us for some time now that our customers have been looking for us to establish a presence in the east,” said Johnathon Neilsen, bluWave’s recently hired COO. “We’re committed to fulfilling their wishes and we look forward to bringing the airline in this direction.”

President and CEO Connor Levens added that although they aimed to launch service to Texas once the official start of summer had passed, it was ironic that they were beginning operations in Texas during Independence week. “It’s funny how some things just fall into the woodwork like that,” he told reporters in Henderson. “Nonetheless, it’ll only help drive up revenue in the third quarter.”

From Phoenix to Austin:

Flight 620 Departs: 6:00 a.m. Arrives: 8:30 a.m.

From Austin to Phoenix:

Flight 625 Departs: 9:15 a.m. Arrives: 12:00 p.m.

From Denver to San Antonio:

Flight 630 Departs: 3:15 p.m. Arrives: 6:00 p.m.

From San Antonio to Dever:

Flight 635 Departs: 6:45 p.m. Arrives: 9:15 p.m.

The airline announced that it will begin selling tickets for its new routes on Sunday, June 3 at midnight. Each flight will be flown with the airline’s final, newly refurbished aircraft from SnapJet, featuring mood-lighting in the cabin, enhanced LCD monitors for in-flight entertainment, and free Wi-Fi Internet service.

Service between Phoenix-Austin and Denver-San Antonio will launch on July 2, perfectly aligned with Independence Day travel plans.

About bluWave Airlines

bluWave Airlines, Inc. was founded in the autumn of 2010 and serves thirteen  (13) destinations in seven (7) states and carries over four (4) million passengers annually (estimated). The airline holds a partnership with the Starbucks Corporation and serves the Starbucks House blend on each of its flights. Its flagship aircraft is the Boeing 737-800, each of which are equipped with winglets and the newest RNAV equipment. The airline is in no alliance and at the moment has no partnerships with other airlines in the virtual airline industry. bluWave Airlines, Inc. is not a public company.

NOTE: This document is fictional. There is no real-world airline known as bluWave Airlines and there is no real-world affiliation with the Starbucks Corp

Expansion plans for 2012, along with Neilsen’s hiring, came ahead of a remarkable first quarter (Q1 2012) that the airline supposedly disclosed to its investors late last month. According to Mike Dovi of Matrix Advisors, the airline’s largest investor, the company increased their overall revenue by 15% compared to quarterly earnings in Q1 2011.

“Johnathon’s expertise in this industry will allow us to explore new avenues of business and will improve the way we currently conduct our operation,” President and CEO Connor Levens said. “He has the insight that can provide us with what we need to offer even more services to our passengers and our pilots.”

While a part of Qantas Virtual’s management team in New South Wales, Australia, Neilsen served the airline as their Vice President of Scheduling. Throughout his career at the company, he was responsible for maintaining the validity of Qantas Virtual’s operation as it compared to the way the airline operated from a realistic sense. Neilsen’s background and experience at his previous place of employment, combined with over 2,500 hours on the VATSIM network, positions him uniquely as bluWave’s latest addition to their staff.

“I’m excited to join bluWave. This is going to be a pivotal year for this airline and I hope my involvement with its expansion can bring a slew of resources to both Connor and the employees here,” said Neilsen. “The initiatives this airline is planning speak to the way we listen to our customers. We’re always interested in hearing about what they want, and we’re always eager to figure out how we can get them what they want.”

Investors voted unanimously to bring Neilsen onboard last Friday.

About bluWave Airlines

bluWave Airlines, Inc. was founded in the autumn of 2010 and serves thirteen  (13) destinations in seven (7) states and carries over four (4) million passengers annually (estimated). The airline holds a partnership with the Starbucks Corporation and serves the Starbucks House blend on each of its flights. Its flagship aircraft is the Boeing 737-800, each of which are equipped with winglets and the newest RNAV equipment. The airline is in no alliance and at the moment has no partnerships with other airlines in the virtual airline industry. bluWave Airlines, Inc. is not a public company.

NOTE: This document is fictional. There is no real-world airline known as bluWave Airlines and there is no real-world affiliation with the Starbucks Corp

What sparked the discussion was a question a reporter asked the bluWave Airlines management team about what they thought about their competitor’s plans to utilize the jumbo jet on a route “so empty” while promising a shocking “average 98.6% load factor” on both flights. Levens, who seemed eager to answer the reporter’s question, replied without delay.

“I cannot see why any airline would want to launch service to Beijing out of two airports which are not, by any means, ‘primary international hubs’ for passengers,” Levens exclaimed. He continued to state that MetroAir, which has been operating out of Baltimore and Ontario, CA for the better part of five (5) years, has been operating international service out of these two hubs which are low in volume and that they cannot attain the crowds needed to sustain service between them and Beijing.

“I think what Connor is trying to say is that there’s something wrong with their calculations,” bluWave Airlines Director of Human Resources Michael Shaw added. Shaw criticized MetroAir’s load factor calculation and called it “too aggressive,” while Levens said it was beyond that.

Explaining what he felt MetroAir failed to do, the CEO of the two-year-old airline explained that his competitor was promising to fill over 500 seats on each flight, 100% of the time, four times a day between the two routes. He concluded by stating that, “Such a feat is nearly impossible and if they still claim to meet their expectations once these flights commence, then I would strongly encourage industry analysts to look into the way their marketing departments conduct research.”

bluWave Airlines has since signed an agreement with Regus PLC to purchase its 2-storey, 50,461 square foot building office building outside of Las Vegas. The building had been occupied solely by bluWave employees since the beginning of last month.

About bluWave Airlines

bluWave Airlines, Inc. was founded in the autumn of 2010 and serves eleven (11) destinations in seven (7) states and carries over four (4) million passengers annually (estimated). The airline holds a partnership with the Starbucks Corporation and serves the Starbucks House blend on each of its flights. Its flagship aircraft is the Boeing 737-800, each of which are equipped with winglets and the newest RNAV equipment. The airline is in no alliance and at the moment has no partnerships with other airlines in the virtual airline industry. bluWave Airlines, Inc. is not a public company.

For additional information, visit http://www.bluwavevirtual.org.

NOTE: This document is fictional. There is no real-world airline known as bluWave Airlines and there is no real-world affiliation with the Starbucks Corp.

Henderson, NV

“We intentionally left out these two airports during our first and second years of operation because we weren’t sure if they would turn a profit for us,” Connor Levens, President and CEO of the airline, explained to the press. “We want to create an imprint in a region that already has a small market share to begin with so we can let the bluWave name thrive at locations our competitors have overlooked.”

Levens joked when he told the press that he wished him and his team conducted this research prior to the their filing for Chapter 11 last January.

“Personally, I’m excited to witness this addition to our route structure because I have family scattered throughout the Bay Area,” Michael Shaw, Director of Human Resources, joked. “But, in all seriousness, that’s exactly what this addition should do: further connect our customers by offering more direct service to their final destination.”

From Oakland to Seattle:

Flight 340        Departs: 5:00 p.m.        Arrives: 7:00 p.m.

From Oakland to Long Beach:

Flight 335        Departs: 2:15 p.m.        Arrives: 3:30 p.m.

From San Jose to Long Beach:

Flight 345        Departs: 11:00 a.m.        Arrives: 12:00 p.m.

From San Jose to Phoenix:

Flight 450        Departs: 5:00 p.m.        Arrives: 6:45 p.m.

The airline announced that it will begin selling tickets for its new routes on Sunday, April 1 at midnight. Each flight will be flown with the airline’s brand new, mainstay 737 aircraft which features mood-lighting in its single-class cabin, enhanced LCD monitors which passengers can customize from the comfort of their seat to enhance inflight entertainment, in addition to inflight Wi-Fi Internet service.

The two executives at the company declined to comment on plans post-expansion to the Bay Area, but stated that they plan to add at least a total of four (4) new destinations by the end of this year.

About bluWave Airlines

bluWave Airlines, Inc. was founded in the autumn of 2010 and serves eleven (11) destinations in seven (7) states and carries over four (4) million passengers annually (estimated). The airline holds a partnership with the Starbucks Corporation and serves the Starbucks House blend on each of its flights. Its flagship aircraft is the Boeing 737-800, each of which are equipped with winglets and the newest RNAV equipment. The airline is in no alliance and at the moment has no partnerships with other airlines in the virtual airline industry. bluWave Airlines, Inc. is not a public company.