Skybus to Begin Flying to Cities other than Columbus!

This morning i received a Skybus e-mail announcing service from Portsmouth New Hampshire to Punta Gorda and Ft. Lauderdale. Service begins December 17th, and a quick search this morning revealed $10 tickets for every day in December.

Four New Skybus Destinations

This morning, Skybus added Milwaukee, Chattanooga, Gulfport-Biloxi, and Punta Gorda to their lineup. Plenty of $10 tickets available, beginning with flights on Decemeber 5th. Unfortunately, Skybus is still not selling any tickets beyond March 5th.

Have fun gobbling up those tickets!

Tom

Skybus and Punta Gorda, Finally

It looks like tiny Charlotte County airport will finally become Columbus based carrier Skybus' next and newest destination. I've known about this one for a while, and even heard it from a top executive at the airline that just happened to be sitting with my wife and I. Charlotte County has built a brand new terminal from the ground up for Skybus, and the destination will be popular. Southwest Florida, meet Columbus.

Look for the news at 11:00 tomorrow morning. The next question: When will Skybus release tickets for these flights? Time will tell.

Tom

A Skybus Narrative

Its amazing how much information is out there in the blogsphere.

Kylie, from Columbus, wrote a nice little narrative about her Skybus trip to Portsmouth New Hampshire on her MySpace blog. The two things I took from her post: 1. Tons of kids fly on Skybus and 2. Many of the passengers were new to flying. I'm guessing this market is exactly what Skybus was trying to target. Get people on airplanes that normally wouldn't get on them. It seems to be working. I read in the Columbus dispatch that the new airline transported over 60,000 people in June alone, their first full month of operation.

Checking in With Skybus

Jamie Rhein has written quite a nice analysis about the online check-in process that Skybus offers on their website. Although I wasn't quite clear about some of the details, this writeup is definitely worth reading if you have purchased a Skybus ticket. Link courtesy of Gadling, the traveler's weblog.

Skybus, First Hand Account: Checking-In

More Skybus Reviews

Now that Skybus has been flying for two months, there are quite a few reviews that run the gamut from scathing to down right encouraging. Yelp.com has four nice reviews here:

Skybus Reviews

Skybus Hasn't Pleased Everyone

Last Thursday's Skybus cancellation of a flight from Columbus to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, did not turn out well. It sounds like Skybus needs to work on a "plan B" if their flights are canceled. The Hunter family from New Hampshire details their 28 hour trip from Columbus to Portsmouth in an article at Seacoastonline.com. The bottom line? I don't think this family will be flying on Skybus in the future.

Skybus 'nightmare' sours local family

Skybus receives DOT approval for Cancun, Nassau

Thats right, as reported here on the Skybus Blog, Skybus will be flying to these two popular vacation destinations from Columbus. No tickets on sale yet, but the airline says that Cancun flights will commence October 1st 2007, with service to the Bahamas beginning in early 2008.

Skybus gets OK for Mexico, Bahamas flights

People Like Skybus

Skybus reviews are popping up on blogs all across the internet.

Here is one such review:

Thoughts on Skybus

Skybus has First Cancellation

The Columbus Dispatch did an excellent writeup on Skybus Airline's first cancellation. Last Thursday's flight from Port Columbus to Portsmouth New Hampshire didn't make it due to stormy weather near Pease airport. It sounds like the Skybus plane actually landed in Hartford Connecticut, finally turning back for Columbus. Some passengers were able to make it to Portsmouth the next day, while others had their money refunded.

Weather forces first cancellation for Skybus.

Skybus a319 Photos

For those of you that have not ridden Skybus, here is what you can expect when you fly out of Port Columbus International Airport here in Columbus, Ohio. Notice the cones around the planes. They help guide passengers to and from the aircraft. Yep, that's right, Skybus does not use jetways. This speeds up the deplaning process. I felt I was lucky to capture, at that time, three of the four operating Skybus planes when my wife and I flew out on United flight to Montana.

Tom

 

 

 

 

Skybus already an industry leader?

The Columbus Dispatch reports today that other airlines may follow Skybus for charging for checked baggage and priority boarding. The airlines are looking for anyway to increase revenue without raising fares.

"That's Extra"

Skybus Food Options

Here's what you'll have to choose from when flying Skybus. This sign hangs in the Skybus area at Port Columbus International Aiport. In about a month, I'll be flying Skybus for the first time. I wonder if the wraps are any good?

 

Skybus area at Port Columbus Airport

A few days ago, I posted a picture of the check-in area at Port Columbus, and tonight, I thought I'd post another picture for all potential Skybus passengers. Here we have the entrance to the Skybus area in terminal B. After entering, you turn left and go down a long series of ramps! I walked down the somewhat annoying ramp, and I arrived at, well, what did resemble a bus garage. There was long line of people waiting to go out onto the tarmac and board a plane. Yes, the line was long, a good sign, since I'm pulling for Skybus to succeed, and, the more passengers the better.

Tom

 

Skybus releases more $10 tickets

I have been checking the Skybus website almost daily to see if they had started selling any tickets for flights after December 15th. They hadn't until today. Megan woke up this morning, quickly read her e-mail, and she had received a message from Skybus. Skybus has a mailing list, and both of us are on it. Anyways, we jumped on Skybus.com and purchased tickets for a our yearly winter trip to Norway, Maine via Portsmouth New Hampshire. All legs of the trip are costings us $10 a person, and with tax, I think the total for the trip was something like $76. We have three trips now booked to Portsmouth.

This afternoon, I jumped on to see how much tickets were going for for popular destinations like Florida, California, and Washington state. Most tickets were already up to $100 a route! Not $10, but still, not too bad. The Columbus Dispatch ran with the story this morning, and also detailed some of the glitches that Skybus has had so far, namely running out of food during long flights and having problems being on time. If you are flying on Skybus, these articles are required reading!

Tickets on Sale for Winter Flights

Airline's Glitches Not Seen as Serious

St. Augustine Busily Preparing for Skybus

Skybus makes its first flight to St. Augustine Florida on July 18th. The local airport, which is preparing for its first commercial flight, has been busily upgrading their facilities to accommodate Skybus. Only thirty minutes to Jacksonville, sixty minutes or so to Daytona Beach, and ninety minutes to Orlando, this should be a popular destination, especially during Ohio's cold and nasty winters.

St. Augustine Airport Buzzing With Changes.

All signs point too........Punta Gorda!

It looks like Skybus and Punta Gorda Florida are trying to hook up. Well, at least it looks like tiny Charlotte County airport may be thinking about getting commercial flights. Several experts have said this idea is bound to fail, but I would sure like to fly to southwestern Florida from Columbus for only ten bucks! Check out these articles for more on Skybus and Punta Gorda.


Aero-News Network

AirpotBusiness.com

Skybus Ticket Counter at Port Columbus

My wife and I flew through Port Columbus on United Airlines this past week, and we had the opportunity to check out the digs of Columbus based Skybus Airlines. Over the next few days, I'll post some of the photos from our little scouting trip. First up is the ticket counter. There were three, yes three employees hanging out at the counter, and one of them was actually sitting down! I was kinda shocked by this, since Skybus is all about efficiency and saving money. The mere fact that one was sitting down was quite unprofessional. Lets hope the company takes care of this. Idle employees means that my $10 tickets could even be cheaper! Anyways, the check-in kiosks looked pretty typical, but they were painted with orange and even had fake wood on the side. Nice Touch. So, from just looking at the check-in table, I'll give the overall appearance an 8, but the fact there were idle employees, one sitting down, rates about a 3. Stay tuned, in the upcoming days I'll have pictures of the boarding area, the aircraft, and boarding procedure!

 

Nobosh Details Skybus

Nobosh, a financial news and rumors blog written by readers, has posted a very nice article on Skybus. For those of you that are new to Skybus, there are many things about this discount airline that separate it from others. For one, you need to arrive at the airport at least thirty minutes prior to takeoff. If you aren't checked in by then, you won't get on your plane. For me, the $10 tickets make up for the rather strict rules of this new, "ala-carte" airline. However, if I'm paying $200 for a Skybus ticket, which is possible, I may not be as patient.

Skybus Airlines: Flying at a Discount May Come With a Price

Skybus Review

"The 270" blog has posted a nice, quick review of flying on Skybus to Burbank, California. I thought it was most interesting, that even though the blogger brought food and water onboard, something that goes against the "Skybus Rules of Flying", he wasn't harassed. He even suggests buying a drink from the flight attendants, and even tipping them, since they only make $10 an hour. Check out his tips here.

Looking for a Vacation Ohioans? Consider Richmond!

Steve Stephens, travel columnist for the Columbus Dispatch, detailed Richmond in this past Sunday's edition of the newspaper. Could Skybus be looking to boost ticket sales to Richmond, getting a little help from one of their investors, the Dispatch? I must say, Richmond does has much to offer, including many civil war historical sites. Jamestown, America's first permanent settlement, is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year. Read about Richmond in Sunday's Dispatch. http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/travel/stories/2007/07/01/_RICHMOND.ART_ART_07-01-07_F1_DH74MUB.html.

Chicopee Airport Receives Grant

Skybus Airlines is affecting commerce around the country. Westover Airport in Chicopee Massachusetts, which hasn't had regularly scheduled passenger service since the 1980's, will be the newest Skybus destination in mid July. The airport just received a $1.85 million grant to fund renovations and improvements. I have never been to Chicopee, but it sounds like the airport lacks basic needs such as parking! The grant will help double parking and provide for hangar improvements. Overall, Skybus has the advantage of flying to these super small, somewhat out of the way airports, in that passengers will not have to battle the masses at the typical mainstream airports. Anyways, just another reason to check out this brand new airline.

The latest news from Chicopee, Massachusetts.

Skybus Plane Photos

Airliners.net has several excellent pictures of Skybus Airbus a319 aircraft. While the first Skybus plane is orange, later ones seem to be mostly white, leaving plenty of space for future advertisements. It doesn't look like any company has been brave enough to shell out five-hundred thousand dollars to sponsor an airplane.

Skybus looking to fly to Cancun, Nassau

That's right, Skybus Airlines may soon be able to get you to the Bahamas and the resort land of Cancun Mexico. Its possible that Skybus may begin flying to at least one of these destinations in 2007, while the second would come online sometime in 2008. This only makes sense for skybus. Currently, there aren't any regularly scheduled flights to either of these destinations from Port Columbus, and you have to figure people will eat up these cheap international flights like mice flocking to peanut butter! Read about Skybus' international plans in today's Columbus Dispatch.

Skybus Heading to Austin Texas?

No routes have been announced, but rumor has it that Austin Texas may be one of Skybus Airlines next destinations. In fact, airport authorities there are looking to build a new terminal for ultra low cost carriers like skybus. Read about Skybus and Austin at Airportbusiness.com

Chicopee Prepares for Skybus

Skybus will begin flying to Chicopee Massachusetts, via Westover Metropolitan airport beginning July 5th. Read about Chicopee's preparations here.

Skybus

I've been following skybus airlines since the summer of 2006. I live in Columbus, and this will be a place for me to update everyone on the growth and development of Skybus.