Skybus Airlines Inc., a new US budget carrier, is to start flying May 22 with $10 one-way tickets available on all flights. (4/26/2007)
Skybus Airlines will offer nonstop service from Columbus to the Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay and Seattle/Vancouver areas, and to Ft. Lauderdale, Richmond, Kansas City and Greensboro/Winston-Salem, NC.
Tickets went on sale exclusively at the airline’s website - www.skybus.com/ - for flights through December 15.
“Beginning today, passengers can buy airline tickets for less than the cost of a tank of gas,” said Bill Diffenderffer, Skybus CEO. “Travelers who visit our web site will find outrageously low fares on nonstop flights to major markets and to cities that are underserved from Columbus. And these fares - starting with at least 10 seats at $10 on every flight - will always be offered. They are not `promotional’ fares that will go away in a couple of weeks. These are the everyday low fares we promised when we began working to build Skybus.”
“Most of our destinations are not currently served non-stop from Columbus,” Diffenderffer said. “We ‘ve put together a unique mix of destination airports, including:
Primary metropolitan airports (such as Kansas City, Ft. Lauderdale, Richmond and Greensboro/Winston-Salem); Convenient, well-known airports (such as Burbank in the Los Angeles area and Oakland in the San Francisco Bay area) that many travelers prefer over their more congested counterparts; Secondary airports such as Portsmouth, NH and Bellingham, WA that give travelers easy access to nearby major markets.
Because some of Skybus’ destination airports may not be familiar to many Central Ohioans, the Skybus web site provides easy-to-find information on the airports, their location, and options for ground transportation to their ultimate destination.
“We know travelers are looking for really low fares and nonstop flights, and we believe our pricing structure will not only attract current flyers, but open up the market to many others who now find air travel simply too expensive,” Diffenderffer said. “Our strategy is to `decomplexify’ airline operations in ways that keep costs down while making flying as simple and convenient as possible for passengers.”
Rather than being forced to search for flights on one given day, a unique “fare calendar” will show them at a glance the lowest fare available for an entire month, allowing them to shop for a fare that suits their budget.
Skybus’ pricing structure is designed to offer passengers the lowest fares available, then allow them to choose as many or as few add-ons as they like. Passengers have the option to check baggage, obtain priority boarding, and purchase a wide range of food and beverages and gift items on board their flight. All fares are also subject to fees and taxes applied to all airline tickets by the federal government and local airports.
(The airline clarified that $10 ticket does not include taxes and fees up to $7.90, and Sept. 11 Security Fee of $2.50.)
