Posted on 04/04/2008 8:09:08 PM PDT by buccaneer81
Skybus shuts down, cancels all flights Friday, April 4, 2008 9:37 PM By Marla Matzer Rose THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The first Skybus flight leaves Port Columbus on the morning of May 22, 2007. Dispatch photo The first Skybus flight leaves Port Columbus on the morning of May 22, 2007. Hot Issue What's your reaction to the closing of Skybus? Click here to comment. Disrupted travel plans?
Did the end of Skybus affect your travel plans? Are you a Skybus employee who lost your job? E-mail us at readernet@dispatch.com. Some comments will be used in upcoming stories. Archive See a Skybus timeline and previous stories
Skybus Airlines, a Columbus carrier that excited central Ohio travelers with its $10 fares, is calling it quits.
The news came quickly today, with the airline announcing on its Web site at about 9 p.m. that it will no longer be in business Saturday.
After today, all flights are canceled.
Those holding tickets for future flights are advised to contact their credit card companies about obtaining refunds.
Gary L. Patterson, who flew Skybus from Richmond yesterday to visit his girlfriend, said he felt empty when he learned he wouldn't be going back the same way. He'd gotten word when a friend called his girlfriend.
Patterson, 42, an Air Force tech sergeant temporarily stationed at Langley Air Force Base, said he's frustrated. He thought common courtesy called for at least a week's notice.
But getting mad is not going to change anything, he said. It's not going to get me back on Monday morning.
Skybus is not providing alternate transportation.
Patterson planned on getting something to eat and trying to find a way back tomorrow.
Those who purchased trip insurance within the last month should make any claims through the Skybus insurance provider, AIG TravelGuard. The policy that went into effect in early March covers airline-caused cancellations; the previous policy did not.
As of today, Skybus was making 80 daily flights to 15 cities around the U.S. It made its first flight from its home base at Port Columbus on May 22 of last year and opened a second base in Greensboro, N.C. in January.
Skybus has approximately 450 employees. Of those, 350 are based in Columbus, with the remainder in Greensboro.
mrose@dispatch.com Text of Skybus announcement
Skybus Airlines will cease all operations effective Saturday, April 5.
Skybus struggled to overcome the combination of rising jet fuel costs and a slowing economic environment. These two issues proved to be insurmountable for a new carrier.
We deeply regret the impact this decision will have on our employees and their families, customers, vendors, suppliers, airport officials and others in the cities in which we have operated. Our financial condition is such that our Board of Directors felt it had no choice but to cease operations.
Passengers holding reservations for Skybus flights scheduled to depart on or after Saturday, April 5, 2008 should contact their credit card companies to arrange to apply for a refund. More information for customers and others will be made available on the Skybus web site (www.skybus.com) as it becomes available.
All flights for Friday, April 4 will be completed. Passengers holding reservations on flights for Friday, April 4 should check in for their flight at a Skybus kiosk at the airport instead of the Skybus website.
BFD
My wife flew Skybus from Columbus to North Carolina and a more rude, self centered, totally lacking in service airline would have been hard to find.
One good thing. Prior to her trip, we had booked seats to Florida at the end of this month! After her experience when we had a chance to cancel and re-book elsewhere we took it!
Dodged the bullet big time.
Suffering short-term memory?
PSA
Eastern
Braniff
Pan Am
TWA
Western
Complete list of Defunct Airlines
Ahhh, I see - thanks for the response!
And all of those you listed went out of business in the last month?
Makes sense to me. And Southwest just lost a lot of flights with the loss of their codeshare agreement with ATA. I even heard that Southwest was calling American Airlines with a corporate credit card to reaccommodate some of their passengers who were scheduled to fly on ATA.
I live in Columbus. The only international flight I know of now is to Toronto (I know, not really overseas.) There used to be a few flights years ago to the Caribbean, but if you want to go to Europe, you have to go to Cincinnati for Delta, or Cleveland for Continental.
Sounds like my experiences on US Airways as well. IMHO, the best domestic airline is Continental.
Considering the backlog of A320 series aircraft, the Skybus slots on the production line can be quite valuable. Given enough advance notification, Airbus could change those aircraft to any of the A320 series - not just the A319. Airbus will laugh all the way to the bank just as Boeing did when the original launch customer for the 787 (Primaris) cancelled its order. By that time Boeing was on a roll selling hundreds of 787's with a 5 or 6 year backlog once production would start. The 20 slots freed up became available for earlier deliveries for airlines that hadn't yet ordered the 787 or more early deliveries for existing 787 customers.
An airline where everything is a la carte including customer service. Good luck getting rebooked if a flight gets cancelled or is over sold. It makes Ryan Air look good in comparison.
When I lived there there was a billboard of Believe it or not, Larry Flynt, welcoming you to the hometown of Hustler Enterprises.
Charters are in trouble, too. Sun Country is hurting, and they used to be pretty steady as a charter airline.
LOL! I've been here since '92. I would have loved to have seen that.
Supposedly Sun Country was founded by ex-Braniff employees not long after Braniff I went bankrupt in May 1982. If they have any ETOPS 180 planes available, I bet Southwest wouldn't mind chartering them to fly their code share passengers to Hawaii.
I was even privileged to enter one of the original Hustler Clubs.(aimed to overtake the Playboy Clubs,apparently) in 1972. Boy what a dive.
And another pic too large to post here:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2060/2080412905_0de17c79d0_o.png
True, but what about training or hiring crew rated on something other than the 73?
Flew them to London in '85. Greyhound could have done better than their service in coach.
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