Skybus effect on Midwest
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Programs: AS,UA
Posts: 595
Skybus effect on Midwest
Looks like Skybus has finally started selling tickets. One of there start up cities is Kansas City. I just looked on there website, and i can fly from MCI-CMH for 40 dollars total. I have heard that you have to pay for everything though, like soda, food and they are even gonna sell watches and perfurmes.
I think Skybus could have an effect on Midwest if they start focus cities in MCI and MKE, and MKE could be very possible
I think Skybus could have an effect on Midwest if they start focus cities in MCI and MKE, and MKE could be very possible
#2
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,800
Looks like Skybus has finally started selling tickets. One of there start up cities is Kansas City. I just looked on there website, and i can fly from MCI-CMH for 40 dollars total. I have heard that you have to pay for everything though, like soda, food and they are even gonna sell watches and perfurmes.
I think Skybus could have an effect on Midwest if they start focus cities in MCI and MKE, and MKE could be very possible
I think Skybus could have an effect on Midwest if they start focus cities in MCI and MKE, and MKE could be very possible
I don't think it's any small coincidence that the first new CRJ route for Midwest was MCI-CMB. From their standpoint, it's probably more important to keep a discounter like Skybus at bay than worrying about Express Jet.
Midwest caters primarily to the business and higher-end leisure travelers. I doubt most of those people would subject themselves to the "service" Skybus will be offering.
#3
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: MKE
Programs: Midwest Miles, AirTran A+ Rewards
Posts: 1,445
Looks like Skybus has finally started selling tickets. One of there start up cities is Kansas City. I just looked on there website, and i can fly from MCI-CMH for 40 dollars total. I have heard that you have to pay for everything though, like soda, food and they are even gonna sell watches and perfurmes.
I think Skybus could have an effect on Midwest if they start focus cities in MCI and MKE, and MKE could be very possible
I think Skybus could have an effect on Midwest if they start focus cities in MCI and MKE, and MKE could be very possible
#4
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,800
#5
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 2,206
It's 134 seats with 32" pitch. 156 seats is two more rows, that can't be very comfortable, unless they remove the galleys/bathrooms or something...
#6
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: DAL
Programs: DL Silver, HH diamond, Midwest Miles (RIP), NWA WP (RIP)
Posts: 530
As for charges, first 2 bags under 50lbs are $5 each/segment (not a big deal). Oversized and overweight are $25/segment. No medical oxygen.
They ask you not to bring food and beverage onboard to keep things neat and tindy...I'm surprised they allow newspapers! (this one would be enough to keep me away...I always bring my nalgene and fill it up at the bubbler post security...does gum count as food???).
As for cities, BOS=Portsmouth, NH. LA=Burbank, SFO=OAK (how can you advertise SFO as OAK, when every major serves both without tricking you into flying into oakland by calling it San Francisco-OAK...). SEA/YVR is Bellinham, WA. Other cities are Richmond, VA, MCI, Greensboro, NC, FLL, CMH.
Their website says 156 seats on the a319...they are leather however...
No phone number, just the website (that's better I guess than the supposed phone numbers ryanair has that everyone claims you can't ever use...).
Priority boarding is $10, you board after people with special needs, and it is a limited # per flight...if you want to change flights, you are then limited to flights with priority boarding available.
They ask you not to bring food and beverage onboard to keep things neat and tindy...I'm surprised they allow newspapers! (this one would be enough to keep me away...I always bring my nalgene and fill it up at the bubbler post security...does gum count as food???).
As for cities, BOS=Portsmouth, NH. LA=Burbank, SFO=OAK (how can you advertise SFO as OAK, when every major serves both without tricking you into flying into oakland by calling it San Francisco-OAK...). SEA/YVR is Bellinham, WA. Other cities are Richmond, VA, MCI, Greensboro, NC, FLL, CMH.
Their website says 156 seats on the a319...they are leather however...
No phone number, just the website (that's better I guess than the supposed phone numbers ryanair has that everyone claims you can't ever use...).
Priority boarding is $10, you board after people with special needs, and it is a limited # per flight...if you want to change flights, you are then limited to flights with priority boarding available.
#7
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,800
#8
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 2,206
According to www.skybus.com, the planes will have 156 seats.
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,417
FWIW, I think SkyBus will fail. Mind you, the odds are ALWAYS in favor of a start-up airline failing, but there are some specific reasons this one will likely do poorly.
First, Columbus. It's a loser. Doug Parker is a very smart man and certainly knows how to run a low cost airline. Before buying US, he battled WN at PHX and LAS for years and SURVIVED. But he did close down AWA's Columbus hub -- because it had lost money for years. If there was a reasonable opportunity to run a low fare airline out of Columbus, do you think he would have done that?
Second, the domestic airline market is saturated. We've got plenty of good low fare airlines, and the majors have returned to profitability. This isn't an untapped market.
Third, Americans are still used to SOME service when they fly. JetBlue was a hit because it offered frills while the majors were removing service. Who wants to fly barebones service when there's a reasonable alternative?
In short, a bad business plan is going to lead to failure. At least that's my guess.
First, Columbus. It's a loser. Doug Parker is a very smart man and certainly knows how to run a low cost airline. Before buying US, he battled WN at PHX and LAS for years and SURVIVED. But he did close down AWA's Columbus hub -- because it had lost money for years. If there was a reasonable opportunity to run a low fare airline out of Columbus, do you think he would have done that?
Second, the domestic airline market is saturated. We've got plenty of good low fare airlines, and the majors have returned to profitability. This isn't an untapped market.
Third, Americans are still used to SOME service when they fly. JetBlue was a hit because it offered frills while the majors were removing service. Who wants to fly barebones service when there's a reasonable alternative?
In short, a bad business plan is going to lead to failure. At least that's my guess.
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Programs: AS,UA
Posts: 595
The flight attendant only get paid 9 bucks an hour too and the pilots are really underpaid at 65k a year.
Does this Airline charge for Toilet Paper as well, 25 cents per sheet and 35 cents if you want 2 ply
If this airline goes under, we know that most flying americans are about Quality instead of price
Does this Airline charge for Toilet Paper as well, 25 cents per sheet and 35 cents if you want 2 ply
If this airline goes under, we know that most flying americans are about Quality instead of price
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,417
BTW, is this an airline you really want to fly? I would say "no," unless the price difference is dramatic.
I'd be particularly worried if something went wrong (gosh, and we all know that NEVER happens when flying!). No telephone number. "Limited" agents. It wouldn't be fun.
http://ask.skybus.com/about/rules-of-flying.shtml
I'd be particularly worried if something went wrong (gosh, and we all know that NEVER happens when flying!). No telephone number. "Limited" agents. It wouldn't be fun.
http://ask.skybus.com/about/rules-of-flying.shtml
#12
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: MKE
Programs: Midwest Miles, AirTran A+ Rewards
Posts: 1,445
The flight attendant only get paid 9 bucks an hour too and the pilots are really underpaid at 65k a year.
Does this Airline charge for Toilet Paper as well, 25 cents per sheet and 35 cents if you want 2 ply
If this airline goes under, we know that most flying americans are about Quality instead of price
Does this Airline charge for Toilet Paper as well, 25 cents per sheet and 35 cents if you want 2 ply
If this airline goes under, we know that most flying americans are about Quality instead of price
#13
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: DAL
Programs: DL Silver, HH diamond, Midwest Miles (RIP), NWA WP (RIP)
Posts: 530
Plus, it appers from the website that you can only buy non-connecting tickets (just as with Ryanair). How many people want to fly "sea"-cmh every day at 9am in both directions? So they can't even capitalize on people wanting to go from coast to coast, unless they buy two separate tickets, claim their bags and recheck with enough time (if it's even possible schedule wise).
They also don't appear to be doing the ryanair game of only serving certain cities on certain days, and right now, it's simply one little hub, not a few scattered minor hubs with some point to point service. They're also connecting the coasts with CMH...that seems to make it kinda hard to be efficient with aircraft utilization, etc. How many 4h ryanair flights are out there? It seems like they took ryanair's least appealing features, but forgot to bring along the more profitable aspects. Maybe I'm wrong, it just doesn't seem to make much sense. That's ignoring the help from CMH!
In looking, I only saw 10 or $50 fares...curious how much the top is. On a roundtrip at 10 each way, the tax is more than the fare. What kind of loads would you need on a cmh-"sea" or "sfo" flight to make it even break even?
They also don't appear to be doing the ryanair game of only serving certain cities on certain days, and right now, it's simply one little hub, not a few scattered minor hubs with some point to point service. They're also connecting the coasts with CMH...that seems to make it kinda hard to be efficient with aircraft utilization, etc. How many 4h ryanair flights are out there? It seems like they took ryanair's least appealing features, but forgot to bring along the more profitable aspects. Maybe I'm wrong, it just doesn't seem to make much sense. That's ignoring the help from CMH!
In looking, I only saw 10 or $50 fares...curious how much the top is. On a roundtrip at 10 each way, the tax is more than the fare. What kind of loads would you need on a cmh-"sea" or "sfo" flight to make it even break even?
#14
Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
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SkyBus is offering 1 flight/day to/from KC, CMH-MCI is 9:11 PM departure/9:54 PM arrival ... you'd think they'd overnight and offer a nice early morning flight back to CMH, possibly making it a nice option for business travelers ... oh no, it turns back around and flies MCI-CMH with a 10:19 PM departure and 12:55 AM arrival. Just imagine when that flight is running just 30 minutes late and nothing's open in MCI how cranky the passengers will be getting ...
#15
Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
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I'm not sure if the rules are different in Europe, but their flights also tend to be shorter anyway, so maybe they prefer to have four flight attendants, but I'd be shocked if SkyBus' A319's have 156 seats (as EasyJet's do apparently) rather than 150 seats (which would only require 3 instead of 4 flight attendants).