Skybus question

[LeslieG]

Just flew home on SW from Burbank yesterday, and I saw a tremendous line of people in line to check in at Skybus. There appeared to be no one there at their counter. To those who have flown Skybus, is this the normal procedure? I was considering trying them, but after seeing that awful line, I'm thinking of skipping it. And when I walked past the counter, it looked like just a single check-in area for one person at a time.

 

[MrDiamond]

I just flew Skybus from Columbus to St Augustine and back three weeks ago (short WDW trip, awesome) and I am doing it again tomorrow. I had no problems and enjoyed the experience.

However, make sure you familiarize yourself with their procedures. If there was a long line at the check-in desk, perhaps those people did not do that. There are (should be) kiosks there where you can check-in and pay for checked bags, if you did not do this on the website before coming to the airport. As a matter of fact, you must use the kiosks to check-in and pay for checked bags, they won't do that at the counter.

When I flew back out of St Augustine, I had to check a bag I did not have on the way down (full of disney stuff, only carry-on on the way down). I was sent to the kiosk to pay $5 for the bag and then went to the counter where he took the bag. Really simple, this was ten feet away. I had already printed the boarding passes at the BCV.

Does that help? I would be lying if I said this is the same experience as flying a large carrier, this is definately the lowest cost option. You won't see many workers and that may make you nervous. They seem to maximize efficiencies, like loading and unloading the plane from both the front and the back on the plane (which is great!), but you won't find anyone to tell what to do next. But I paid $72 total for two roundtrip tickets and for that price, I would help load the luggage.

 

[LeslieG]

Thanks for the reply. I just read in the paper that they canceled a bunch of flights over Christmas because of mechanical problems. That's another fear I have with them. They can't just put you on another flight, because they usually don't have one. But if I could snag a $10 fare, I might take the chance with them. Glad your experience was good.

 

[Jeanne B]

They seem to maximize efficiencies, like loading and unloading the plane from both the front and the back on the plane (which is great!)

I love that idea!! I wish more airlines could do that, I hate sitting in the middle to back of the plane because you wait and wait for the front half of the plane to get their stuff out of the overhead bins and off the plane.

We're flying Skybus to Florida in May. $90 for three r/t tickets and we have family who live in Punta Gorda so free accomodations and nearly free airfare, can't beat it!!

That's another fear I have with them. They can't just put you on another flight, because they usually don't have one.

That's something people definitely need to consider with Skybus. For someone who's going on a cruise and is relying on air transportation to get them to the cruise port on time it may not be worth the chance. For us, we'd have to fly out of a totally different airport because Skybus is the only carrier operating out of Portsmouth. But for this trip we have booked, it's just a long weekend trip with nothing in particular planned so if our flight got canceled it wouldn't be a big deal, we would just cancel the trip.

 

[LeslieG]

SW loaded front and rear on my flight leaving Burbank, but it's probably because they didn't use a jetway.

I love that idea!! I wish more airlines could do that, I hate sitting in the middle to back of the plane because you wait and wait for the front half of the plane to get their stuff out of the overhead bins and off the plane.

We're flying Skybus to Florida in May. $90 for three r/t tickets and we have family who live in Punta Gorda so free accomodations and nearly free airfare, can't beat it!!

 

[CptWife80]

It will be interesting to see how they grow. I am getting nervous because my husband is a pilot and just got an interview date with them. He used to be a captain for US Airways Express and gave it up on the fact our work schedules didn't let us see each other. I hope some day they get a spot at MCO (Orlando) so we can take the ME to our resort. I don't like the fact of having to drive on interstates.

 

[scottie]

It will be interesting to see how they grow. I am getting nervous because my husband is a pilot and just got an interview date with them. He used to be a captain for US Airways Express and gave it up on the fact our work schedules didn't let us see each other. I hope some day they get a spot at MCO (Orlando) so we can take the ME to our resort. I don't like the fact of having to drive on interstates.

From the way their game plan sounds, it doesnt seem they will fly in/out of MCO... however I am at least hoping they will pick up Sanford as an aiport so we can still arrive close to WDW!

 

[CptWife80]

It would be nice if they did. But only time will tell.

 

[PlutoPony]

It will be interesting to see how they grow. I am getting nervous because my husband is a pilot and just got an interview date with them.

It would be interesting to hear his take on their financial wherewithal after the interview. It's a tough tough time to be in the airline business now, let alone as a start-up with record oil prices! I hear rumblings that they've lost more money than expected (not a huge surprise) so wonder if they'll have any trouble getting thru the traditionally lean Q1 - and beyond.
Hope things work out for you !

 

[CptWife80]

From the way you talk about the company you sound like you are pilot yourself... am I right? I've been trying to look up more info on them and all the pilot discussion boards have the major pilots dissing Skybus for the way they are operating and pay rates. There pay is not at all great but for my family it is more than he will make where he is now.

 

[Maine-iac]

I love that idea!! I wish more airlines could do that, I hate sitting in the middle to back of the plane because you wait and wait for the front half of the plane to get their stuff out of the overhead bins and off the plane.

We're flying Skybus to Florida in May. $90 for three r/t tickets and we have family who live in Punta Gorda so free accomodations and nearly free airfare, can't beat it!!



That's something people definitely need to consider with Skybus. For someone who's going on a cruise and is relying on air transportation to get them to the cruise port on time it may not be worth the chance. For us, we'd have to fly out of a totally different airport because Skybus is the only carrier operating out of Portsmouth. But for this trip we have booked, it's just a long weekend trip with nothing in particular planned so if our flight got canceled it wouldn't be a big deal, we would just cancel the trip.

I hope you will write a quick review of your flights when you return. You should be safe from cancellations out of Portsmouth in May but I wonder about the winter months. I also wonder about cancellations on the St. Aug. end due to bad weather.
I was thinking that if we did fly Skybus some time for a WDW trip it might be a good idea to stay at a motel in St. Aug. the night before returning home due to the early departure time.
Any way I would love to hear about your experience.

 

[CptWife80]

Hey Maineiac... what part of the mid coast are you from? I used to live in Rockland a while back. Definately don't miss the boredum of slow town progression.

 

[Jeanne B]

Hey Maineiac... what part of the mid coast are you from? I used to live in Rockland a while back. Definately don't miss the boredum of slow town progression.

I'm not Maine-iac here but I work in Rockland and I live about 30 minutes inland. Rockland has actually grown quite a bit in the last few years, it now has a Home Depot, Hampton Inn, Applebees, Staples, TJ Maxx, a new Lowes is almost complete...it's almost like a big city now!! Well, not quite.

Maine-iac - I'll write a review when I get back, I'm not too concerned about traveling in May either but the winter months would be more of a concern to me with Skybus.

 

[CarolA]

Well I found this line from a USAToday article a little distrubing.

"Last week, it reported a $16 million loss for the three months that ended September 30, 2007"

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2007-12-27-skybus-cancel-day2_N.htm

A few problems. One that article was published 12/27. It took them almost 90 days to "report"????
Annualized that's around a $60 million loss a year...... That's a LOT of money for a start up!

If I were CptWife80's DH I would be very careful.....

 

[Maine-iac]

Hey Maineiac... what part of the mid coast are you from? I used to live in Rockland a while back. Definately don't miss the boredum of slow town progression.

I live in Durham which is not really mid coast but we work, go to school and just about do everything else in Brunswick. I was raised in Topsham which is on the other side of the Androsscogin River from Brunswick.
We like the slow life, small town atmosphere. Just going to Portland can be a culture shock. LOL

 

[Maine-iac]

I'm not Maine-iac here but I work in Rockland and I live about 30 minutes inland. Rockland has actually grown quite a bit in the last few years, it now has a Home Depot, Hampton Inn, Applebees, Staples, TJ Maxx, a new Lowes is almost complete...it's almost like a big city now!! Well, not quite.

Topsham as grown a lot too. Many of the same places mentioned have moved in. Brunswick has grown too but Topsham is more noticable. Now with the Brunswick Navy Base closing we will see how business continues.

Maine-iac - I'll write a review when I get back, I'm not too concerned about traveling in May either but the winter months would be more of a concern to me with Skybus.

That would be great. Thanks.

 

[CptWife80]

Yes I do agree Rockland has grown in the past couple of years. But too many people in politics want to get rid of the trains and anything else that would benefit them. That is one of the reasons I moved to my DH hometown. My family still owns quite a bit of property up there so I go up when I can.

 

[dburg30]

Well I found this line from a USAToday article a little distrubing.

"Last week, it reported a $16 million loss for the three months that ended September 30, 2007"

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2007-12-27-skybus-cancel-day2_N.htm

A few problems. One that article was published 12/27. It took them almost 90 days to "report"????
Annualized that's around a $60 million loss a year...... That's a LOT of money for a start up!

If I were CptWife80's DH I would be very careful.....

Well, unless of course it's spin, it was reported here in skybus home territory, that the loss was actually about what they had expected it to be. So far as the 90 day thing, I dont think they are publically traded, unless I missed that somewhere, so they really dont have to report anything if they didnt want to except for tax purposes? Do they really have to do quarterly reports? Hey, they will either make it, or they wont. IIRC they had something like $240 million or something backing them?

Anywho, there will be folks that hope they make it and survive and grow , and some that just seem to hope they fail.

 

[CarolA]

Well, unless of course it's spin, it was reported here in skybus home territory, that the loss was actually about what they had expected it to be. So far as the 90 day thing, I dont think they are publically traded, unless I missed that somewhere, so they really dont have to report anything if they didnt want to except for tax purposes? Do they really have to do quarterly reports? Hey, they will either make it, or they wont. IIRC they had something like $240 million or something backing them?

Anywho, there will be folks that hope they make it and survive and grow , and some that just seem to hope they fail.

Generally if you have publicly held debt you have report. Based on my expreince auditing clients in my past life, LONG delays indicate one of two things (1) we don't want anyone to know how bad the mess is or (2) we didn't know how bad the mess is (neither of which inspire confidence LOL!)

I hope they make it, but I doubt I would take a job with them. Now the upside is that if they do make it and you "get in on the ground floor" you could wind up making a LOT. It's a risk some folks love!

My big complaint with them as I pointed out in another thread is "truth in advertising" No, Gulfport is NOT New Orleans, Punta Gorda is NOT Fort Myers, St. Augestine is NOT Jacksonsville/Daytona Beach!

As far as flying them.... the one thing you the flyer have to realize is that what happened over Christmas could happen again. The risk on small airlines with no interline agreement is if "the" plane breaks, they are STUCK!

 

[WDW Freak]

I have to join in here about the slow life in Maine. I grew up in Readfield, just outside of Augusta, and my family still lives there. I have to say that the Augusta area has really grown up since I left. When I was there our only shopping options were Fashion Bug and Hit or Miss, or a trip to Auburn or Portland. These days they have all of the major chains. The ironic thing is that we just moved from High Point, NC to Mebane, NC a couple of years ago, and I am now back in a small town with 0 shopping options close by, while my parents live next to a relative shopping mecca and don't care.

On the subject of the OP, we are booked on Skybus from GSO to St. Augustine at the end of month. I just couldn't pass up the $10 fares, especially since we were going to try driving this time to save some money. We currently have a minivan booked through Avis for 7 days at $280 after all taxes, discounts, and coupons. Our drive would have been 10-11 hours, so we come out ahead time and money-wise.