Skybus Airlines Inc. of
Columbus, Ohio, has set May 22 as its takeoff date. In March, Dealscape
reported that the startup carrier had set May 20 as its launch date. In
addition to scheduling its takeoff, the airline announced its destinations and
fares. The ultralow-cost carrier will start service with four Airbus A319s
from Columbus to Burbank, Calif., Portsmouth, N.H., Bellingham, Wash., Kansas
City, Mo., Richmond, Va., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Greensboro, N.C. Oakland,
Calif., service will start in June. Fares will start at $10 each way, and they
are capped at $330 each way for a last-minute walk-up fare. Skybus is not only
taking a cue from the bus business with its fare structure, but it will also
place
advertising on the side of its planes. If the fares seem unbelievably low,
that's because Skybus will generate additional revenue by charging to check
bags and for beverages and food. As a Southwest Airlines spokeswoman told The
New York Times, on Skybus, “other than using the restroom, everything comes
with a fee.” —Matthew Wurtzel
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story from The New York Times
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