Fly For $10
Europeans have become used to flights for under 10 euros or British pounds, thanks to RyanAir and EasyJet, which use secondary and tertiary airports, and which provide barebones operations. Will a new airline do the same for the USA?
Skybus, which is launching its inaugural flights this week from Columbus, Ohio, to other secondary airports near major markets, such as Portsmouth, N.H. (near Boston), and Burbank, Calif. (near L.A.), says it is setting aside a minimum of 10 seats available for $10 on every flight (not including taxes and fees of up to $7.90, and the 9/11 security fee of $2.50). Reports are that it has sold 200,000 pre-flight tickets.
The airline is hyping its low-cost and people-centric management philosophy, but what we really want is low fares. So, can we get them – and will Skybus go where we want to go? We did find a $10 fare from Richmond, Va. (not really close enough to Washington, DC, to be worth it for a visit to the nation's capital), to the Columbus hub for $10. Also, all flights are in and out of Columbus – and are booked individually. So, for example, you can go from Boston to Los Angeles, but you have to book each leg separately. That $10 is not going to stretch from Boston to L.A. Super-discount U.S. airlines have a poor track record at best (Anyone remember PeopleExpress?). But we wish them luck – and more destinations. Let us know if you fly for $10 anytime soon.
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