What can travelers expect from the new Skybus Airlines? Try no curbside baggage and no covered bridges. And talk about a blast from the past?
Passengers will check in luggage and receive boarding passes at electronic kiosks in the terminal. After tagging their luggage, passengers will place their bags on conveyer belts for security screening, said Columbus Business First.
Passengers will board planes on portable staircases often seen in old black-and-white newsreels. The setup is expected to save time.
Other differences:
§ Passengers can expect to travel light, or pay for it. The price is $5 for the first two bags, then $50 after that.
§ Eat before, or pay for it. The airline’s business plan calls for generating revenue by selling food and drinks on flights, so the airline doesn’t want passengers bringing meals aboard. Selling snacks helps the airline keep costs down, according to Skybus
§ Come early for a seat. Skybus doesn’t offer reserved seating nor will it seat passengers in groups, a practice Southwest Airlines employs. If you want that window or aisle seat, you must ante up $10 a flight for priority boarding. So far about 15 percent of those buying tickets have paid the extra fee.
§ Passengers will dress appropriately, or pay for it. No free blankets and pillows, so the suggestion is to stuff a jacket or two that can double as a pillow and a cover.
§ Passengers will see a lot of ads. The airline plans to permit ads on fold-down food trays, bathroom doors and the hatch to the overhead storage bins as revenue generators. One plane even has Nationwide Insurance’s name and logo emblazoned on the fuselage.
§ Passengers will have to amuse themselves. The airline won’t offer any movies or magazines.
§ No high-touch customer service. Skybus says call centers are too expensive so the airline does all its bookings online.
§ Seating will be snug. Skybus has 144 leather seats on the first four Airbus 319 airliners in its fleet, but the next round of planes will have two additional rows, bringing the total to 156 seats.
Report by David Wilkening
