Skybus may return again: Some ideas for making a go of it

Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, so might Skybus. Yesterday, there were several stories about the possibility of Skybus Airlines’ return. The first story I heard was on the radio. Next came the nightly news. According to the stories, John Weikle, the airline’s founder, said he’s been working out ways to bring it back.

Weikle pointed to Allegiant Air as an indication that no-frills airlines can work. In order for the airline to pull it off, it needs to up the on-time performance and control expansion. Considering that Skybus has the planes, it has the logo, it has people who have probably not found jobs yet, AND there is the space in airports designed specifically for Skybus, it seems to me that the ingredients are there. Even since yesterday, I’ve talked with more people who were either going to buy tickets or who bought tickets all the time in order to visit relatives.

Now, it’s almost impossible to fly anywhere from Columbus without stopping somewhere along the way–often in an opposite direction. For people who are older, changing planes is problem. Why not promote Skybus as the airline that brings family members together. Another thing that I think would help push the smaller airports is to have step by step directions on how to get to the larger cities from the small airport locations. For example, have it spelled out how to get from Stewart Airport in Newburgh, New York to Grand Central Station. I don’t think it’s that hard, but it’s something people need to know in specifics. If the directions are in a format so they could be printed off, even better. How handy, people might think.

Another idea I have for a user-friendly addition is to have a page to click on at each airport location that highlights the things to see in the area. Click on Greensboro, North Carolina and you’ll find out information about what it’s near. I’d really like to know what’s near Greensboro, North Carolina without having to search myself. When I went to Allegiant Air’s Web site, I saw information about Allegiant Air destination towns and photographs. This put me in a traveling mood. Also, Allegiant’s Web site looks like it changes with new highlights. Smart. If Skybus could only get some more investors. An article in the Dispatch today said that those in Columbus shouldn’t hold our breath. I do have my fingers crossed.

Tornadoes, planes, and grumpy fliers — oh my!

Jerry’s post on weird weather around the world, and my observation and subsequent “whining” (as a few readers put it) about Allegiant Air’s lack of online check-in reminded me of one of the strangest airport experiences I’ve had in recent past.

Some of our U.S. readers might have heard about the nasty stretch of weather that made its way through the Midwest last week. The epicenter of the situation, it seems, was in Springfield, Missouri, where I currently live. More specifically, it happened within a few miles of the Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF) last Monday, January 7th — the evening I was due to fly to Vegas for CES. More than a dozen tornadoes broke out that evening, and the entire airport was forced to evacuate not once, but twice, sending passengers fleeing into vacant hallways in the center of the concourse. (Pictured above; Click to enlarge.) What’s worse, people past the security checkpoint (myself, naturally) were forced to take cover on the other side of security, which meant I had to go through the checkpoint twice that night — regardless of the fact that the supervisors in air traffic control “didn’t see a need for evacuation.” Best to lean on the side of safety, sure, but the most annoying thing (aside from fellow passenger directly blaming the situation on global warming. ZOMG!) happened after the employees corralled the passengers into the hallways: they joined the rest of the staff outside, under the awning, tornado sirens blaring, for a smoke break. That’s annoying. Surprisingly, I still made my flight (though four hours late), and we took to the skies, white-knuckled, with bolts of electricity hugging the sides of the plane.
The entire situation reinforced my argument that Allegiant Air needs to offer online check-in. If they did, I wouldn’t have had to show up two hours early, during one of the most severe tornado outbreaks in recent history, only to take cover twice, and sit around the airport for an extra four hours just so I could make sure the seat I already paid for wouldn’t be given to someone else. Had I been able to check-in online, I would have been able to ride out the storm at home, checking in with the airport on a regular basis to see if it was safe to show up, or if my flight was still scheduled.

I know, whine whine whine — it’s all I do

It’s my only complaint with Allegiant, however. Their planes are clean and updated, the seat pitch was some of the best I’ve experienced, and the staff was helpful and kind. Allow me to check-in online like the rest of the airlines, and I’ve got nothing to whine about.

Why does Allegiant Air need two hours of my life?

Today I’m flying to Las Vegas out of our small, national airport in Springfield, Missouri on low-fair airline Allegiant Air.

Allegiant, like most other budget airlines, charges extra for virtually everything beyond the ticket price, including (for two passengers) a $44 “seat selection fee,” and a $17 “convenience fee” for booking online. I feel convenienced already. Even with all the extra fees, the round trip tickets to Las Vegas are still very much affordable and on par with other carriers. But one thing that’s really got my goat is their check-in policy.

You see, Allegiant doesn’t offer the ability to check-in online. (Tell me, what’s my “convenience fee” going towards again?) Further, the confirmation email they sent says one “must check in 2 hours prior to departure, [and] be in the gate area 30 minutes prior to departure to avoid forfeiting their reservation and all associated amenities.” This means that if I don’t show up at the airport two hours before departure, the $44 I spent guaranteeing my seat goes down the drain, and I may be bumped off the flight entirely.
Now I know what you’re thinking: “Shouldn’t you be at the airport two hours before departing anyway?” In most airports, you would be correct. But, like I said earlier, Springfield’s airport (SGF) is tiny, and showing up anything more than 45 minutes before departure ensures that you’ll be doing a lot of standing around, or — in my case — drinking overpriced beers in the bar.

The airport’s minimal load means check-in and security lines are never long, and I can walk from one end of the solo concourse to the other in a few minutes. Plus, the airport’s policy says you can’t even pass security and enter the concourse until an hour before your departure. This means I’ll be spending at least an hour waiting in the check-in area, and then another hour in the concourse at my gate. So why make me show up two hours in advance?

Allegiant: get rid of this policy in smaller airports, or get with the times and offer online check-in. Hell, charge me for the ability to check-in online if necessary; I’d rather spend a few bucks for the privilege of showing up when I want rather than sitting around the airport for two hours.

Oh well, at least I’m going to Vegas!