AirTran Airways to come to Columbus. It’s not Skybus, thankfully.

by Jamie Rhein on

Yesterday’s news brought the welcome breath of new life to Columbus ever since Skybus did us wrong, jilting us like an uncaring, unfeeling lover.

I heard in a radio news broadcast that AirTran Airways will begin flights between Columbus and Atlanta, Fort Myers and Orlando starting November 6. As the news commentator noted, this does not mean there will be a rush on low cost airlines to Columbus. Jet Blue, for example, has been there and done that.

Still, when I think of how Jet Blue used to be here before Skybus RUINED IT, I feel like Kate Winslet, almost frozen to death, floating on that piece of wood after the Titanic sank, hoarsely crying out, “Come back. Come back.”

I’m glad that AirTran has noticed that Columbus is a viable market for folks going to Florida. If you’ve ever been in Columbus, Ohio between January and April, you’ll know why folks are eager to get out of here and head south. The gray skies make this a place to leave if ever the chance arises.

If only AirTran wasn’t bailing out of Newburgh, New York and would make that a Columbus connection as well, I’d be ever so thrilled.

According to this article in the Columbus Dispatch, AirTran has been one of the best managed airlines in the past nine years. Skybus was exactly the OPPOSITE. I’m still stinging from the break-up.

Traveling the day after St. Patrick’s Day can be hellish

by Iva Skoch on

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, to all of you aside from the guy who sat next to me on an EasyJet flight from Prague to London a couple of years ago (the morning after St. Patty’s day) and almost threw up in my lap.

He had a black eye and body odor of a dying donkey. I am trying to make peace with you man, I really am. I also hope I never have to be stuck next to you for 90 turbulent minutes.

Tomorrow morning must make one of the worst days to fly anywhere, especially around Europe and especially on a budget airline from a destination known for its cheap liquor. Honestly, I don’t think i will ever fly out of Prague on March 18 ever again.

Thanks, kittyroara, for the lovely photo. By the way, do you ever fly budget airlines to or from Prague?

Slowing economy in the UK = good news for budget airlines

by Iva Skoch on

The economy in the UK, much like in the US, has been slowing considerably. Some people–budget airlines for example–are actually pretty pleased about this. Their customers are turning to the cheap, no-frills airlines to keep their holidays on budget.

After it released strong passenger numbers, EasyJet said to The Guardian that the biggest danger facing the airline industry is the global oil price of $100+. Hedging, or betting on the future price of oil, is no longer an option because airlines are unwilling to peg their fuel costs at $100 a barrel. EasyJet has hedged 40% of its fuel needs until September at $75 a barrel. Then what? Things might not be so easy for EasyJet come this fall.

EasyJet busted for misleading advertising

by Jeffrey White on

Frequent travelers of Europe’s budget airlines have known for years that the industry relies, to a certain extent, on misleading, if not outright false, advertising.

Usually this has to do with their pricing. Log onto any of the big European budget carriers — easyJet, Ryanair or Germanwings, for instance — and you’ll be hit with a great offer. Take Germanwings, for instance. You’ll see them pimping April flights from Zagreb, Croatia to Cologne for €5. Not bad. Click on it, choose a random set of dates (say an April 8 departure and an April 16 return) and you can get both legs for €14. Ah, but then the tax is figured in, and that trip is now €77.36 (more than $120).

European budget airlines don’t usually come under fire for this because (1.) technically there was a flight in this case for €5 and (2.) they make it clear that the prices they pimp often do not include taxes. But that doesn’t completely wash off the stench of ‘scam’ in my book, if simply because I always feel like the promotions these airlines run and the ridiculously cheap prices they quote reflect how stupid they think consumers are. Obviously we’re not smart enough to view a €77 round-trip plane ticket as still a pretty good deal.

So, it’s nice when one of these carriers gets busted for not playing it straight with customers. This has just happened to easyJet, which was running a special recently along the lines of “book by Friday and if you find a better price, we’ll pay you up to triple the difference.”

Well, a Swiss woman did just that, and then played hell trying to get the Luton, England-based airline to pay up. It claimed the woman hadn’t delivered proof, and then tried something along the lines of saying she had not found a comparable ticket, since it was a competitor’s return fare she found rather than the two single fairs (there and back) she booked on easyJet. Gimme a break, right?

That’s what Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority essentially said. They’ve ruled the easyJet promotion was misleading, since the fine print implied that the refund was easy to claim, when it really was like dealing with the IRS. Only bookings made at certain times and dates were eligible. Refund requests had to be made within an hour of the original booking. And so on. The Guardian newspaper reports the whole sordid tale.

There was good news for the Swiss woman, however. EasyJet told the Guardian that she would receive close to $1,500 in her bank account within a week.

How budget airlines make their money: The art of bumping a 2 cent ticket up to $120

by Neil Woodburn on

So, how do they do it? How do all those European budget airlines make a profit charging less than a Euro per seat?

Last summer, Times journalist Mark Frary decided to find out for himself by purchasing a 1 pence Ryanair ticket from London’s Stansted Airport to Berlin. Sounds like a steal, right? Not exactly. Like so many other deal seekers on budget airlines, Frary ended up paying far more than that initial 1 pence. How his final cost netted out at £61.84 ($121.15) provides fascinating insight into an amazing business plan that is succeeding despite naysayers predicting otherwise.

Interestingly enough, the wild price of Frary’s final bill did not come from the most common source of increased ticket prices on budget airline: baggage fees. This is where the airlines really clean up. Passengers on Ryanair, for example, can check up to three bags. The first, however, costs £5 ($9.80) while each additional bag is £10 ($19.60). In addition, there is a 15 kg (33 lbs.) checked bag allowance. If a passenger exceeds this weight, they pay £5.50 ($10.78) per kilo–which can add up very quickly. And don’t even think of transferring your heavier items to your friend’s baggage at the airport either. Ryanair’s Terms and Conditions clearly state, “No pooling or sharing of baggage allowances is permitted, even within a party traveling on the same reservation.”Frary was smart and kept his baggage to a minimum. He did fall prey to, however, to a variety of other fees and services–some of which can easily be avoided (e.g., don’t order food onboard) while others can not. Despite all this, budget airlines are still a great deal cheaper than normal airlines, providing you have the brains and discipline to avoid be taken advantage of.

The Ticket
The ticket itself: £0.01 (2 cents)
Credit card charge: £ 1.75 ($3.43)
Flight change: £ 24.00 ($47)

Taxes and Fees
Government passenger duty: £ 5.00 ($9.80)
Airport passenger service charge: £ 7.30 ($14.30)
Insurance and wheelchair levy: £ 3.48 ($6.82)

Baggage
Checked in suitcase: £ 7.00 ($13.71)

Food and Drink Onboard
Bottle on water (500ml): £ 1.80 ($3.53)
Pringles and Mars bar: £ 2.60 ($5.09)
Ham and cheese baguette: £ 4.00 ($7.84)

Miscellaneous
Two lottery scratch cards: £ 2.90 ($5.68)

TOTAL £61.84 ($121.15)