Skybus contacts revealed: emails, phone numbers for five top execs
If Skybus, the no-frills, surcharge-happy startup airline bothered responding to its customers with anything other than a boilerplate e-mail message, I wouldn’t do this. If I didn’t get the number of complaints that I do about Skybus, I wouldn’t do this. If it told the truth about its phones, I wouldn’t do this.
But here are the facts: there is considerable evidence that Skybus is not reading customer e-mails. My “in” box is filled with Skybus complaints. And there is overwhelming evidence that it does have phones, despite its insistence to the contrary.
What evidence is that?
Well, here are contacts and phone numbers for five of the top executives at Skybus. I have their cell phone numbers, too. I’m not going to publish them. Yet. (Please the end of this post for an important update.)
Bill Diffenderffer
Chief executive officer
(614) 947-3103
bill@skybus.com
billdiffenderffer@skybus.com
Ken Gile
President and chief operating officer
(614) 947-3104
ken@skybus.com
kengile@skybus.com
Charlie Clifton
Vice chairman
(614) 947-3105
charlesclifton10@hotmail.com
Judy Timberlake
VP of Marketing
(614) 947-3041
judy.timberlake@skybus.com
Denis Carvil
Vice president, ground and airports
(614) 947-3375
denis.carvil@skybus.com
Update: I’m told Skybus changed its phone numbers (which my source predicted they would) within 24 hours of this blog post. Bad Skybus! Let’s see if you can change your cell phone numbers as quickly …
Bill Diffenderffer (214) 616-8711
Ken Gile (214) 676-1530
Charlie Clifton 011353862473990
Judy Timberlake (214) 514-5839
Denis Carvil (614) 440-7505
Update: Oh, what the heck. Here’s Skybus’ physical address …
4234 E. 5th
Ave Columbus, OH 43219
Not sure why this isn’t public knowledge, but I’m told Skybus won’t give its physical address because it’s afraid disgruntled passengers will pay them a little visit. Now why would they do that?
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Comments
116 Responses to “Skybus contacts revealed: emails, phone numbers for five top execs”
It’s always lovely to see random e-mail address policies are with big business. No regularity whatsoever. Just a first name@, firstlast#number@, and first.lastname@. To me that’s already a sign of lack of proeffesionalism.
I will confirm the experience. I emailed skybus a complaint in late August and again in October (with copy to the DOT Aviation Consumer Protection Division) about their mishandling of my child’s car seat. They allowed it to get completely soaked and their airport staff were completely unsympathetic. I know I should have covered, but in my experience and more recent polling of other airlines, everyone provides a plastic bag for these things. In addition, Skybus pretty clearly says to see their website for ALL answers to questions - I spent a considerable amount of time before the flight searching the website and found nothing about this.
In my email, I requested a simple refund of the $5 baggage handling fee and got zilch - not even an acknowledgment of receipt of my complaint. Of course I was hoping for more since this made me pretty angry, but I figure it should be pretty straightforward to give $5 to an angry customer. And if a big company can’t fix a $5 problem, than what can they do?
Jasper, it’s not quite that random. All of the employees of skybus have FirstLast@skybus.com or First.Last@skybus.com - I would guess both alternatives would work for all four employees. Charlie Clifton is the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors and is quite likely NOT an employee of the company - corporate directors are often not employees. That’s the reason for the FirstLast##@hotmail address, I would guess.
(Although I would hope that even non-employee directors got an email address on the skybus email system to permit confidential email to be sent without pumping it into the public internet. Perhaps they’re encrypting their confidential email and are comfortable with it hitting the public net.)
Wow. I guess you’re not expecting invitations from Skybus anymore.
Be careful calling Clifton; he’s in Ireland. Without an international calling plan, that will be expensive.
I know they don’t allow you to bring your own food/drink on the flight, but any idea if they can really enforce that if there is nothing in the contract of carriage?
The first time I flew them, I thought I heard them make an announcement that you couldn’t bring your own food on the plane. I was sure I misunderstood them, so I went and asked the person if they had just announced that you couldn’t bring your own food on board, they replied that is not what they said.
I guess they train their ground crews to lie to customers, too.
Copied and pasted from Skybus web site Their CoC regarding beverages and smoking:
“9. Smoking and Beverages
All Skybus flights are strictly non-smoking. Failure to adhere to this regulation may result in litigative proceedings being brought against offending passengers as well as any consequential disruption costs being claimed against them.
Passengers are prohibited from consuming their own alcohol on board.
In the interest of safety, passengers are prohibited from carrying hot drinks on board.”
Also on your damaged car seat, please refer to this paragraph
20.2 Baggage
In the case of loss of baggage, no claim will be entertained by Skybus unless preliminary written notice of such a claim is presented to Skybus before leaving the airport after the arrival of the flight on which the loss is alleged to have occurred. The claim must be accompined by a valid baggage identification tag.
Let me revise the question to only be about food and water.
That area of the CoC doesn’t seem to cover either and yet they ask you not to bring it on board.
Also, Mr. Bad Example, you’re right - I did not file a claim at the airport and so technically they owe me nothing. But I have to admit, when my customers ask me questions and feel they were mistreated, I typically find it best to actually respond to them and explain the situation. Normally, I don’t ignore them completely - unless I don’t want to have them as a customer again.
There is no question that this no-frills airline thinks customer service is a frill. And if you have any question about how much I paid for the flight - it was not cheap - I did not get one of the $10 tickets.
The answer is pretty simple…Don’t fly Skybus. Then they will be gone and no one will have to worry about it.
David,
You respond to customers because it’s good business. Airlines in general don’t share your POV. Rather, they view us as breathing cargo, sort of a UPS for human beings.
I’m Elite on US Airways and I carry a copy of their CoC and you’d be surprised how just pulling it out at a gate or ticket counter and going “Hmmmm, let’s see what this says so we don’t make a mistake” does to the customer service process.
Bottom line if you fly ANY carrier is to know the basics of the CoC of that airline and hold them accountable. Public forums like this are an excellent way to do just that. Operators like Skybus count on the general publics ignorance of policy and their CoC and sadly that’s your fault. Caveat Emptor is the rule of the day when dealing with airlines. If you assume they are out to screw you at every turn then you’ve pretty much figured out the game. Once you’ve resigned yourself to the fact they don’t care today and won’t tomorrow you can work backwards from there.
Want to have some fun with Skybus? Are you vindictive enough to sue in Small Claims Court for the $10, knowing they won’t show and you’ll win a default judgement? Then you get the Sheriff or Constable to go with you to their HQ and put the notice of Sheriff’s sale on the front door or in some states they would padlock the building until the judgement is paid in cash? Of course you do this with the media in tow if possible. It’s been done before and it can be fun and it also teaches a lesson to the company. Enough people do it and poof a magic change occurs.
Bravo, Chris. It’s vigilante journalism…and I LOVE IT!
Chris: thanks for all you do. Don’t let poor customer service like the kind that Skybus is providing become the norm. Keep holding CEOs accountable for their actions!
I wonder how they liked getting calls on their cell phones…I bet that didn’t go on for long before they applied for new numbers!
As of 7:12 EST Bill’s cell number still works!
Great job on exposing this so-called “airline” for what it really is, and that is basically a get rich quick scheme for the top level managers at the expense of the employees and flying public. This airline has no chance whatsoever at surviving. Once people fly them and see them for what they really are, the public will return to the legacy carriers. What do you really expect from an airline whose CEO has publically stated that he is embarrassed by his airline’s $10 fares because they are “too high”?
Buyer beware!
i find all these complains are a little ridiculuous, obvisiouly made by people who donot fly enough, anyway the phone numbers are all correct and have not been changed so get your facts straight
a wonderful airline, congrats to all involved with Skybus, pay and you get there, isnt that what you want? Simple idea and cost effective.
Frank and Tim -
I actually do travel a lot. I’m fairly tolerant of a lot, but the one thing I’m not tolerant of is bad customer service. No food, and no pillows do not equal bad customer service. Rude employees and not doing what you say you will do is bad customer service. I have twice submitted a complaint through the Skybus website as they requested. I worded it carefully and tried to be reasonable.
There was not even a response from Skybus. Is it too much to expect a response within two or three months? I don’t think so. Everyone makes mistakes. In my travel experience, the best and worst airlines always make a few. What sets them apart is how they respond.
Am I loyal to low price? Yes, but not enough to fly Skybus again. I do have limits and I think others do as well. Skybus will always fill the $10 seats, but once those very few seats run out, I think the others will be much harder to fill once people realize how little the airline cares about them.
Legacy airlines may not be perfect, but their service now is a direct response to these ultimate low cost carriers. In order to compete, employees lose their jobs and the others loose 50 % of their pay. If that doesn’t cause an employee to be grumpy and rude, than I don’t know what would. Yes, you can go out and find another job, but if you have been there for over 20 yrs it’s hard to do. If passengers would pay what it actually cost to fly, these problem airlines would not be springing up every where and clogging the air traffic system. Customer service would once again return.
I recently tried to cancel a flight with Skybus. My husband and I were going to fly Skybus to visit my grandfather for Christmas. However, this week, he died. I emailed and called, explaining that we would not be able to make the trip because the person we were visiting was no longer alive. Their response was that there was nothing they could do for us, and that next time we should consider purchasing trip insurance.
The billdiffenderffer@skybus email does not work. People please do not fly on this airline! Their customer service is pitiful, and I read on another site with no customer service phones maybe, illegal!
The billdiffenderffer email does not work. People please do not fly on this airline! Their customer service is pitiful, and I read on another site with no customer service phones maybe, illegal!
I am from Columbus, but I DO NOT work for skybus. I agree, they have some issues, but I have flown them around 20 times now and have not had a serious problem…at least, because I had my expectations. They are registered as an ULCC, and you should expect ULCC standards for the fares they give. Everyone knows their policies when you book…so if someone in your family is going to croak soon, BUY THE FREAKIN INSURANCE. If you have 20 bags to check…DONT FLY THEM. But stop critizizing them, because, for what they offer, they are a good deal.
We have been trying since August to resolve a damaged baggage claim. They damaged one bag on a flight from NC to OH. After filing a damaged baggage claim in OH the bag was further damaged on the next flight from OH to CA. Moreover, a second bag was damaged. Coincidence?
We have attempted to resolve the issue via Skybus’s posted email, no luck. Via USPS signature return mail to Skybus’s posted mail address, again no luck. We even attempted to contact Skyus via the email addresses posted on elliott.org, still no luck.
We did, however, have better luck with the manufacture of the second damaged suitcase, Ciao. The piece was from a recently purchased set. The luggage company quickly responded to our fist email and replaced bag damaged by Skybus.
Our next step is to file a consumer complaint with the Ohio Attorney General’s office. http://ag.state.oh.us/citizen/consumer/complaints.asp
I suggest other Shambus customers who have been ignored by the airline’s willingness to hide behind the anonymity of the internet and the distance between them and their customer to also file a consumer complaint with the Ohio Attorney General, as well as the AG from their own state.
With elections coming soon many AG’s will want to show their voters they are on the consumer’s side. Shambus may think they can get away with poor business practices when dealing with customers purchasing low-cost airfares; but, I don’t think they will take the same bully attitude with the Ohio Attorney General.
From the Ohio AG website:
We have three avenues for filing a consumer complaint with the Attorney General’s Office.
1.Complaint entry can be done online.
https://www.ag4ohio.gov
2.Our PDF consumer complaint form is available for downloading http://www.ag.state.oh.us/citizen/forms/consumer_comp_frm2003.pdf
3.Our AG4Ohio operators can answer questions or enter your complaint by calling 877-244-6446
Hey here is the new phone number for skybus….614-947-3200…..Ask for Bill
Aileen Cunanan Burbank, CA Customer Service
Alison Butler 614-456-7505 CMH Customer Service
Amanda Curry 614-582-5117 CMH Customer Service
April Good 740-808-2736 CMH Customer Service
Armando Villareal 818-972-3662 Burbank, CA. Customer Service Rep
Cashaana Allen 323-243-5922 CMH Customer Service
Charkel Buchanan-Suber 614-582-5117 CMH Customer Service
Chris Reakapa 818-972-3662 Burbank, CA. Customer Service Rep
Diana Twiity CMH Customer Service
Aileen Cunanan Burbank, CA Customer Service
Alison Butler 614-456-7505 CMH Customer Service
Amanda Curry 614-582-5117 CMH Customer Service
April Good 740-808-2736 CMH Customer Service
Armando Villareal 818-972-3662 Burbank, CA. Customer Service Rep
Cashaana Allen 323-243-5922 CMH Customer Service
Charkel Buchanan-Suber 614-582-5117 CMH Customer Service
Chris Reakapa 818-972-3662 Burbank, CA. Customer Service Rep
Diana Twiity CMH Customer Service
Dustin Holt-Mascari 818-972-3662 Burbank, CA Customer Service Rep
Emmanuel J. Sanchez 818-972-3662 Burbank, CA. Customer Service Rep.
Gerardo Flores 614-582-5117 CMH Customer Service
Gordon Buford Sr 614-252-7232 CMH Customer Service
Gustavo Alarcon 614-528-5117 CMH Customer Service
Hugo Cubillo 818-972-3662 Burbank, CA Customer Service Rep
Iasia Ashford 614-732-5277 CMH Customer Service
Jennifer Anglin 614-404-4246 CMH Customer Service
Jennifer Hatton 614-582-5117 CMH Customer Service
Judy Brooks 614-582-5117 CMH Customer Service
Kenyetta Oatis 614-582-5117 CMH Customer Service
Kevin Harris CMH Customer Service
Korenne Mason CMH Customer Service
Latisha Armistead 614-582-5117 CMH Customer Service
Lyle Johnson 818-972-3662 Burbank, CA. Customer Service Rep
Lynn Campisano 614-582-5117 CMH Customer Service
Mamadoli Coulibaly 302-507-7762 CMH Customer Service
Maria Frates 818-972-3650 Burbank, CA Customer Service
Maria Mendez Burbank, CA Customer Service
Marie Young 937-477-6182 CMH Customer Service
Melvin Richardson Burbank, CA Customer Service
Miguel Vega 818-972-3662 Burbank, CA Customer Service Rep
Mike Wood CMH Customer Service
Patreek Ghazarian 818-972-3662 Burbank, CA. Customer Service Rep
Rachell Anglin CMH Customer Service
Rhonda Bailey CMH Customer Service
Richard Council 614-582-5117 CMH Customer Service
Rusty McDonald CMH Customer Service
Sheila Pinder 614-582-5117 CMH Customer Service
Steve Szczesniuk 614-517-4446 CMH Customer Service
Taurra Whitlow CMH Customer Service
Tiffany Kenney 614-582-5117 CMH Customer Service
Tom Arras 313-478-1051 CMH Customer Service
Wiliam Carlson CMH Customer Service
Winsome McRae 614-472-3522 CMH Customer Service
Yvonne Fisher 614-205-1790 CMH Customer Service
Bill.Diff@Skybus.com; April.Shereda@skybus.com; Floyd.Nickerson@skybus.com; Jean.Mitchell@skybus.com; Tom.Sauer@skybus.com; Bud.Sittig@skybus.com; Rebecca.Swingle@skybus.com; Dennis.Haney@skybus.com; Jenelle.McClish@skybus.com Bud.Sittig@skybus.com
Wow! Thank you JayBob! I have tried to contact Bill.Diff@skybus.com, and I haven’t gotten a response yet and it has been about over a week since I sent that message to him, so I don’t think that e-mail address works. A while ago I contacted him, and he had a response time of about an hour, which was really great, but now I am not recieving any responses from him.
Anyways, Thank you for posting all that info!
I can’t believe the amount of whining and moaning on this blog and the comments that follow. I just booked two round trip flights this morning from Columbus to Los Angeles (Burbank) and from Columbus to sunny Florida. It cost me $20 each way plus tax. How in the world could anyone complain about this? Do you folks have no common sense?
Publishing the phone numbers of executives? What is wrong with you? Their website clearly states that they don’t have a call center and valid emails will be replied to. Why do you think you deserve something more if they clearly stated the rules up front?
And to the lady with the wet car seat - get over it. You should have covered it or at the very least followed their rules and filed a claim for your $5 at the airport before leaving. I guess you’re too lazy to do this though?
To folks who couldn’t cancel a flight - DUH! The website says you can’t cancel flights and expect a refund. You can either purchase trip insurance for six bucks or you can reschedule the flight for a 40 dollar fee. If you don’t plan ahead, don’t whine about the consequences.
I’m going to be taking my first SkyBus flight next week. I can’t wait. I’m going to spend my weekend in sunny California for $40 while the rest of you sit here blogging, whining and moaning.
I have just finished a phone call with one of the Shambus reps and got no where. I have a flight booked from Raleigh,N.C. to Biloxi/Gulfport,M.S. and after booking the flight have found that the ground transportation is just about non-existent. The airlines website makes it seem like getting from Biloxi to New Orleans is a piece of cake. Not true. They list a shuttle company on the site that doens’t run, Amtrak doesn’t run and limo companies are charging $250 + a 20% gratuity for a one way run. I’ll manage to get there, but for a start up airline to treat customers the way they do, that’s just rediculous. I travel a lot and most likely won’t try this airline again.
Thanks for the contact information and keep it up!
My baggage were lost when I flew from Columbus to San Diego. I had a skybus rep paged to baggage claim area, but no one came. So I went to the ticket counter to let them know that my bags were not at baggage claim, and they all looked at me like it wasn’t their problem. They suggested that it might have never made it onto the plane because I probably checked in late, which wasn’t true because I checked in a little over two hours before my flight. Then they told me to come back tomorrow because my bags probably just never made it onto the plane and will make it back on the next flight, which was the following day. I asked them if they can call Columbus to make sure that was the case and if it was going to make it back to San Diego the next day, I would gladly pick my bags up. So, one of the reps called Columbus but was unable to talk to somebody. He then told me to write down my contact information and he would call me when they get word. I asked him if I needed to fill anything out to report my lost bags, but he said that all he needed was just my contact information. The last comment that they made when I left was “It’s not Skybus San Diego’s fault, it’s Ohio’s fault.”
When I went home I wrote them an e-mail, and I even called the Columbus airport where they gave me the number to Skybus’ baggage service department. I called that number numerous times, but there was no answer so I left voicemail messages. I’ve have my luggage lost before thru another airline, but they took care of it and I was able to get my luggage back with ease. Apparently, Skybus is different. I guess you truly are just paying for the flight and not for the customer service. I know some people on here are backing up Skybus, but with all the complaints and filed claims against Skybus, don’t you think they would at least be a little more helpful to customers who have these travel dilemmas? Otherwise, the more complaints and claims against then, there will be no Skybus anymore. I did purchase travel insurance and I do have experience with delayed and cancelled flights as well as lost bags, but never have I had experience with an airline that just doesn’t seem like they care. Oh well, now my son doesn’t have his Christmas presents he received from his family in Ohio…thanks for ruining his Christmas Skybus!
I am booked on their flight from Greensboro, NC to Fort Lauderdale FL on March 13. Starting March 13 on the GSO-FLL route, I see that the 2:47p flight is now sold out - not a problem but they have another one at 8:52p still available - still not a problem.
What I see is that on all subsequent days, the afternoon flight is sold out and the night flight is available. Before 3/13, when there is only one flight - the afternoon flight, seats are avaiable for $40, 60, 80.
I find it hard to believe that the afternoon flight is available before 3/12 and sold out on every date after 3/12 even thru’ April and May. Looks like Skybus is playing some games here.
I checked in 2 bags in St. Augustine, but only one arrived in Columbus. I just turned 50 on Jan.1. and all my face creams and make-up were in my “lost” bag. All I have to say is “Hell hath no fury like a woman who has lost all her Make-Up. I am copyong all the numbers on this site and will call every one as well as filing a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General. I am also going to contact the local news stations because I plan to go to the airport and look for my lost luggage myself and I will warn people not to fly Skybus if they actually want to reach their destination with their luggage. They do not stand behind their airline.
To WhoRUPeople
I Hope you lose your luggage, and that your plane doesn’t make it on time to pick up your rental car, so you can whine and cry the loudest of all. Must be People like you that run this Airline. Not a bit of Compassion for another human being. What goes around, Comes around.
I got back to Columbus from my Los Angeles trip yesterday and wanted to follow up with a post here.
My trip was excellent, and my experience with Skybus was great. It was beyond great, actually, since I only paid $20 each way.
I drove to Columbus and flew to Burbank on Friday morning, which gave me 2 full days to spend in LA. I got a beautiful 2007 mustang convertible for $50 for the weekend and had a blast in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Malibu, making a new friend and seeing some sights.
The flight was on time, the service was professional and it was just as simple as any other airline I flew. The seats were actually more comfortable than the ones on other coach class seats I’ve had on the “big” airlines.
My only complaint is with some of the passengers on my flight. I arrived at the gate in Columbus roughly an hour before my flight and there were already people lined up to get on the plane. What’s wrong with you people? Why would you want to stand for an hour or more just to get a seat on the plane? There were plenty of chairs at the gate, so I sat down and took photos of the goofballs lining up and standing around for an hour. When we began boarding I gathered up my bags, walked over to the line, got on the plane and found myself a lovely window seat.
My experience coming back was the same - efficient flight staff, clean plane, friendly service, and stupid customers who began herding at the gate an hour before departure. One husband and wife even tried to stand there gobbling down breakfast burritos and coffee while maintaining their place in line. Goofballs. Just sit in the seats at the gate and wait for the announcement for boarding. There’s no need to behave like cattle and sheep.
So to all you naysayers, I say nay nay nay, I had a great trip and spent almost nothing for my flight. I’m already excited to go to Florida in 2 weeks.
DavidA,
Why are you blaming Skybus for your complaints about ground transportation? I think a rental car through hertz might cost you 20 to 25 bucks. Is that so bad? And do you really need a limo to get from Biloxi to New Orleans? Are you a movie star? If you want a limo, then of course you’re going to pay for it. You could grab a cab but it would still be cheaper to rent a car. Why not rent one in Biloxi and return it in N.O.?
Hey, MK, I just checked the SkyBus site and I think you’re wrong about the flights from Greensboro to Ft. Lauderdale. I checked March and April and both the afternoon and night flights are available on all days. I see a lot of days where the cheap seats are still $40. I don’t see a single flight in these months listed as sold out.
Please post accurate information when you’re complaining.
I am addicted and I can not get enough of the newest Airline, Skybus. Ok, so it seems like there is no service. Well, what can I expect… Have you ever ran a business and sold inexpensive products? You can not always afford the expensive fine linen and china. If you are looking for service, then pay for it. Try flying Delta or United in the first class cabin. I have, and enjoyed it, but I paid over $800. Currently, I have bought over 10 tickets, some at $10 (plus the tax normally around $10). Even then I have not spent over one roundtrip ticket on Delta. I have never had as much fun on any airline like Skybus. Knowing I spent $40 for a roundtrip ticket to Biloxi, saving hundreds of dollars over other airlines, I laugh all the way, while sitting in the crowded terminal, walking out on the tarmac with planes moving down taxiways, walking up the stairs you just can not go wrong. Ok, so I bought some food, I bought the 6 hot wings for $7 a Drink for $2 and still saved money. When you arrive, you can go to the Casinos or drive to New Orleans in 90 minutes. I park my car there for only $44 a week. Let’s add it up, gas to and from Biloxi to Columbus $180, and all in 2 Hours. I Love Sky Bus can not get enough……. Oh I have bought $50 one way tickets, still cheaper then $150 one way in coach through Delta. And Yes I am a Delta Gold Sky Mile medallion member, but hey the Skybus Flight attendants are young and cute. I have many phone numbers, something I would not want from the old wrinkly Delta Attendants. Party on, and see you at Mardi Gras.
I just tried to purchase a ticket on Skybus, when I clicked purchase ticket it came back and said there were problems with my payment that I wasn’t charged and didn’t have a ticket. I checked my bank account and 5 times the airfare was taking out of my account. Anybody know a phone number I should call to resolve this? I emailed them but not sure how long it will take for them to respond.
Thanks in advance.
Joey,
Your problem sounds like you had an issue with the ticket purchasing system and hit the “submit” button more than once or pushed the “back” button on your browser before the purchase was complete - which e-commerce sites specifically warn you not to do. You probably purchased several seats for the same flight unintentionally. If you had used a credit card you could dispute the additional charges. If you used a debit card, you may be on the hook for all of those additional charges.
Since I had such a great experience with SkyBus last week, yesterday I went ahead and purchased 2 more round trip tickets. $200 total for another trip to Los Angeles and $100 total for a trip to Mississippi to see my brother graduate from pharmacy school in May. Both of these seats were less than half the cost I’d pay on any other airline.
I’m heading to Florida to see my parents next weekend for $20 each way.
I love this airline. I don’t even mind that the Columbus airport is 2 hours away from my house. It’s totally worth it to save this kind of money.
Whorupeople, wait till they cancel your flight. The famous shoulder shrug everyone talks about is true, hope your ready! $200 is not worth the heartache!
Sony,
What do you mean, “wait until they cancel your flight”? Every airline has cancelations because of weather or mechanical issues. Big deal. They give your money back for the flight or offer you tickets on a future flight.
Here is what they say on the SkyBus website:
“If a flight is cancelled or delayed for more than three hours past the original departure time, we’ll try to get you on the next available Skybus flight to your destination. You can also change your flight yourself, as described above. Or, if you prefer, you may choose to request a refund for the unused portions of your Skybus reservation.”
So what exactly is the problem with this? Either you get on a different flight or you get your money back. That seems fair to me.
To WhoRU People,
it seems like you love skybus! I really really really want to fly them! I am just waiting for them to add more cities from MCI!
I love traveling cheaply, so yes, I do love SkyBus. I’m not entirely convinced their business model will work over the long haul unless they start expanding the airline’s destinations in a hurry. They need more hubs or at least more airports from which they fly to a variety of destinations.
For example, I’m curious why they don’t dedicate a number of new jets to their New York and Los Angeles routes so that passengers can fly from these spots to places like Ft. Lauderdale, Chicago and other destinations. Those would seem to be money makers.
I’d also like to see them add Las Vegas and some Texas airports, and perhaps Minneapolis, Atlanta, Denver + bring back Seattle to their destinations.
Hmm… has it crossed anyone’s mind that “WhoRUPeople” is a shill for Skybus?
Naypoo, has it crossed your mind that you’re a moron?
Now would a shill say that to you?
I flew Skybus again this weekend. $20 each way from Columbus to Punta Gorda. No problems to report at all.
I really don’t understand why people would kick and scream when an airline offers them the cheapest fairs they’ve ever seen. If you don’t like paying $10 for a seat, then go ahead and fly Delta or Airtran or some other airline. I’d be happier if you left the cheapest seats for me and wasted your money elsewhere.
I’m going to Los Angeles again in February for $100 each way and then to Mississippi in May for $55 each way. I can’t wait until they put the June seats on sale.
Here is some info I received from a response from Skybus through the BBB and Attorney General. Copied and pasted directly from the emails…
Contact Name and Title: Barry Barnard, VP Finance
Contact Phone: 614-947-3081
Contact Email: Barry.Barnard@skybus.com
Barry G. Barnard
Skybus Airlines, Inc.
Vice President Finance and Treasurer
614-947-3081 (O)
614-634-3418 (M)
614-246-8809 (F)
Starr,
What’s your purpose of posting this information? If you want an airline with a customer service line, go to one that charges more for tickets. If you want inexpensive tickets without the customer service hotline or any frills, then choose SkyBus. It’s so simple. Just stop whining about it.
Things go wrong in ANY business. Having a way to address your concerns and how a company addresses those concerns is the difference between a long term successful company and one that quickly ends up a footnote in history.
On it’s current path Skybus is on its way to being a footnote.
They do have a way to address concerns. It’s called their website and email. It’s called customer service reps at the counter before flights and at the gate before and after flights. If you want an 800-number, a Coke and a pillow, be prepared to double the price of your flight.
Then of course, what niche would this airline fill? None. They’d be out of business if they tried to use the same business model as other, better established airlines.
They’re offering a great opportunity to those of us who don’t care for all of the frills that the rest of you have come to expect and would prefer a quick flight and a super cheap ticket.
Again I say, if you don’t like it, please go to AirTran or Delta and pay 2 to 5 times as much for the same ticket. Save the cheap seats for me and quit whining.
Snagged a $10 ticket to Ft. Lauderdale this morning around 7:30 a.m. Yay.
Regarding the contact information you list for SkyBus executives…
The Georgia Bar Association lists the following contact information for the CEO, who happens to be a lawyer:
Mr. William S. Diffenderffer
Address:
3885 Easton Way
Columbus, OH 43219
UNITED STATES
Phone: 214-616-8711
Admit Date: 06/09/1978
Law School: Georgetown University
Once again, why post contact info for executives? When you buy a SkyBus ticket, you know the rules. Stop bitching like a little child. If you don’t want to play by the rules then just fly a different airline.
I agree with WhoRUPeople, why should you post the address?
I can understand the cell phone #, to a certain extent, but why post the actuall adress?
I do not want someone posting my address on the internet! So why post the CEOs?
I agree with whorupeople, if you do not like the airline, fly a different one, do you expect 1st class service from an airline that has $10 tickets?
*I haven’t flown SKB yet, so I do not know their service personally.
I’m amazed to see this blog! I was looking for some negative impression to see if I should use skybus (just maybe). Then I found this blog and read them all !!
It’s interesting to read whorupeople’s post. I wonder what type of people spent this amount of time FOLLOWUP his post !! And kind of reply each single complaint. The purpose of this blog I assuming is to share bad experience with skybus. Why whorupeople visited this blog at the first place if he loves this airline so deeply?
Good job! whorupeople.
I visited after I purchased my first ticket from SkyBus but before I took my first flight.
I wanted to get impressions from other travelers.
I keep coming back because I keep flying SkyBus and every time I do, I’m pleased with the experience. Not many people take the time to post positive things about companies.
I’m saying give this airline a chance. My experience has been completely positive. The planes were as comfortable or more comfortable than anything AirTran or Delta has provided me. The fares were amazing. The service was polite. The flights were on time.
I’m flying to Burbank again in a week and a half and to Mississippi in May. I hope it goes well.
Actually, I’m glad to have WhoRUPeople here, too. What a boring place any blog would be without a discussion … and a little dissent.
whorupeople,
I have a “fansite” for skybus, could you please sign the guestbook?
http://freewebs.com/onlybirdsflycheaper
Thanks!
Also if you could, could you submit photos of Skybus for the gallery? just click on the page that says gallery and follow the instruction.
I hope Skybus stays around forever, because I am a commercial aviation enthusiast and my family can’t really afford to fly as much as I want, and if Skybus added more destinations from MCI I would LOVE them!
Also, do you think there is any chance of Skybus returning to OAK soon?
from a west coast hub or focus city? I would really love to see a focus city or hub in the west coast!
Jasprit, thanks for the offer but I’m not really into fansites on any topic. I wish you luck though.
I wish they’d return to Oakland/San Fran. But unless fuel prices drop I don’t see them doing it soon. I would imagine that in 2 to 3 years they’d consider adding it back after they’ve grown the size of the airline and the number of destinations.
I could see them doing a Houston to Oakland flight or Phoenix to Oakland. You could catch a plane from Columbus to Houston and then Houston to Oakland. That would be my best guess.
Skybus canceled our flight from San Diego to Col. an hour before takeoff. Had to go back to the ONE kiosk open to get a refund, then downstairs to pick up our bags, then had to book on another airline at an outrageous price because the next Skybus flight was the next day, and why would we take a chance on it being canceled? Now they are charging us a cancellation charge of 40.00 a ticket!! We will never fly Skybus again, they nickle and dime you to death, and its not worth the risk of being stranded.
Hello,
Personally I amglad these numbers have been posted, it doesn’t matter if I pay $10 for a ticket or $100, trhere is such a thing call customer service, and its clearly not working.
If you look back you will see that this airline is NOT reponding to enquires and complaints via the web service. Do you expect people to sit and wait, no. Its called consumer law my friend and Skybus is in breech of this law when it does not promptly reply. THAT is why the numbers are published.
Just because an Airline is inexpensive does not give it the right to ignore its responsibilities to their customers. Severtal poster claim for the price we should not complain. I have a feeling these posters would not be happy if I said for the price you pay you should therefore expect substandard aircraft.
Fini
Here’s the bottom line. As a customer of ANY Enterprise I have the right to address any and all concerns in any manner I deem appropriate. Doesn’t matter what anyone thinks or feels on an internet blog.
I have the DOT if I choose. I have the Better Business Bureau and the OH State Attorney General’s Office of consumer fraud.
Company’s that don’t respond in a timely manner (As defined by the customer) deserve what they get. You’d be absolutely amazed how an e-mail to the appropriate States Attorney Generals office has a way of improving customer response on a very personal level.
If the rest of you want to be “Sheeple” that’s fine by me because it leaves more compensation dollars for me!!!!!!!!
I cannot wait until Skybus goes into Bankruptcy !! We use to have business people walking around in suits and ties.. now all you see are daisy dukes and men in wife beater t-shirts. The 10yo flight attendants they hire are so stupid.. One of them took out 5 cars in the employee lot because she was late for work.. Skybus is like a big Greyhound bus in the sky. Every and I mean EVERY flight at night is at least 2 hours delayed.. I will dance across the airport the day that Skybus says its leaving!!! I have never rode on skybus and I NEVER will.. I will be GLAD to pay $70 extra to fligh on a MAJOR airline..
PLEASE LEAVE SKYBUS!!!!!!! CMH HATES YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES!!!!!!
TO AirportEmployeeColumvusOhio
Are you really that ignorant? Of course you are! You must work for one of the airlines that are threatened by SKybus. Do you realize what kind of revenue and jobs that skybus is bringing to the airport and out lying companies? This is huge for the city of Columbus. All airlines have delays and cancellations, you only hear about SB because of it being new and only having 7 aircraft at this point compared to what….1,000 .
And how are all the fight attendants stupid?You’ve never flewn SB nor had a conversation with them. They have to go through the same FAA training and certification as any other airline. Have you ever had a car accident? Oh I forgot your perfect and IGNORANT!
Maybe you’ll loose your job at CMH…and then who’ll be crying?!!!
Grow up!
I dont work for an airline or an airline affiliate.. but thanks.. and no.. I have never had a car accident.. I have had 1 speeding ticket in my life though if that make you feel better.. I interact with their cabin crew on an everyday basis.. and since you know everything, Skybus currently has 12 airline in their fleet.. They ordered 60 planes total.. but are running on the 12 they have right now.. so thanks mr know it all.. and btw.. most of their cabin crew are making 7.85 an hour plus commission.. that’s the reason most of them are 18-19 years old.. no flight attendant in their right mind would spend the money to take a 12 week course to make minimum wage and be pimped out by selling jewlery and makeup on an airline..
Wow. I cannot believe all the negativity here. How many times have I said it already … if you want the services and perks of a major airline, then book tickets on a major airline.
If you have a tight schedule and can’t afford a cancellation because SkyBus doesn’t have backup aircraft, then just book on another airline.
Stop buying your $40 tickets on SkyBus and then whining and moaning if you have to switch your flight.
They spell everything out on the site. If you buy a ticket, then you play by their rules. Customer service is handled via web IF AND ONLY IF the question isn’t answered already on the website. And from what I’ve heard here thusfar, no one has had a question that couldn’t be answered with the skybus.com FAQ or help section.
Stop complaining and trying to ruin it for the rest of us who are willing to play by the rules.
WRONG!!!
Customer Service is handled how I say it’s handled as I’m the customer. Without me and the thousands of others there is no Skybus or US Airways or anyone else.
If I write an e-mail I fully expect a response in 10 business REGARDLESS of the policy of ANY company. If I don’t get it, I write the DOT, If that fails to garner a response then off to the appropriate States Attorney General we go.
All the while I post on various web sites in order to inform others of my experience.
Bottom line is if Skybus doesn’t want bad press and consumer complaints they have two choices.
1. Beef up their opperations and eliminate as many errors as possible
2. Become better at addressing customer concerns in a timely manner.
Even more important in some ways is that their Marketing and PR people need to do a better job managing customer expectations. Skybus may not be for every traveler. Neither is Ryan Air, that said there are always people who know the price of everything and the value of nothing. That’s why there is Motel 6 & Marriott.
My experiences with Skybus have been positive so far. I flew with a group of six from Columbus to Punta Gorda. The flights were comfortable and on time and we saved over $200 per person over the next cheapest airfare. We live in Central Kentucky. But for over $1000 in savings it was worth the drive (even though we had to leave our house at 1:00 AM to drive to the airport).
We booked tickets for May to Oakland for the $10 each way price. Skybus changed our flight times and sent us an email allowing us to choose any flight we wanted within five days of our original times due to the change. We picked dates that were more convenient to us (flying on weekends) and there was no fare difference to pay and no change fee whatsoever. If was really easy to do, the website walked us through it. I have had Delta change my flight times before and they didn’t even let me know they changed it, let alone give my the options to change to another flight. I felt in this way Skybus performed better than Delta. Nothing against Delta.
I think there are travelers out there that have a certain road warrior attitude. If you don’t need a pillow on a flight, tend make travel reservations through the internet, then why pay more at another airline that provides extra comforts and phone reservations? I definately understand the concerns about being left stranded at the airport or having baggage lost. That’s why its a good idea to purchase trip insurance, especially if you can’t be flexible. Another recommendation is, if you can get by without checking a bag, just take a carry on. Let hassle, less expense, and you don’t have to worry about you bag being lost.
WhoRUPeople,
Go back to your desk at Skybus and stop trying to convince people to fly your airline.
LOL @ NotWhoRUPepole… well, well, well.. lets look at the Columbus dispatch.. can we say goodbye and good riddance to $10 flights.. The US economy cannot support an airline like this.. Bad Customer Service and now a most deffiently strike/walk-out by the pilots will most likely be the end of Skybird… my projection for Skybird is this:
Skybird pilots who are asked to go and get your own water for the employee lounge on their off time,will sign union contracts by april… you get paid 1/2 the salary to fly the plane and now have to be the delivery service as well.. that’s great management!!!!
I smell a STRIKE as soon as may which coincidentally is when Skyhut will release there 4th quarter profit earnings (I mean losses for Skyrut) I figure losses close to 35 million dollars will be inline for their 4th quarter, which is suppost to be the most profitable quater of the year.
Skyhub will have no choice but to give a 25% raise to their well deserved pilots and co-pilots resulting in larger fairs, giving southwest the number one spot back by mid-july and blaming their employees for the higher prices publicly.. The bad publicity the organization creates on themselves from trying to blame employees will have horrible effects on the staff and crew, resulting in another strike from pilots and causing flight attendants (however dumb they may be for getting paid $7.75 to $9.00 and hour when they could have gotten hired on another airline for $16.00 to $23.00 an hour) to join a union resulting in a strike from the FA by late october…
I predict that Skyruput will be out of business by December 2008, 19 months after takeoff to Burbank.
place ur bets……
i found a new plane design for skybus.. check it out here
http://aycu08.webshots.com/image/48487/2004021843635595823_rs.jpg
Has anyone heard anything negative or positive about the new Gary, Indiana location. I’ve been there before and it is very very close to chicago and the airport is very underused and needs this airline to bring it to life. I flew SkyValue when it flew last year into Gary and had many problems. I think Skybus will do much better and this airport needs this airline, but needs more places to fly to. I’m excited to hear this news, but want to see if anyone has anthing to say about the flights in/out of Gary…..to be continued!
BTW the new Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops which opened in the past year about 10 miles from Gary are a definite place you have to visit!
unfortunately i recently had a problem w/my skybus ticket–they changed the flight times without notifying us. when i couldn’t find a way to talk to an actual person (and their online email wouldn’t work), i googled to find a number. i found this blog w/the numbers and i called judy timberlake.
and she actually called me back. i was very impressed. (that said, she was not able to help me with my problem, but at least i talked to someone.) i won’t be flying w/them again but it helped me let go of the frustration by at least talking to someone.
My only Skybus flight was one way from Stewart/Newburgh to CMH. I experienced an issue with luggage, and the Skybus folks at Stewart told me to simply email them and it would be taken care of. That was three months ago and I’ve sent an email every month. I’ve received no response whatsoever. At the end of the day, Skybus has a shakey business model at best and probably will not do so well. It is an interesting experiment, and that’s the extent of it. They offer low fares to destinations in non-densely populated areas. And there is really no schedule advantage, service advantage, comfort advantage or customer loyalty advantage. It is what it is. People ridicule the flight attendants for working for such low wages. I think it’s silly to question why people might take certain jobs. People do what they want to do. But the same people spend a lot of time driving from KY to CMH, or spend 2 to 3 hours getting to a remote airport for a cheaper flight. How does that reflect on their value of their own time? My time is worth more to me. If I have to spend 2 or 3 hours to get to/from a remote airport in order to take advantage of a lower fare, it is worth it? If a person spends 4 or 6 extra hours to get to the airport, and saves $200 and spends money on the train or shuttle or parking on both ends of the trip that seems like bad math. My time is worth more than $60/hr. For me it isn’t worth the effort to bitch about $50 and call a bunch of people who obviously don’t make much of an effort to reach out to their customers. And Skybus is free to run their company that way. But they are quickly showing themselves to be a brand that rubs a lot of people the wrong way. And I’m free to fly on other airlines. I’d rather pay a few hundred dollars more to fly on an airline that has a track record, a customer service operator that answers the phones, an extensive service route, a skybridge to give me a civil way to enter and exit the plane, a luggage allowance, some innate value to the ticket for use on future flights no matter what the circumstances and a free Coke. You can shop at WalMart or you can go somewhere else. I’ll be going somewhere else.
I purchased 5 $10 flights from Columbus to Richmond travel time August. I received an email and checked the website and found the tickects. I hope all goes well. Iwill drive to VA Beach. I purchased the option for 3 checked bags. For a family of five it was more than a bargain for me.
Ok.. so.. nowww i see all this after booking 3 flights from Punta Gorda to Greensboro all in the evenings….guess what… they CANCELLED all evening flights.. and made them afternoon flights…. which is impossible for us. They let you switch dates.. but only 5 days give or take… We tried switching for the weekend before the night flights are taken away.. and it wont let you…. i feel totally screwed not being able to speak to someone about this…. and there are huge articles in the Fla papers making them look great, how they have added flights and such…. but nothing on how they screwed those who got their flight taken away right under their noses…. im furious about this and not quite sure how to handle it all.
and……….HOWWWWWW do you get the $10 flights anyway.. cheapest i found were $40?
You think you got a problem with skybus I just ordered one ticket for 260.50 and got charged for three. Theres no number and no way to prove that I didn’t order the three tickets who do I talk to too get my money back? I’m so pissed right now it’s not even funny this airline sucks it’s horrible who doesn’t have a phone number. If anything I guess i will report it too the the better business burea, good luck with all your inquires.
File a consumer complaint with the Ohio State Attorney General.
http://www.ag.state.oh.us/citizen/consumer/index.asp
They STOLE YOUR MONEY.
E-mail them and explain your situation, see what happens. If they deny your claim, file with the AG in OH & your home state if different.
If they have assets in your state, small claims court would be advisable as well. Unethical companies like Skybus count on wearing you down. DON’T PLAY their game. Get mad as hell and don’t take it anymore. You’ll feel really good about it. Also dispute the charge on your credit card YESTERDAY!
Bill’s cell is still in service
I would have to agree with the many individual’s that have complained about Skybus and their lack of customer service. Out flights were cancelled and they did nothing to acommodate us for the following day. Yes they did return our money but we were left with no flight for the holidays. We lost money for the hotel but more than that we lost our faith in this airline. They care nothing about the passengers and their website literature is a bunch of lies. They claim they will do everything in their power to accommodate passengers who are dealing with cancellations but they don’t. When our flight was cancelled they informed us that we do not get priority for the following travel day and that “they don’t work like that”. We were also told that if we wanted to wait until the next day for a flight, even though it was predominately full, we would have to “chance it”. Anyone of us knows that business is all about word of mouth and I hope that these words spread like wild fire. It will shock me if Skybus lasts much longer. You cannot treat customers like they do and expect to stay in business. I hope no one goes through something like this again, but in reality we all know that it will continue until something big happens.
Also they do not return emails and just for others to be aware of I tried to send an email to Bill Diffenderffer and Ken Gile and it was returned. Not sure if they changed their email addresses but I guess at this point nothing would surprise me!
Well when you look at their operating results and the rise in fuel costs I think this might be a moot point.
I have sent at least 8 emails to the Skybus service center email address with never a reply. There were no answers to my issues within the Help Center. My family’s flights were changed, outgoing to the day before, with no explanation. Getting refunds for my daughter and myself worked fine but I can’t get one for my husband even though the web site says he is eligible. I found this site and called Bill Diffenderffer on his cell number. I left a message and he called me back with in minutes. He promises resolution and an improved Service Center. Having a responsive Service Center would be a great boon to this airline.
Mr. Diff. resigned :(
but he says he is going to write more books!
i actually have read The Samurai Leader, and enjoyed it!
does anyone know if the service from Greensboro NC to Burbank Ca is stillrunning? WE bought eight tickets and have just put some money down on a house and I am wondering if these flights will still go or if they have been cancelled?
OK, here’s a good one…
The Columbus/Milwaukee route has seen some recent changes and flight cancellations. I was originally booked for a one-day trip from MKE to CMH leaving on flight 25 at 7:03 am and returning on flight 27 at 4:23 pm.. The morning flight has been permanently cancelled and the time for the evening flight has been changed. I was rebooked, but because of the time changes, the Columbus to MKE flight is prior to the MKE-CMH flight, so the computer flipped my departure and return cities. No problem, right? Just, go on the website and use the convenient rebook option to fly out a day earlier and keep the return flight. No can do. The computer won’t let me “unchange” my departure/return flights. I e-mailed and included the original confirmation showing a MKE departure and a CMH return, but the helpful customer service drone, James, insisted that I was orignally booked on the CMH-MKE flight that (here comes the good part) DID NOT EVEN EXIST AT THE TIME I BOOKED. In the meantime, I’m forced to continue to forward their original confirmation to me, which James seems to have trouble reading. I have the option to get a refund, but at this point, they’ve stalled long enough that booking on a different carrier would be cost prohibitive. How can an airline afford to fly so cheap? They can’t. Buyer beware.
SKYBUS lost 16 plus Million last quarter and they only have 75 million in cash. If their losses double next quarter that wipes out half of the CASH and Their CEO, Bill Diffenderfer, has recently been replaced by Mike Hodge.
Their CEO, Bill Diffenderfer, has recently been replaced by Mike Hodge and word is The CEO wasn’t replaced — he quit to go back to being an author… or so he says.
More likely, he saw the end was near, and decided to cash out his chips while he could
Here’s another phone number that may help. After trying for weeks to play the e-mail game with Skybus (see above entry), I left Judy Timberlake a voicemail, and within 2 hours, I had an e-mail and a repaired itinerary in my inbox. I also had an actual phone call from Skybus with no message, but the caller ID was 614 947 3086. The number belongs to a Jim McMahon (scottish accent, so I don’t think it’s the ex-Bears QB) Not sure of Jim’s position at Skybus, but his outgoing v-mail msg. also includes his mobile number.
I recently purchased a flight for myself and my 2 grandchildren .I have never been able to afford three round trip tickets until Skybus.We left from Stewart Airport and traveled to Greensboro with no problem at all. We had a wonderful time visiting my daughter,enjoying some simple pleasures of life.We spent time together,fishing,walking,rolling down hills,laughing.
On the way home we encountered some minor problems.The flight was late,the attendant in Greensboro that checked our bags was too busy complaining to a co-worker about how he was ready to snap. He put the wrong flight number on the 2 car seats I was checking and realized it.He changed the tag on one of them but apparently not the other. I believe that had he been paying attention to what he was doing instead of bitching he would not have made a mistake.I guess a lot of us can admit being guilty of the same .Every other employee I came in contact with was very professional yet down to earth.
At Stewart there was a Skybus attendant at the baggage claim area who noticed that I was waiting for something.He came over to me to assist me without my asking.I told him the situation and he told me to fill out a claim .I was waiting for someone at the counter when he came over with two other Skybus employees to help me . I am still hoping to get the car seat because it was a gift . The only problem I saw was that they should have been able to contact someone at the other destination to alert them,but.they were not able to.
The differences between Skybus and other airlines is completely stated on the website. There are some customer service issues that need to be worked out. Hopefully Skybus will improve on them without the improvements having a major effect on ticket price.Hopefully they will expand and be around for a long time.I hope to get the chance to fly with them again.
Thank you Skybus .I consider you one of the simple pleasures .
Courtesy of the Columbus Post Dispatch
“Skybus Airlines, a Columbus carrier that excited central Ohio travelers with its $10 fares, is calling it quits.
The news came quickly today, with the airline announcing on its Web site at about 9 p.m. that it will no longer be in business Saturday.
After today, all flights are canceled.”
This is what happens when you treat your customers like crap. Goodbye Skybus and Good Riddance!
Another victory for consumers.
Well, well, well.. We found out at 7pm that it was done.. I gave them until December, guess I was wrong.. I do feel bad about the passengers Skyhut refused to tell passengers that once they got on the planes and left.. they would have to spend a ton of money to get back home.. How convenient.. They can blame the economy all they want.. but what it comes down to is you cannot treat people like shit and expect to stay in business. So Long Skyreck
Yes oil prices are higher, however on May 21st 2007, gas prices were at 3.18 a gallon. That was a few days before Skybus started flights. Oil prices are now blamed for the failure of this airline when in fact Skybus will become the BIGGEST SCAM OF AIRLINE HISTORY. I feel bad for the pilots. The flight attendants I do not. Most of them are 18yo kids that remind me of a high school lunchroom. They Play too much. This was part of the horrible customer service, along with the no one to call for help because no one really cares attitude Skybus execs had.
As for money lost, Im sure now no one will ever know. Skybus started with 160 million in pvt startup funds, lost 16 million in the 3rd quarter and have yet to realease their p/l sheets for the 4th quarter. I can quarantee that all of the money is not gone. The execs and board members walk away from this with a large sum of money to take to the bank. They have not lost 144 million dollars in the last 3 months alone. As you people will see, this will come out to be the BIGGEST SCAM in airline history. Bill Diffenderffer im sure was forced to resigned because because he would not carry out this Scam. You will all see.. this will all come out by the end of the year. Watch how many people will be in jail. Think about this. The 4th quarter is the most profitable quarter. There is no way they lost almost 10 times the amount of money than the previous 3 MONTHS!!
Yah… skybus has just ruined my life!!!!!! Does anyone have any suggestions to how to get my money back? I had 3 flights scheduled between next weekend thru july… it says to call the cc company.. well, these fares went thru my debit card and of course, being a saturday, wont be able to talk to anyone until monday… but how can i get that money back?????
Debit cards with a Visa or Mastercard Logo on them are treated much like credit cards. Depending on which bank issued the debit card they may well have Saturday hours.
So you should call and dispute the charges as you would any other bogus charge.
Sadly Kathy you are getting a lesson in just how high the cost of cheap can be.
NEVER NEVER NEVER buy ANYTHING with a debit card. Except maybe groceries.
If you’d used a credit card, you’d have a refund being processed right this moment since V/MC would have done so as soon as you called. With a credit card, its not YOUR money until YOU pay the bill. Even then, you can get it back. With a debit card the money comes right out of your bank account.
Lesson learned. One can only hope.
Do you guys know of any airlines helping Skybus customers out with discounts or anything like that?
Yes, JetBlue is.
See: http://investor.jetblue.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=131045&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1126134&highlight=
thanks christopher elliott….how do you get this info anyway.. hahah jet blue is trying to be very accomodating.. this whole thing just SUCKS!!!!!! How can that sky bus just close and give NO notice..
joe…. they cant take my money and offer nothing for it.. who can i contact about getting it back?? any financial genius’s in here have any suggestions… i have to contact my bank on monday… and i dont know what they will tell me…
robert….yah.. tough lesson to learn… i have to see the love of my life.. and ill be damned if skybus is gonna stop me….. something will work out.. i hope and pray!!!!!!!
thanks all for your comments.. wish me luck!!!!!!!! thanks for the jet blue info.. i called them and we might be able to set something up for next weekend anyway.. the other two flights are just gone i guess… i will call the bank monday and see what they said… they do have a dispute dept.. so i will go to them and hope for the best..skybus has completely disappointed a lot of people…they couldve done this a whole lot tactful without leaving people stranded and without their funds….
what is this world coming to??????
Even with a CREDIT card the refunds aren’t going as smoothly as they could. We were supposed to be on a Flight Mon 4/7 returning 4/14 from Columbus to Fort Lauderdale. Because I booked the tickets when this time block went on sale, way back in October my credit card company (Capital ONE if you are interested) says it will have to look into it since the purchase was made too long ago for an instant refund. Since hotels and cars were booked, plus concert tickets bought etc we are going anyway but the cheapest tickets we can find are in the $400 a piece range. We bought trip insurance but guess what, Airline bankruptcy wasn’t covered.
So Good Luck everyone on getting your money refunded. I hope you have an easier time than I am having.
WHERE ARE YOU NOWWWWW WHORUPEOPLE???? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY NOWWWWW…. ALL THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SCREWED…INCLUDING YOU AND YOUR MAY FLIGHT…
Laughing so hard right now I can hardly type LOL. Skybus employees gets bailed out by JetBlue by 10 bucks a pop and Skybus customers bailed out by 50 bucks a pop. Now there’s an airline skybus wishes they were.
Bottom line is: These clowns were never interested in running an airline.
And amazingly, I came to the fact that skybus sucks without even seeing a single airplane of theirs or coming even close to one of their “airports” (Dirt paths cleared away in the middle of empty fields far far away from any real city with pop-up tents for terminals).
Skybus sucks, now I feel sorry for WhoRUPeople. The poor soul is most likely unemployed.
Although I have never flown jetBlue, I do admire them in taking responsibility for Skys**t’s problems, but I have to stay loyal to my airline and make a remark….
Fly Delta Jets!
John D.
I am sorry for the Skybus employees. I flew the airline from Chicopee to Greensboro for business quite often. The Chicopee airport is now going to be pretty much closed down. The pilots seemed extremely nice and the flight attendants, while “less experienced” then the seasoned airlines, were very attentive. I just dont think a business model works when you fly people around the country for less than a cab ride across Manhattan. My flights were always on time and the planes were clean. I feel bad for the employees and, quite frankly, I go from paying $105 round trip - back to $450 on USAIR.
Like I stated in my comments I do feel sorry for the customers that are stranded now.. however I hope all of you will think about this.. Skybus was a SCAM from the start.. Lets do the math..
Private investors, Columbus Dispatch, Nationwide, NBC4I and a lot of other “investors” put up 160 million dollars to start this airline. Skybus is now saying high oil prices are to blame. However on May 21st 2007 gas prices were around 3.18 a gallon. This was a few days before Skybus took their maiden flight.. In retrospect jet fuel would have been a few pennies cheaper than they are now since gas prices are about 7 cents more per gallon this year compared to last year. In the 3rd quarter skybus showed a net loss of 16 million dollars.. so we have
160 million startup
-16 million net loss 3rd quarter
144 million left… ok
they pay no landing/docking fees at port columbus and Im sure they probable do not pay any if not hardly any at other airports around the country and from what I have heard they also did not pay any interest on their leased planes.
NOONE CAN TELL ME THAT THEY LOST 144 million dollars in the 4th quarter.. THINK ABOUT IT.. THIS AIRLINE WAS A SCAM IN THE MAKING!!
What probably happed was Bill Diffenderffer was whole heartly wanting this airline to work.. They other exec’s just wanted to cash out and take the money to thier banks. Bill was against this and was asked to step down to “write a book” (hopefully called The Skybus Scandal)… This was the perfect week to do this.. 2 other airline Aloha air and ATA went under.. so what the hell we will too right?? Even ATA claims they went under because of lost Military contracts.. Bill Diffenderffer was probably forced out because he would not go along with this scandal and here comes Mike Hodges who I am sure had no problems “claiming bankruptcy” and taking many millions to the bank.. can we say Swiss bank Account????
There is NO WAY and I mean NO WAY this company has lost 144 million dollars in 3 months.. I want to see the profit/loss sheet for the 4th quarter.. but I can guarantee that we will NEVER see or hear about it, until a court orders it out and then you will see the scandal unwind and many people will be in jail.. THIS IS ENRON ALL OVER AGAIN!!!!
When a CEO is replaced, a board would definitely give 3 months or another quarter to “turn around” a business if it was in bad shape. NOT 2 WEEKS.. They figured that since 2 other airlines went under, they are going to be able to slide threw the bankruptcy courts under radar. This was the perfect time to finish their scandal.. THEY WILL GET CAUGHT… You will all see.. IT will all come out
Any comments??
sounds like you know what youre talking about airport employee… wouldnt that be awsome to see a book out on this whole scam by bill diff… id be in line to buy it..(if i get my $318 back) bottom line is.. they have screwed up my plans along with many others, and i hope bill hodges cant sleep at night… what comes around…..goes around …… it would suck to be him!!!!!
cant wait to hear the outcome of this whole fiasco….’
thanks for the comment
makes sense to me!!!!!
Here’s my Skybus story: I decided to fly from Stewart to Greensboro to visit family because my car and I are getting too old to drive to NC, and the major airlines out of Newark wanted over $300 for a 1-1/2 hour flight.
I did fine on the way down; I wrote about it here. I was scheduled to fly back Saturday 4/5. Friday night I went to check in online and was greeted with the orange-and-blue box o’death. I guess I should have known when this airline had the colors of (pick one): the now defunct Howard Johnson’s chain, or the New York Mets, who couldn’t make sense of 40-year-old John Smoltz yesterday.
I didn’t find out until AFTER I had purchased a one-way ticket on American Eagle for $269, because I just wanted to get HOME that anyone was doing anything for stranded Skybus passengers. I probably would have had to do this anyway, because the thought of waiting around an airport for standby for $50 didn’t thrill me either.
So because I wanted to save a few bucks, I ended up flying into a city that was 62 miles from where I was actually going, using 17 bucks worth of gasoline during my trip, getting lost on the way out of Greensboro, paying for an additional airfare and an extra day of parking in Newburgh, AND taking half of yesterday morning having my husband drive me to Stewart to pick up my car and then driving it 52 miles home. Add to that the cost of buying him breakfast for his trouble.
That said, the flight was fine — bumpy takeoff, but when you take off in 30mph crosswinds, that happens. The plane was lovely and roomy and the flight attendants were professional, even with one elderly woman who had obviously had a stroke, could hardly speak, was deaf as a post and wanted to use the bathroom as we were taxiing to takeoff. I have no beef with any of the staff.
But to just shut down with no notice is reprehensible.
In retrospect, Skybus feels like one of those hairbrained dotcoms that sprouted up and died just as ignominiously in the 1990’s.
ok airport employee, you may know plenty about planes and how an airport runs, but you don’t know much about financials. First, this is NOT another enron. Enron was publicly held, and its investors suffered because inflated earnings reports bogusly inflated the stock price, thus crashing the stock when the true earnings were revealed. Skybus was financed from private companies including the Columbus Dispatch (which for some reason does not disclose this in articles it writes about Skybus), Huntington Bank, and several other high profile companies in Ohio. The 144 million dollars included these investors’ cash, some of it in the form of loans.
Secondly, regarding the cash on hand. When companies close the doors, they generally try to do so before spending the last nickel. If you are losing money, and see no signs that you will stop losing money, the responsible thing to do for your investors, and board members is to stop losing money. For Skybus, the only way to do that is to close the doors now. Every month you have to lease a jet that is losing thousands of dollars a day is bad business. Part of the remaining cash on hand will go to pay penalties on ending leases early. Part of it will go to credit card companies to pay interest penalties, and reimbursement for the refunds they are obligated to pay. Part of it will go to legal fees for filing, and defending against lawsuits that are sure to come. And yes, part of it will go to severance and unemployment for the ex-Skybus employees. Yes, this probably includes some packages for the executives, but it also includes taking care of the guy that sweeps the floors, or the woman who works in baggage claim.
There is little doubt that Skybus did some things that were wrong and downright stupid. Making customers work through a maze to get basic customer service is not smart. Starting a leisure airline based in Columbus at a time when fuel costs are forcing other airlines to raise rates is not a sound business idea. It is not a business’ responsibility to explain to customers their business model… It IS the responsiblility of the only major daily newspaper to take a look at how local businesses are doing. The Columbus Dispatch fell down hard in not looking and reporting a little harder on Skybus in the months prior to the collapse. As a Skybus investor, the CD obviously had skin in the game, and their overly positive reporting and failure to continually disclose that investment breaches obvious journalistic ethics. Readers and subscribers should ask some hard questions about what other central ohio companies are running on Dispatch cash..
Our family had more than 20 tickets on Skybus booked over the next couple of months. We joked about the fact that we hoped Skybus would last through the summer so we could enjoy them (we knew it was “when” not “if”)
Skybus sucked, and I’m pointing at the Dispatch for putting their investors interests over those of their readers. Shame on skybus, and shame on the Dispatch.
shame…
severance pay.. ??? unemployment?? They had employees coming to work on Saturday morning that did not know they even had a job.. They are not going to do anything for their employees.. They are going to stand in line or from Ohio, call on the phone for unemployement in which I pay for every week out of my check.. When they release their financial statements like they did for the 3rd quarter you will see. They knew, just like everyone else that runs a business that they were EXPECTED to lose lots of money the 1st year of business just like 95% of any new businesses.. they even stated this when they released the 3rd quarter p/l sheets. Yes they will encounter many fees for legal consultation however they were expected to lose money until they opened their 2nd Hub and got things running smoothly.. Also , Columbus Dipatch made it very clear here that they invested millions of dollars as well as the city of columbus, port columbus, and just like you stated many other high profile companies.
@ Kathy - have you called your bank who issued your debit card?
Seems like a logical first step instead of asking people on a blog how to get your money back?
And to Deb -SEE folks - they are only REQUIRED to give you back your money if you comply with the rules of the Fair Credit Act.
As I said in another post here - the card issuers generally hold back a piece of the air traffic liability, the money you charge for future travel, depending on the relative health of the carrier. American probably gets more of the amount charged immediately than anyone - the bankrupt carriers the least.
Years ago USAir’s exit from bankruptcy was slowed by the credit card issuers not liking the business plan and wanted to keep almost ALL of the airline revenue out past 60 days of travel since they thought they’d need to cover their rears given the history of USAir in bankruptcy.
Now, Capital One is playing games - call them and dispute the charge IMMEDIATELY. Same thing with Kathy - though, the Fair Credit Act does NOT apply to debit cards. Thats why you NEVER use them to buy anything except that which you have in hand immediately and can afford to lose.
Joe….. actually.. i have contacted my bank and i just faxed all my confirmed flights and dispute papers.. they said the money will be in my acct by the end of the week, so who loses out on this deal? the bank??? almost too good to be true but im keeping my fingers crossed…
Thanks Joe for the input…
After all this.. i still dont get to see my Tom this weekend… the tears continue to flow…………..
A simple question from the other