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“Skybus left us stranded”

November 19, 2007

Oh no, not another Skybus complaint! That was my first thought when I received an e-mail with the subject line “Skybus left us stranded.” If I write something about this, I said to myself, Skybus and its mainstream media apologists will really think I have a grudge against this no-frills startup airline — especially after outing its executives in my blog — even though nothing could be further from the truth.

But there it was. “Skybus left us stranded,” said reader David Junk. “We have e-mailed Skybus several times with no response. We have no way to contact them. We are counting on you for help.”

Stories like this break my heart.

On November 7, my eight-year-old grandson and I were returning from our trip on Skybus flight 223 from Burbank, Calif. to Columbus, Ohio. The scheduled flight was to leave at 8:54 a.m. At approximately 9 a.m., they announced there would be a delay. At 9:45 a.m., they canceled the flight and said there would be a 7 p.m. flight to Columbus we could take.

My grandson and I then went to the baggage claim area and immediately retrieved our luggage and went to the kiosk to change our flight to the later time, exactly as we were instructed to do. We were in line about a half hour and began to enter our information into the computer and were given the prompt along with everyone else there, that the flight was full.

We checked for later times and the attendant also kept checking. We were unable to get a flight home until three days later. This was completely unacceptable, since I had to return to work and my grandson had to return to school. I asked what recourse we had and the ticket agent said either take a refund or wait until Saturday. This was impossible and would have been even more costly.

It is one thing for the flight to be delayed or even canceled, but not to offer another flight for three days is inexcusable.

I might add, there was never an offer of any help to secure lodging if we chose to stay or any assistance to get another flight with another carrier. I was stuck in California with my grandson.

We were finally lucky enough to get two of the last three seats on a Southwest Airlines flight to Columbus with a stopover in Las Vegas. We were able to make arrangements with them but it was a much later time, causing us to scramble to make connections and get transportation home from Columbus. The trip cost $357.30 for my grandson and $379.30 for me.

Hopefully we will be refunded the $210 from Skybus that we paid for the return part of our trip. I feel I was completely taken advantage of and also believe most of the other airlines, if not all, would have done everything in their power to get us back without extra charges and would appreciate my business.

I would like to be reimbursed $526.60 for the difference I paid for one way tickets home.

Regardless of what happens, the Junks are owed a refund on their unused Skybus tickets, according to the Skybus contract of carriage.

If the cancellation was weather-related, Skybus can, amazingly, do exactly what it did. It can put the family on the next available flight with no compensation — even if that flight is days later.

But if the cancellation was due to a mechanical problem, does it owe the Junks more than just a “sorry”? Interestingly, the answer is “no.”

“Skybus is strictly a point-to-point airline,” says its Rule 16.1.3. “It does not assume liability and does not compensate for any consequential costs or losses in the event of delay or disruption to its schedule, including onward transportation, refreshment, accommodation or communication costs.”

In other words, the Junks are out of luck. I wouldn’t be able to argue for additional compensation based on the Skybus contract of carriage.

I do have some media colleagues who call airlines and dictate the compensation they are to give readers. But that’s not how I do it.

I just blog about it.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

28 comments

  • Chicky

    And the moral of the story is: Don’t fly Skybus, unless you want to rent a car, one-way to Columbus. Better yet, don’t fly them at all.

  • bob

    Skybus did exactly what they’re required to do…they gave you the option to try and rebook on later flights….which if those flights were already almost near capacity, there is limited seating on which stranded travelers can be accomodated. If you can’t or don’t accept another flight, you will be issued a refund….if you are that upset about the extra costs associated with having to switch to another airline, the travel insurance should have been purchased. Skybus makes it pretty known on their web site what they will and won’t do…it is not up to Skybus to baby everyone under the sun. It is unfortunate that the flight had to cancel, but you can’t expect to not read the details regarding flight cancellations and then expect the airline to go against their own policies. I can gaurantee you that NO other low cost carrier would have put you on another airline or compensate you for switching to another airline. Don’t compare Southwest, which has tons of planes to Skybus which only has 5 in the fleet! You can’t honestly expect 5 airplanes to do the work of hundreds.

  • Bruce King

    Contract of Carriage or otherwise, Skybus cancelled the flight. They certainly owe these people something. (Not even a meal voucher? Though BUR isn’t exactly stocked with eateries.) I won’t let this happen to me, and that’s why I don’t fly these low cost carriers and neither should anyone else. Sure, it costs more to fly USAir or Delta or Northwest or United. But I’m sure they would not leave me stranded for three days in one of the most expensive cities in the country because they decided not to fly their plane one day.

    We need more info. Was it weather? Or was it Skybus stupidity?

  • bgaviator

    How is weather or mechanical issues Skybus stupidity? These are issues that affect any airline. Your argument has no validity. Skybus did everything they were required to do….everyone thinks they are entitled to stuff that Skybus flat out says it won’t provide. I can’t go into McDonalds and expect them to give me a voucher for Outback Steakhouse because I wasn’t satisfied with their burger. You completely have the choice to not fly Skybus….there are airlines for everyone’s expectations and budgets. If you only have $50-$100 to spend on your travel, then spend the small amount of money and get the travel insurance that Skybus offers on their web site for the peace of mind that if your flight does get cancelled, you are covered to get on another airline.

  • Joe F.

    The key is WHY Skybus canceled the flight, not what the contract of carriage states.

    Every contract [of carriage or otherwise] carries with it a warranty of fitness for intended use along with a covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

    You need to find out why this flight was canceled. You cannot trust any airline to tell you the correct reason and since Skybus will not respond to any of the contact they gave you – my strong recommendation is that you sue them, not for breach of contract, but for the TORT of breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing – if you can prove a mechanical delay and the misleading or intentional breach of contract by refusing to properly accommodate you under their contract, you win.

    you see, if the flight was canceled for a mechanical or other reason which was for Skybus own pleasure, and they made ZERO effort to accommodate you then it will be assumed that they breached their contract with the intent of bad faith to avoid compensating the passengers. This is a clear and certain violation of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. This entitles you to compensatory and consequential damages.

    You should sue for the difference in airfare, lost wages or vacation time, extra parking fees, and meals away from home for the period of time you were away. Since you are in Ohio, sue them in your local small claims court and serve the complaint on the appropriate corporate agent identified in the state corporation records.

    You will need to subpeona the flight records “Please produce any records which describe in any way the cancellation or operation of Flight XX from YY ot ZZ on [date].” Then you need to also subpoena the corporation as follows:

    “Please designate and produce for examination any person who has knowledge of the resason for the cancellation of Flight XX from [etc etc etc.]”

    “Please designate [etc etc] those persons assigned to work Flight XX [etc] as flight crew on [date]” This was you can also confirm what THEY were told or knew. And WHEN they were told it! You see where I am going here?

    When they show up, if they show up for trial, you can simply review the documents and ask. I think there is a 90% plus chance either no one will show up or they will refuse to produce the people in the subpoena – most likely claiming stupidity and ignorance. Courts hate stupid corporations who have lots of lawyers. In the event they do not show up, you present your case and win the damages you seek – if I won I would have a Sheriff show up at hte airport and levy a jet so they could not operate a schedule in the morning and then insist on cash – of course, by the time you do all this – they’ll probably be in Chapter 11. . ..

  • bgaviator

    There is absolutely no case here unlike Joe F. likes to make it out to be. If Skybus cancels a flight, there are two options and ONLY TWO options…..either they can TRY to accomodate you on another Skybus BUR-CMH flight which you can either accept or deny….OR you can opt for the refund of your tickets. They have NO obligation to refund your money for hotels or tickets on other airlines. If this was a concern the travel insurance should have been purchased in which these events would have been covered. It doesn’t matter what the reason the flight was cancelled for…it could have been mechanical, weather, or crewing issues….regardless of the reason it sounds like from the original post that Skybus protocol was followed. Please quit ranting about things that have no merit.

  • http://elliott.org Sam H

    Even though the contract doesn’t cover them, skybus has the moral obligation to cover a person who has been stranded for 3 days. I was flying Express Jet and was delyed by 1 hour – thy appologized to each passenger and gave everyone a $10.00 food voucher for the airport food court. Outstanding customer service! Thatis what keeps a bussiness in business

  • Joe F.

    hey bgaviator – what do you know about it? I am not talking about the contract, but about torts. When did you graduate from law school and how many years have you been litigating?

    What if they cancelled the flight at 7.30am, told the flight crew, and no one else until dispatch passed the info along?

    What if the canceled the flight cause the loads in both directions were bad? Is THAT a legit reason to cancel a flight? Sure, if you are the CFO – but in the case of the passengers who relied on the airline to operate the schedule they do have certain rights to be treated fairly.

    Skybus ‘protocol’ is irrelevant to the how Skybus treated the people with whom it contracted. Why wait until 9.45 to cancel? Perhaps because Southwest had another departure that Skybus’ pax could have made? Obviously the outbound Skybus flight from BUR is the INBOUND Skybus Flight 222 FROM Columbus. Go look at their schedule.

    The INBOUND Skybus flight to BUR that am left Columbus @ 6.30am EASTERN Time – thats 3.30am PST. Are you trying to tell me that Skybus did not know that by 6am PST that its’ am flight from Columbus was not going to arrive? Really? That act, RIGHT THERE, is proof that they were playing hide the ball with their passengers. Skybus has maybe 5 airplanes in the air at any given time – how hard is it to keep track?

    If you do not think that ANY business is liable for refusing to communicate accurate facts on a timely basis to its’ customers about providing them services, then you have no real idea about how the law and American business works.

    it matters COMPLETELY why the flight was canceled – because, if it was weather – then there is NO liability at all since it is an act of God. Howver, if it was for any OTHER reason, then, assuming you can read, both Skybus contract AND federal law AND the covenant of good faith and fair dealing require compensation.

    Do you work for Skybus? I would feel ALOT different about this if Skybus made an effort to contact people or had a sign posted or their people present at the check-in area or made ANY effort to tell people about it before an hour AFTER the scheduled departure since it was pretty darn clear for hours that the inbound was not coming!

  • http://WWW.TEMPO-TRAVEL.COM LINDA HERRON

    DID YOU SEE THE REPORT ON NIGHTLINE LAST NIGHT ABOUT SKYBUS??? MADE IT LOOK SO GOOD!!!!!!

    THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU BUY A SKYBUS TICKET, NO OTHER AIRLINE WILL HONOR IT AND THAT IS WHY PEOPLE ARE GETTING STUCK FOR 2 AND 3 DAYS. WE GET CALLS ALL THE TIME ABOUT CAN WE REROUTE THEM (WE DON’T EVEN DO THE TICKETS BUT ARE ASKED FOR HELP). PEOPLE – YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!! A $10 TICKET WILL GET YOU NOWHERE!!! IF YOU ARE IN A HURRY – - DON’T USE SKYBUS!!!!!

  • bgaviator

    Actually, you’re probably better off using Skybus if you’re in a hurry. Unlike most other airlines, Skybus doesn’t fly out of hubs that get severely delayed on almost a daily basis. And of course other airlines won’t honor Skybus tickets….why should they? Skybus currently doesn’t have nor has made attempts as of yet to even have recipricol agreements….call it keeping your costs lower and thus being able to offer ticket prices lower than your competition. Why do so many people feel that an airline with 5 aircraft can re-route you in so many different ways like an airline with hundreds of aircraft can?

    Now going back to this original person’s case. Here is what I can say about this situation and unfortunatly I can’t go into every detail. That flight inbound (222) DID land in Burbank that day exactly as scheduled. Now, due to events (non-weather) that one could still easily acknowledge as “an act of God” the flight returning to Columbus had to be cancelled. Skybus follows Federal Aviation Regulations and they did so in this case which caused the flight to be cancelled. So the argument that Skybus knew hours in advance this flight was going to cancel has no validity here. Please don’t rant and assume the airline is lying just because you don’t know all the facts regarding the situation.

  • Mike

    Bgaviator – Sorry to burst your bubble – but if a flight is cancelled, the airline is obligated to provide the EXACT reason the flight was cancelled. The fact that each ticket is considered a legal contract with rights and obligations on both parties requires that if a flight is cancelled, the party aggrieved (passenger), has a right to be “made whole”, and is entitled to other compensatory damages depending on the circumstance. Therefore, he or she, is also entitled to the EXACT reason a flight is cancelled.

    Act of God? Interesting. Do you even know what that means? Here is the term again, and how it is defined in most dictionariesL

    act of God

    NOUN:
    pl. acts of God
    A manifestation especially of a violent or destructive natural force, such as a lightning strike or earthquake, that is beyond human power to cause, prevent, or control.

    So please…enlighten us as to how it is exactly that a plane scheduled to take off from Burbank experienced an act of god, AS IT IS DEFINED ABOVE. I don’t recall there being an earthquakes or other cataclysmic events in the news that fit the definition.

    PS – As is usually the case, whenever it is convenient to save face, one party to a discussion says..”I am not at liberty to disclose what really happened”, or “I can’t go into all the details, but you have to believe me, this was not our fault”. Again, I’m sorry, I’m sure its not a matter of national security that would cause you not to divulge the exact reason the plane did not take off. (if it was, the news would be all over it anyway). Whenever someone is not willing to come clean or explain something 100%, its a red flag.

  • http://www.elliot.org Frank

    i’ve come to realise the majority of the people who complain about skybus, they are not even regular flyers so they donot know any better,

  • Jerry

    In this person’s complaint letter did they anywhere state the SX didn’t tell them the reason the flight was cancelled? I agree with Frank that a lot of the people complaining have probably never delt with many other airlines before. For every person that complains about SX, there are probably hundreds and thousands that have had good experiences. It’s the few people that think they are entitled to everything when they’re really not that go on sites like this and complain about everything……”wah, Skybus cancelled my flight so I’m demanding they compensate me for everything under the sun even though I signed a contract of carriage specifically stating what Skybus will and won’t do for me.”

  • Joe F.

    Hey bg – was it that the flight or pilots were no longer airworthy? Thats MY definition of ‘FAA regulations’ for an airline. Either the aircraft or the pilots could not fly – or they did not have enough flight attendants. The reason you seem to intimate was the ‘fault’ or ’cause’ of the airline – not the weather – not a mechanical – not anything other than something controllable by a properly run Part 121 carrier. Did they fire a flight attendant or pilot and this lacked a crew? It was not crew rest since they simply would have left later.

    You are being very coy with the reason and it sure seems like either a personnel or airworthiness issue.

    If that is the case, then guess what- the passenger at issue here IS entitled to compensation. An event avoidable by the airline.

    Tell us what happened – let US decide if Skybus is not at fault.

  • Michael

    It sounds like more information is needed before you could make a decision as to who is at fault in this case. As to what has been accomplished by this blog “outing” executives in a previous post and whining about how bad Skybus is … I think anyone with average intelligence could look at the Skybus web page and conclude they will not get the American Airlines/United, etc. experience. They promise very little and it is spelled out. An awful lot of these complaints sound like they are coming from folks who have never flown before.

    Skybus is certainly not alone in making bad decisions to compensate passengers for cancelled flights or missed connections. Several years ago (pre-9/11) I flew on America West Airlines from Portland OR to Washington DC. It was snowing in DC but we could view other airlines landing as we circled the airport; we were diverted for the evening to Columbus OH. Upon landing in Columbus around 9:30 pm, we were told we would fly out at 6:30 am the next day for DC. The airline did not pay for the hotel. A relative who works in aviation told me that many America West pilots have minimal FAA clearance for landings in limited visibility conditions; evidently this minimal FAA clearance is exceeded by most other major airline pilots. When we wrote a complaint letter to America West we received two long distance calling cards in the mail worth a total of $50.

    This past week I flew Skybus from Greensboro to Columbus and back. It was about what I expected, but at no point did I feel I experienced “bad” customer service. I purchased my tickets several months ago. The day before each leg of the trip Skybus sent an email with the current flight schedule and links to their web page about check-in procedures, baggage rules, etc. The only negative was a TSA agent in Columbus who confiscated some of my two-year old son’s apple juice.

    I plan to fly Skybus again in the spring.

  • CW

    Joe F.- I’m curious to know why all of this concerns you. Were YOU on this flight… probably not. Here’s another question… Have you ever flown on a plane owned by a public airline?… or does all the money you make being an awesome lawyer pay for private jets? IF you have ever flown with the airline industry, you know that airlines, regardless the company, leave people out in the cold every day of the year. NO compensation, NO food, NO place to stay, and NO explaination. NEWS FLASH!!! Skybus is not the only one.
    Frank and Jerry got it right… the only people that complain are people that don’t know any better, like you Joe. Anyone knows to research what your purchasing before you buy it. A BIG BOO-HOO to those who didn’t take the time to research what they had purchased.

  • Darkwater

    So, being a “regular traveler” is a prerequisite to complain about the air travel industry? I’m pretty sure that buying a ticket in and of itself gives one standing in these situations. (The validity of one’s actions after having established standing is another matter. Consideration of the complainant’s familiarity with air travel may be necessary, but is hardly sufficient, in judging his complaint.)

    If one strips away the needlessly inflammatory words of CW, Frank, and Jerry and examines their actual arguments, they make a valid point: Skybus makes a crap product, is proud that it intentionally makes a crap product, gleefully publicizes the crappiness of its product, and accordingly charges cheap-ass rates for its crappy product. People should be aware of this fact, particularly since much of the crappiness of the Skybus product is public knowledge thanks to Skybus itself.

    I’m sure that Frank, Jerry, and CW would agree that even road warriors who pay FULL FARE on Skybus deserve exactly what they get when presented with nonstandard ops like in this post.

    Each airline’s CoC is slightly different, and it probably is worth examining them. So, CW, how would you rank order the major carriers by CoC?

    And CW is right that every day airlines “leave people out in the cold.” Sometimes it is for reasons that are fully consistent with the airline’s CoC, federal law, and the informed traveler’s sense of what is “fair”. Sometimes airlines will try to skirt what they should, have, or “are supposed” to do. And, when that happens, people, even the most knowledgeable travelers, will leave money on the table because they aren’t willing to fight for it. The fact that this occurs, and that all airlines do it, and that sometimes we put up with it, does not make it right.

    Nor does changing the starting point, the airline’s CoC. It is entirely possible for an airline to have a CoC which gives every possible advantage to the airline, and still violate it. Joe is right that once that occurs, the passenger can sue for breach of contract and for torts.

  • Jason Ward

    We had a flight out of Gulfport to Columbus on 12/25.
    I received email 12/24 saying everything was a go.
    Then, 3 hrs before the flight on 12/25, I went to check in and the flight was cancelled.

    No email, call, explanation, nothing.

  • Jason Ward

    Update from above— the next scheduled flight for 12/26 out of Gulfport has now been cancelled. The next available per the skybus check-in site is now 12/28 as 12/27 is sold out.

    Again, no email, call, etc.

    I also understand there are passengers stranded in Columbus.

    What is the big deal with the company saying what is going on so we can make plans?

  • Troy

    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

  • Starr

    Terms…yeah, they have them. So does every other airline in the industry. But here’s what makes Skybus different…they have NO customer service. And I don’t just mean that their employees have no customer service skills (they don’t, but that’s a whole different story!), they have no one to call, no one who responds to emails, etc. So how in the world are you supposed to get something resolved?? Yes, I knew that going into it…but when you’re happy-go-lucky about getting to see your kids for Christmas after 5 long months, you don’t suspect anything will go wrong.

    That, apparently, was my first mistake. (Or was choosing Skybus in the first place my first mistake?!?! Either way…) We flew Skybus from Seattle (Bellingham, WA) to Columbus, OH two days before Christmas. My husband is active duty in the military, so we had very little time to be able to spend with my children who are living in Oh with their biological father. We arrived at the airport…checked our bags…and waited. We checked in online, so we were boarding group B. (Right behind the people who pay $10 extra to board early…) They call group A. Then after a while a line starts to form…so we get in it, only to see several group C people at the front of the line… Do the Skybus agents do anything? Nope. They let them all on in the order of the line…So, needless to say, my husband and I did not get to sit together.

    Next problem…Christmas night, from my parents hotel room I checked my email so that we could check in online since our flight left at 6am on the 26th. In my email I have a message from Skybus saying the flight was canceled. (sent at about 5pm that same day) Our options were…1) book another Skybus flight within 5 days at no charge (gee, thats kind of you) or 2) cancel and they will give you a refund of that half of the trip (posted to your card in 10 business days…) Ok, so I check the Skybus flights…the next one went out Dec 31st. FIVE DAYS LATER!!!! While it may not have been so bad for me, my husband needed to return to post so he wasn’t considered AWOL! So, on to finding another airline…$948 later, we’re booked on a flight with US Airways that left the night of the 26th. Skybus refunded our money…7 days later…so it was of no help in purchasing the new tickets.

    And having an ex husband who works for the airport, I got firsthand information why they canceled their flights… Two planes were taken out of commission because on one plane they pushed the stairs too close and bent the door frame, causing it to not seal…and the other plane went out because they did the same thing with the conveyer for the baggage compartment…SO…I had to shell out $948 (less the $375 they refunded, so roughly an additional $575 out of my pocket) because THEIR incompetant employees messed up the plane….WOW….

    Any other reputable airline would have checked other airlines and gotten it straightened out for you…not Skybus. So the ol’ saying goes for this one…”You get what you pay for!!!”

  • Aaron C

    Working in the airline industry, I know Skybus is not in a ticketing agreement with any other carrier just like Southwest. If a flight cancels on those carriers, you have no choice but to let Southwest reaccomodate you on one of their flights or take a refund. The legacy carriers, when a flight cancels due to aircraft problems, crew problems, or air traffic, will try to protect you on another carrier that they have an ETICKET agreement with using the rule 240.

  • Marada

    1. Need guaranteed arrival anywhere at a specific time, choose another airline.
    2. If you fly Skybus, and I have and will keep flying them, get travel insurance and have flexible return date option to yourself.
    3. Take a laptop with you and print out your own boarding pass 24 hours in advance or visit the airport and print it out.
    4. Make a contingency plan if our flight is canceled, check hotel availabilities etc.
    5. Talk to your employer / school about telecommuting in case you get laid over.

  • Starr

    Update to my Jan 8th post. I filed a complaint with the BBB and Attorney General, both with brief responses from Skybus stating that I was basically S.O.L. Maybe I’ll pay them a visit the next time I’m in Columbus and kindly ask for my refund in person…

  • FlightAttendantLemons

    As a flight attendant reading these posts I am appalled. Yes, everyone who travels does have the right to complain. Is it a great experience when a flight is canceled – never – not for the crew either.

    As someone in the industry, in this situation I can tell you that the BUR flight was canceled b/c the plane was damaged upon landing at BUR. BUR has a notoriously short runway and high crosswinds – which led to the damage to the AC. This was not a crewing issue nor anything the company could control.

    The company did everything they could within the limits of the contract to accommodate the individuals on that flight. Everyone who chose to fly Skybus was accommodated on flights within the next three days. The crew was stranded in BUR for 2 days – with families at home it wasn’t pleasant for them either.

    If you need to be assured you leave on a certain day then buy travel insurance. If you have ever flown outside of the US this kind of situation is common and you always purchase travel insurance to avoid being stranded. My problem with my fellow American travelers is everyone wants something for nothing and everyone feels entitled to something they have done nothing to deserve. This attitude has led to skyrocketing prices and bankrupt airlines. The only airlines that are profitable world wide are business class or private jet services or ones that function on business models much like Skybus – where do you think they got the idea.

    As for the complaints about the Christmas day fiasco – Skybus outsources it’s ground ops to Delta Global Services. So it was actually Delta’s incompetent employees that damaged 2 planes and canceled 12 flights over 2 days. Again – these things happen everyday with the larger companies. United and Delta have some of the worst cancellation rates. In their first 9 months of service Skybus has canceled less than 4% of their flights.

    If your baggage is damaged then DGS is to blame. The reason those claims take so long is that Skybus has to fight with DGS’s management on your behalf.

    The Airline establishment is terrified Skybus will do well. As an airline employee I understand because we will have to change to be competitive or go under. Those changes will probably mean cutting crew and support staff. The whole concept of doing away with a call center saves Skybus thousands a week and allows them to pass on the savings to the passenger. Really – what does calling a # get you anyway other than someone to yell at? The other airlines, mine included, have painted a target on Skybus’s back becasue they don’t want the competition. I have always cheered for the underdog or the little guy – so you get what you pay for – just service to a specific location. I know many of their FAs and Pilots and they are helpful, friendly, experienced people. Try it – you might like it!

  • Beavercreek George

    Thank you for the powerful information provided on this blog regarding Skybus.

    My wife and I have received many email notifications of flight time changes since our 10/23/07 booking, the last of which makes a Greensboro NC connection between St. Augustine and Columbus impossible. I sent an email asking for clarification on how to use Skybus’ “CHOOSE A DIFFERENT FLIGHT – No Charge” option when two confirmation codes are involved – for the Columbus to Greensboro (and return) and Greensboro to St. Augustine (and return) legs. I have received no response.

    I found the referral to “sales @ skybus.com, Attn: Buckler and Cunningham” (re: SkybusFA, March 8, 2008 posting) to be promising and have emailed them. If this doesn’t work, your blog has provided numerous other avenues for remedy: telephone numbers, physical address for personal visit, OH Attorney General, FAA Consumer Hotline, DOT Consumer Protection, “breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing”, media, et al.

    I would like to thank all the posters for their constructive information and will report back on Skybus’ handling of this matter.

  • Melvin E. Hooper

    I have flown Skybus several times since they started flying into/from Greensboro without incident. Perhaps I have just been lucky. My wife and I, along with another couple are flying with them to Burbank in May. I have received an email from them saying the outbound flight is leaving 30 min. earlier than originally scheduled; however, I don’t consider that a problem at all.

    We are truly pleased to have Skybus in Greensboro and the competition it is giving the other airlines servicing our city. I am a seasoned airline traveler with over 2 million miles of flight and am happy with Skybus.

  • leslie

    All I can say is, thanks for going out of business, Skybus. I have been stranded in North Carolina for 3 days trying to get home to Jacksonville. US Air has been nice enough to offer standby seats to Skybus passengers, but I had to pay an additional $100. US Air tried to route me through every airport on the east coast, but all the flights to Jacksonville have been overbooked for the past 3 days. I have to try again tomorrow. I am lucky enough to have family in NC to stay with. I can’t imagine being in a strange city with no money and no where to stay and no way to get home.
    So thanks for the email at 9pm on Friday, Skybus. Thanks for telling me that it’s the decression of my credit card to refund the ticket I’ll never get to use. Thanks for telling not only your customers but your employees also how well business was going and in just nine months, it would be profitable. Thanks again for the additional $130 after taxes and fees I had to spend and the countless number of hours at the airport I’ve wasted trying to get home. Thanks for the new sweater, jacket, and underwear I had to buy because it’s been cold here and my bag I packed for the weekend is full of dirty clothes. I’m on day 5 of wearing the same pjs, day 3 of this pair of socks, and soon to be day 3 on the outfit I plan on wearing tomorrow. Thanks for the gas my father’s Tahoe has burned taking me back and forth to the airport.
    So thanks again for everything, Skybus. Really. Thanks. I was just thinking the other day how much I wanted to be raped by a company. You’ve accomplished it. Way to go!

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