It Might Cost a Lot to Fly Cheap

by Editors | Comments

Have you heard about the new airline taking to the skies this week? Skybus Airlines takes off from Columbus, Ohio, offering consumers really cheap airfares.

How cheap? How does $10 each way sound? No, I'm not pulling your leg—it's absolutely true. Each Skybus flight will offer at least 10 tickets for $10 each. And you can book these seats in advance right along with the more than 200,000 travelers who have done that already.

That makes me wonder: If the $10 seats are all pretty much booked for the foreseeable future, will other seats be at least reasonably priced? The airline says yes, so I'll trust them on that, but I’m anxious to compare.

While searching for information on the fares, I discovered something else unique to Skybus: Extra fees. With a cheap ticket about all you get is a place for you and one bag to sit. Everything else is extra:

Checked bags: $5 each for two, provided they each weigh less than 50 pounds

More than two bags: $50 per bag

Overweight checked bags to 75 pounds: $75 each

Priority boarding (having an assigned seat and the privilege to board before the general first-come, first-served cattle call: $10

Onboard drinks and food (Skybus will strictly enforce its policy of no outside food or drink allowed on board): Nothing is complimentary and most everything costs $10

Pillows and blankets: About $10

Yikes! The fact that they are yours to keep only softens that blow a bit. Who really wants to walk off the plane carrying a pillow and blanket?

Plus, forget the days when you could ask the attendant for magazines, newspapers or playing cards. On Skybus you'll need to pay for all of the above.

It appears that Skybus passengers will have additional things to consider. The airline will be utilizing secondary airports that are often 30 minutes outside of town. That means renting a car or hiring a cab to get from a remote airport to your destination city.

Until I can fly Skybus to assess the complete cost, I'll withhold final judgment. But when I do make that flight, I'll be prepared with a pocket filled with coins and currency. Who knows how much I'll need to get through that flight?

Surely, the restrooms will be like vending machines, requiring some kind of payment. Ten bucks per flush seems to fit in with the standard list of fees.

And how about reclining the seat? Maybe a couple of bucks for, say, 30 minutes?

That overhead light and the little air vent? I'm guessing at least a buck each. How about the in-flight movie complete with headphones and volume control—will that be a package deal or an   la carte menu of services?

And what about the seatbelt, oxygen, ice…safety demonstration? It's hard to say, but I'll be prepared. I just hope that should something happen and we need to get out of there in a hurry, the oxygen masks and floatation devices will not require passengers to first swipe their credit cards or insert exact change to get those things to work.

Ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching!

What do you think of the Skybus business model? Would you fly with them?