Like most airlines, Iberia Airlines hasn’t been doing that well. They’ve been in talks to shack up with British Airways for a bigger and brighter future, but for now they’re doing their best to shuttle travelers to and from Spain as best as they can. To make more cash the airline plans to focus on more long-haul routes, and will change up the way they deal with shorter flights: they plan to launch their own low cost carrier.

The cheap carrier Vueling already is owned in part by Iberia, but apparently this isn’t good enough for the suits in Madrid. According to officials within the airline a new carrier focused on domestic and European routes will allow them to change the operating model for these types of flights. ]]> kjb 2009-10-26T13:29:16-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/10/10384/0278

Over two months after booking a flight on start-up LCC JetAmerica, which, if you recall, went belly-up in early July before even getting off the ground, we finally received our refund. Of course the little airline that could (but didn't) won't simply die; oh no no no, it's all about keeping the rumors out there that perhaps one day they will pop up again.

JetAmerica isn't Jesus though, and like Doubting Thomas, we're highly suspicious of any resurrection whispers. CrankyFlier agrees that they should just let it go, but points to the hopeful single statement left on the JetAmerica website, where CEO John Weikle hints at a future: ]]> JetSetCD 2009-08-10T11:29:32-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/20/84415/5412

Well, we've survived the weekend after hearing—last minute on Friday, of course—that beleaguered LCC start-up JetAmericahad crashed without ever getting off the ground. Although we've always preached caution in believing that they would ever hit the skies, it's still difficult to watch a potential airline fail, especially one touting such low fares.

In response to JA's pulling out of their operations and Toledo airport, Toledo Port Authority board member Jerry Stabler told the Blade that their calling it quits doesn't surprise him: "It's the other shoe dropping, there's no question about it. The fact that [John] Weikle was involved with SkyBus should have been a heads-up for us." Chabler actually echoed our sentiments back when JetAmerica canceled their first bunch of flights; we're betting he didn't book a flight like we did, though.

Which brings us to our next point: refunds and a possible JetAmerica rebound. We're still waiting on our refund, but many other would-be JetAmerica passengers are worrying about more than this; they now have to replace their JA plans with expensive tickets on legacy carriers, and travel through Detroit versus Toledo. The Lansing's WLNS spoke with a woman who had purchased $700 in non-refundable Broadway tickets because she had saved so much on airfare. The dilemma is now to book flights that cost the same amount and double the vacation budget, or stay home and sacrifice the tickets.

Knowing the ups and downs of JetAmerica, and its final fatal denouement, would you consider flying on them in the future, if they regroup and relaunch? Do you think John Weikle, founder of both failed SkyBus and failed JetAmerica, should maybe find a new career? More importantly, for those booked on JetAmerica, have you received your refund yet? Let us know in the comments!

Related Stories:
· JetAmerica Will Not Be Jetting Anywhere Ever [Jaunted]
· Customers complain about flight cancellations [WLNS]
· JetAmerica cancels entire route network; Toledo flights grounded [Toledo Blade]
· All JetAmerica Coverage [Jaunted]
]]> JetSetCD 2009-07-20T11:09:20-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/17/17570/6229

What we all suspected would happen has finally happened today: JetAmerica has officially folded. From the AP:

JetAmerica, a fledgling discount airline that garnered attention with $9 promotional fares, has folded without ever getting off the ground.

The Clearwater, Fla.-based company says it's suspending sales to all markets and will immediately begin to process refunds to customers.

CEO John Weikle says:

We are reluctantly suspending our public charter operations effective today,” said John Weikle, CEO, who has been with the company since April. “Finalizing the slots required to support our charter program at Newark has taken longer than expected and we have decided to suspend our flights in order to refocus on different markets.

And company spokesman Bryan Glazer added:

It is unfortunate that so many consumers' will be affected. This was unavoidable. I worked closely with the executives of JetAmerica for several months and know they did their very best to overcome the challenges that the slot situation posed. But in the end, the business plan never called for paying for more than a half million dollars for slots.

The problem? The airline couldn't secure landing slots at Newark Liberty International Airport. So once again, JetAmercia will need to reissue refunds for any of the passengers who had booked flights after the inaugural July 13 flight was delayed. As we were writing this, the JetAmerica website was still loading and advertising fares. However, booking a flight was not possible.

Still, this really stinks. Yes, we were mad at JetAmerica for not taking off as initially planned on Monday but we were still looking forward to flying one of their $9 fares. Oh well, we'll just wait for the next reincarnation to surface.

In the meantime, if you are part of the $900,000 pie that needs refunds, here is what Mr. Glazer says:

All customers will receive automatic refunds within 7-14 business days. Any customer not receiving a full refund in 14 days should call 727-451-3970.

Related Stories:
· JetAmerica coverage [Jaunted]
· Discount air carrier JetAmerica folds [AP]
· Minister, Hopeful Lawyer and Others Forced to Pay More Thanks to JetAmerica [Jaunted]]]> juliana 2009-07-17T18:01:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/15/7522/27970

When we first heard of Pet Airways we honestly thought it was just a prank. We really wanted to believe, but were skeptical that we were being taken for a ride. That’s why we were actually pretty excited once we learned that it was the real deal, and yesterday, pets all over the country finally had their travel dreams come true. The pet only airline launched their first flights from Republic Airport on Long Island.

Although things just started yesterday, the demand for the airline seems to be pretty strong. The airline’s founders said that they’ve been overwhelmed with the public’s response to their new offering, and that flights had already been booked up for the next two months. Maybe it's time for them to add a second plane; for now, they're just starting with one that can hold about 50 four-legged friends. ]]> kjb 2009-07-15T10:44:18-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/13/222419/638

If we had a nickel for every time there was news about the delayed JetAmerica, we'd have enough cash to buy a ticket on the airline. The most recent update, aside from their continued issue with the FAA and the almost complete lack of the once-touted $9 fares, is that the refunding of customers is apparently going smoothly.

Since JetAmerica announced their month delay, moving the start of flights from July 13 to August 14, affected customers have cried out for more than just a refund, but a refund is what they're going to get. Oh yea, and some minor fees waived if you opt to actually travel on JetAmerica in the future, when they get off the ground.

According to the Dayton Daily News, JetAmerica has already refunded $600,000 to over 6,400 passengers. After checking our credit card activity today, we can say that are not among the refunded...yet. Here's hoping it arrives before something crazy happens, but if we've learned anything after the Clear debacle, it's not to trust any company ever.

Related Stories:
· $600,000 refunded to customers, says JetAmerica [Dayton Daily News]
· The Battle Rages: JetAmerica Versus The FAA [Jaunted]
· All JetAmerica News [Jaunted]
]]> JetSetCD 2009-07-14T09:29:17-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/9/214426/4893

And the JetAmerica drama continues, as more details about their issues with the FAA emerge, and the struggle for landing slots continues. An article published yesterday in the Toledo Blade not only names the dates when JetAmerica's web began to unravel, but also quotes the Port Authority as being "not that optimistic" about the carrier.

So remember back when JetAmerica boasted of selling 20,000 tickets in their first 48 hours of having their website active? It turns that this publicity, and their May 27 press release even announcing their ticket sales, were the straws that broke the camel's back; they caused the FAA to contact JetAmerica and inquire about exactly what their plans were for landing slots, since they now needed them as an obviously regularly-scheduled carrier. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-07-10T09:04:19-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/