Jaunted

The Jauntys

2008's Most Missed Industry Casualty Is...

December 30, 2008 at 2:30 PM | 1 Comment

We won't rehash the old cliche about making money in the airline biz, but 2008's most spectacular flame out was surely a sign of things to come: After taking home the 2007 Jaunty for Best Travel Newcomer--and even writing us a letter of thanks for the honor!--the ultra-ambitious, ultra-low cost Skybus folded in April, a little more than a month shy of its first birthday.

Meant to mimic the success of European LCCs, Skybus had the aggressive on-board sales, in-your-face advertising and out-of-the-way airports that have made Ryanair, EasyJet and legions of imitators successful. But a home base in Columbus, ever-rising fuel prices, poor public relations--particularly during a Christmas '07 storm--and the general difficulty of starting an airline from scratch killed the carrier before many had a chance to try it.

But spirit of the bygone airline still lurks. Beyond the Skybus Flickr pool, there's the potential new airline from LCC champion John Weikle and a new gig for former Skybus COO Ken Gile at Flydubai, a low-cost airline set to take off in 2009.

Related Stories:
· Skybus Shuts Down [Jaunted]
· Nobody Wants Skybus [Jaunted]
· The Diff: Taking Notes from Gary Kelly [Jaunted]

[Photo: msmail]