5/13/2008 at 10:30 AM
Tags: Virgin America, LCCs, Low Cost Carriers, New Routes, ORD, David Cush, Jaunted Interviews (all tags)
A Jaunted Exclusive
Virgin America will ask the FAA for a share of the Chicago market this week, and if all goes well, VA will be flying to O'Hare by November.
After Virgin confirmed the expansion plans, we were excited to talk with CEO David Cush, posing here with Cisco Adler, about the future of the airline, how the FAA allocates landing rights and what it's like to compete with a former employer.
Jaunted: We've been hearing rumors about Chicago for months. Why make the move into that new market now?
DC: You're not an airline until you fly to Chicago. We want to fly four flights a day from LAX and SFO to ORD because this is third largest travel market in the US and we think Chicagoans are going to love our product.
Currently, Chicago/O'Hare has virtually no low-fare competition to the West Coast and none from SFO or LAX. We think we can compete with the big guys and inject a little healthy competition into a market that desperately needs it.
MORE...
by pbb
5/12/2008 at 8:35 AM
Tags: Virgin America, LCCs, Low Cost Carriers, New Routes, ORD (all tags)
Virgin America will petition the FAA for eight daily arrival slots into Chicago O'Hare this week. The agency, which controls the number of flights allowed at ORD, could give the upstart approval to fly as early as November, when a new runway opens.
That means this winter is the soonest we'd see SFO-ORD and LAX-ORD flights on VA. Not really what we were expecting when CEO David Cush hinted at service to Chicago, but it's the best the carrier can do given the current flight caps.
Maybe while we're waiting for Chicago, VA's will expand to Boston and Miami? Last we heard, those announcements could come by the end of this summer.
Related Stories:
· What's Next for Virgin America [Jaunted]
· Virgin America is Flying High [Jaunted]
· Virgin America coverage [Jaunted]
· New Routes coverage [Jaunted]
by pbb
5/08/2008 at 4:00 PM
Tags: JetBlue, Airlines, LCCs, Low Cost Carriers, Deals, Airfare Deals (all tags)
We're no strangers to weird airfare deals, but the latest offer from JetBlue is quite curious. If you book a ticket for yourself by May 16 for travel before June 11, you'll get a $50 voucher for use later this fall, between September 3 and October 31.
The first catch is that you have to sign up for the airline's loyalty program to get your credit. Also, by giving away a voucher for the future instead of an immediate $50 off, the airline saves itself a bunch of money: You know some people are gonna either forget about their vouchers or not be able to use them when the time comes.
JetBlue has also crafted a rule to protect some of its business travel revenue. You have to book your own tickets in order to claim the $50, so you won't be seeing a voucher if your boss or secretary does your travel planning.
Still, if your travel plans sync up, you'll save some cash if you book by next Friday. Nothing curious about that.
Related Stories:
· JetBlue $50 Off Sale [Official Site]
· JetBlue coverage [Jaunted]
· Airfare Deals coverage [Jaunted]
by pbb
5/01/2008 at 2:00 PM
Tags: Skybus, Airlines, Low Cost Carriers, LCCs, Airline Bankruptcy, John Weikle (all tags)
A few weeks ago, rumors were swirling that Skybus could come soaring back to life. And the Columbus Dispatch reported that the carrier's assets, including its valuable operating certificate, were being shopped around. But as it turns out, no one wants them.
Airline chief Mike Hodge says nobody's even bid on his company's future aircraft orders, the Skybus name or that operating certificate. And the one guy who might've been interested, John Weikle, was too busy sending conspiracy theory-laden emails to former Skybus employees to pony up an actual offer.
The LCC is still open to selling off its goods, but after so many airline bankruptcies it's hard to imagine who'd want to buy them.
Related Stories:
· No Second Chance Expected for Skybus [Columbus Dispatch]
· Skybus Lives on in Photos [Jaunted]
· Skybus coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: msmail]
by pbb
4/30/2008 at 10:00 AM
Tags: Vueling Airlines, LCC, Low Cost Carriers, Airlines, Flight Reviews (all tags)
Last year, Spanish LCC Vueling, was getting solid ratings on luxury, friendliness and value. But passengers also warned that late flights were a sure bet, too. Seems old habits die hard.
We booked a solid €122 deal to Barcelona on Vueling's user-friendly website but a few weeks later an email arrived saying our departure would be delayed due to "operational circumstances." The first delay was 25 minutes, then a month later we got an email with another 1 hour delay, making the estimated departure from Venice 10:10 pm.
At the airport, all systems seemed "GO" but just before boarding, the flight was delayed another 30 minutes making the total delay from our original reservation almost 2 hours. That put us at our digs in the grittier section of El Raval at about 1:30 am, apparently the hour for horny Spaniards and prozzies.
Despite the trouble, we're still major fans of Vueling's short check-in lines, cushy leather seats and bright-eyed flight staff. The carrier also recently announced a connection between Madrid and Malta, making it the only Spanish airline to have regular routes between the two destinations.
Related Stories:
· Vueling Airlines Flight Review: Luxury on a Budget [Jaunted]
· Flight Reviews coverage [Jaunted]
by CourtScott
4/28/2008 at 10:00 AM
Tags: Skybus, Flickr, Travel Snapshots, LCCs, Low Cost Carriers (all tags)
In other imploded-airline news, Skybus isn't as gone as you may think. We're still parsing all the will-they-won't-they comeback rumors, but in the meantime, you can reminisce about the short-lived ULCC on Flickr.
The Skybus Airlines Group has a big inventory of plane porn. You'll find shots of anything from the A319 wingtips to ex-CEO Bill Diffenderffer posing with his FAs. Big-time plane spotter DRust--whose photos have appeared on Jaunted--is the group admin.
You'll also find some not-so-nice Skybus memories on Flickr. You'll remember that when the carrier declared bankruptcy, it straight up stopped flying, stranding some passengers away from home. Flickr user JDuffey posted a comment-of-the-times in response to someone telling him "Sadly they went out of business today!":
I thought you were joking but it appears to be true. How am I going to get home now?!
Related Stories:
· Skybus Airlines Group [Flickr]
· Skybus coverage [Jaunted]
by pbb
4/24/2008 at 3:45 PM
Tags: New Airlines, LCCs, Low Cost Carriers, Viva Aerobus (all tags)
Low cost carriers in the US may be imploding like it's going outta style, but in Mexico, Viva Aerobus is doing just fine. Maybe that's thanks to its fine pedigree? The Ryan family of Ireland has a hand in the bare-bones airline. (Yep, that Ryan family.)
The Viva Aerobus is expanding into the US on May 1, with service to Austin, Texas. Right now, the carrier's route network is strictly domestic, with priced-to-sell tickets like Monterrey to Zihuatanejo for $120 all-in. There are lots more routes offering those same promo fares, too.
True to LCC form, you won't be getting any massage chairs or glasses of champagne with those tickets. Still, for a few pesos more, we'd rather fly across Mexico than endure yet another epic Latin American bus ride.
Related Stories:
· Viva Aerobus [Official Site]
· Discount Mexican Airline Hopes Its Formula Flies [Austin A-S]
· LCCs coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Charlie_tj]
by pbb
4/21/2008 at 12:00 PM
Tags: Skybus, Airlines, Low Cost Carriers, LCCs, John Weikle, Airline Bankruptcy (all tags)
After its catastrophic implosion, it's hard to imagine Skybus actually returning to the skies. But industry watcher Nawal Taneja tells the Columbus Dispatch there's a chance it could happen:
I know there are people interested in the certificate. They just think the management team and the business model weren't right.
He's talking about the "air carrier operating certificate," a document issued by the FAA that lets airlines fly. That, among a bunch of other Skybus assets, are up for grabs now that the company has shut down.
Among those shopping is likely the carrier's founder, John Weikle. (He left the company shortly after it started flying.) Because of a bunch of federal rules, Weikle wouldn't be able to snatch up the certificate and launch Jet America with it, but he could try to revive Skybus, keeping its base of operations in Columbus.
It's too early to say whether any of this will actually happen, of course. But maybe those $10 tickets will be back sooner than we imagine.
Related Stories:
· New Airline Could Rise from the Ashes of Skybus [Columbus Dispatch]
· Skybus coverage [Jaunted]
by pbb
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