N917ME From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 726 posts, RR: 1 Posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 2688 times:
Today SkyBus is scheduled to start service between CMH and PHL (Wilmington, DE). Looks like it may be a rough first day though. Between the snow in Ohio and heavy rain for Delaware forcasted it should be an interesting start. Good Luck.
Although I am not a fan of "a'la Carte" airlines, it is nice to see scheduled service return to the First State. Hopefully more will follow.
John From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 1366 posts, RR: 6 Reply 1, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 2475 times:
I will give this ILG route a conservative 6 months tops and they'll end up dumping it...everyone that has tried ILG in the past has been unsuccessful. I really don't think Skybus will be any different.
Flyboy7974 From United States of America, joined Jan 2003, 1540 posts, RR: 2 Reply 3, posted (5 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 hour ago) and read 2085 times:
Being that PHL is a city I travel to a good 5-6 times a year to see relatives, my question for all you out in that area, what kind of advertising have you seen from SkyBus. The only way I think they'd make it is with advertising. One of my cousins in that area lives about 10 minutes from ILG and travels 2x a week to ATL for his medical firm, and the entire time that the Delta Connection flew the route, he never knew about and I laughed. He flies out of PHL on Delta so much that many of the agents there know him on a first name basis, but with this and his busy on the road lifestyle, he missed the new airline service that was only 10 minutes from his own house. He wrote a letter commenting on this and the reply that he received from DL was that some airline's budgets don't allow for such expenses, well then, don't complain when you have to pull the route, right?
USflt1778 From United States of America, joined Feb 2001, 268 posts, RR: 2 Reply 4, posted (5 years 2 months 1 week 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 1973 times:
As someone who works in the airline industry, and lives in the PHL area, I have heard zero about Skybus in ILG until this posting. Perhaps they're doing something south of PHL (billboards?) but there's nothing on local tv or radio, nor any print ads. No billboards around Philly either. If they don't get the word out, it won't last.
Vega From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (5 years 2 months 1 week 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 1946 times:
Quoting John (Reply 1): I will give this ILG route a conservative 6 months tops and they'll end up dumping it...everyone that has tried ILG in the past has been unsuccessful. I really don't think Skybus will be any different.
Yes, but the latest DL, was using 40 seat CRJ-40s and competing directly with it's own 8 or 9 daily mainline flights just 25 miles up the road. Skybus on the other hand will use 150 seat A319s - a big difference from a CRJ. Still it's difficult to forecast the route's success based on it's destination. How many ILG region passengers will fly to or want to connect through Columbus? On the other hand, on average (over 3 months), close to 520 daily passengers fly from CMH to PHL. Florida (from ILG) would seem to have been a much better choice, except I believe Skybus is targeting primarily business travelers.
DAL767400ER From Germany, joined Feb 2005, 5721 posts, RR: 50 Reply 6, posted (5 years 2 months 1 week 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 1875 times:
Quoting Vega (Reply 5): Yes, but the latest DL, was using 40 seat CRJ-40s and competing directly with it's own 8 or 9 daily mainline flights just 25 miles up the road. Skybus on the other hand will use 150 seat A319s - a big difference from a CRJ.
A difference indeed, having to fill almost 4 times the number of seats that Delta couldn't fill. Yes, I know, A319 has better economics and Skybus will offer lower fares, but still, those 150 seats don't profitably fill themselves, especially if Skybus is indeed lacking in advertising in the Philly area as USflt1778 suggested.
Quagmire123 From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 89 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (5 years 2 months 1 week 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 1731 times:
Quoting USflt1778 (Reply 4): As someone who works in the airline industry, and lives in the PHL area, I have heard zero about Skybus in ILG until this posting. Perhaps they're doing something south of PHL (billboards?) but there's nothing on local tv or radio, nor any print ads. No billboards around Philly either. If they don't get the word out, it won't last.
This is the unfortunate thing about Skybus.....I think they assume that just by people reading newspaper articles, or stuff on the web that everyone will know about it.....SX's advertising is almost non-existent in a lot of ways. Hell, I still have to explain Skybus to people living in Dayton sometimes....now that's sad.
ScottB From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 6358 posts, RR: 34 Reply 8, posted (5 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 1549 times:
Quoting Flyboy7974 (Reply 3): One of my cousins in that area lives about 10 minutes from ILG and travels 2x a week to ATL for his medical firm, and the entire time that the Delta Connection flew the route, he never knew about and I laughed. He flies out of PHL on Delta so much that many of the agents there know him on a first name basis, but with this and his busy on the road lifestyle, he missed the new airline service that was only 10 minutes from his own house.
But if he flies 2x/week to ATL for work (which essentially means he's Platinum Medallion), you have to wonder if he'd choose to take a more convenient (but less comfortable) CRJ from ILG or deal with the hassle of PHL in exchange for a near-guaranteed first class upgrade.
Quoting Vega (Reply 5): I believe Skybus is targeting primarily business travelers.
Seriously? I'd be utterly shocked if a single daily mid-day round-trip between CMH and ILG on the Skybus product were even remotely attractive to business travelers when there are nine daily round-trips on two carriers between CMH and PHL.
Quoting John (Reply 1): I will give this ILG route a conservative 6 months tops and they'll end up dumping it...everyone that has tried ILG in the past has been unsuccessful. I really don't think Skybus will be any different.
I don't see it working, either, (at least profitably) given the availability of low-fare service between CMH and PHL.
PHLwok From United States of America, joined May 2007, 374 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (5 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 1535 times:
Quoting USflt1778 (Reply 4): As someone who works in the airline industry, and lives in the PHL area, I have heard zero about Skybus in ILG until this posting.
PHLJJS From United States of America, joined Oct 2005, 412 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (5 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 1455 times:
I live in Philly and haven't seen any ads for Skybus. However, CBS 3 did a story on them and the new service from ILG a couple of weeks ago. The consumer reporter Jim Donovan did the story and took a couple Skybus flights from CMH.
Tornado82 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 11, posted (5 years 2 months 1 week 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 1366 times:
Quoting Vega (Reply 5): How many ILG region passengers will fly to or want to connect through Columbus?
Good luck with that "connect through Columbus" considering they're not "guaranteed" connections, booked on separate itineraries. If you're late out of ILG and get to Columbus after your "connecting" flight has already departed... sorry about your luck. And with Skybus' scheduling you'll probably need to spend AT LEAST one overnight in Columbus
Quoting Vega (Reply 5): Yes, but the latest DL, was using 40 seat CRJ-40s and competing directly with it's own 8 or 9 daily mainline flights just 25 miles up the road.
And DL was going to a significantly bigger hub and travel market, with REAL connecting opportunities.
N917ME From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 726 posts, RR: 1 Reply 12, posted (5 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 1208 times:
Quoting USflt1778 (Reply 4): If they don't get the word out, it won't last
The only "advertising" if you want to call it that is a banner hanging up on the terminal that says "Welcome SkyBus" I see it daily on my drive to and from PHL. Although, DL did just about as much advertising.
It really surprises me that these airlines didn't advertise or at least send the sales team out to all the business in downtown ILG or even PHL. There a ALOT of people in DE that work in PHL and have to deal with the traffic and delays with PHL, when if marketed properly and flight times were good, ILG could succeed. Put a few N/S to ORD, JFK, BOS and I am sure there would be sustainable interest. Hell, free parking, not dealing with I95, going from parking lot to gate in a matter of minutes. It sounds like a good idea.
PHLBOS From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 7251 posts, RR: 25 Reply 13, posted (5 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 1141 times:
Due to WN already offering PHL-CMH service, SkyBus' ILG-CMH route may have a tough time surviving on its own; the price differential may not be there to attract flyers. Once ILG-GSO service is offered; people might give SkyBus another look as an alternate to the sky-high US fares.
Quoting Vega (Reply 5): Yes, but the latest DL, was using 40 seat CRJ-40s and competing directly with it's own 8 or 9 daily mainline flights just 25 miles up the road.
Not to mention that DL's ILG fares were at least 3 to 4 times as much as their own PHL (& BWI) fares to ATL (courtesy of competition from FL). Granted, there may be some who will pay a little extra for ILG's convenience; they're NOT going to pay that much.
"TransEastern! You'll feel like you've never left the ground because we treat you like dirt!" SNL Parady ad circa 1981
EXAAUADL From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 14, posted (5 years 2 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 1076 times:
Quoting John (Reply 1): I will give this ILG route a conservative 6 months tops and they'll end up dumping it...everyone that has tried ILG in the past has been unsuccessful. I really don't think Skybus will be any different.
I agree, if they were flying ILG-SFB or MCO, It might work
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