Skybus lines up three new low-cost links

New low-cost carrier Skybus Airlines has announced flights to three new destinations yesterday, hours after inaugurating a link between Columbus, Ohio and Bellingham, Washington.

The start-up airline will loft flights to San Diego, California; Jacksonville, Florida; and Hartford, Connecticut. For Jacksonville, the no-frills operator will use St Augustine Airport in St Johns County, and passengers for Hartford will touch down in Chicopee, Massachusetts.

Service from the carrier's Port Columbus International hub to both San Diego and Hartford will launch on July 16, followed by the new Jacksonville link on August 1. At least ten tickets on each flight will cost from $10.

Selling cheap tickets for every flight is central to Skybus' marketing success, and the carrier had filled more than 200,000 seats before launching last week (see: New low-coster prepares to launch).

With a ruthlessly efficient business strategy, the Ohio-based start-up intends to compete directly with low-cost rivals JetBlue and Southwest, with flights to at least 25 US cities from Columbus.

Skybus has faced criticism, however, for cutting corners. All extras are chargeable, and the carrier predominately operates from smaller airports situated well outside the city boundaries of its quoted destinations.

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