Flying Skybus

Over the weekend we journeyed to Ohio for Laura’s mom’s wedding, and became some of the first passengers of the recently launched Skybus airline. We got our seats for a whopping $10 each, which had me imagining a Korean War-vintage transport plane where we’d strap ourselves to benches alongside livestock cages and food crates, with someone handing us parachutes once we got over Columbus.

I have to say the whole experience was pretty cool, though. Since it’s well known Skybus isn’t paying their flight crews much of anything, their money obviously went into the planes, which are new and spiffy and nicely appointed, with leather seats in every row. Obviously not much expense went into uniforms for the flight attendants, who wear jeans and Skybus t-shirts with those little “wing” pins. At first I didn’t even spot them as flight attendants, and nearly asked one lady where she got the pin, so I could get some for the boys.

The flights both ways were smooth, with some of the best landings I’ve ever had, and with flight times a little over an hour each way it beat driving all hollow.

Rumor has it once things get swinging the interiors of the planes will be plastered with ads for whomever’s willing to buy space, and only time will tell what regular use of the planes will do to their condition, but this time out it was a pretty positive experience. And at $10 a seat, just about what air travel is worth these days.