1001 Airport Rd. – Ste. 14  ::  Chattanooga, TN  37421   ::  Tel. (423) 855-2234

 

 FOR RELEASE AT 10:00 A.M. (EDT) THURSDAY, SEPT. 20

 New service begins Dec. 5; tickets on sale Thursday morning at www.skybus.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 20 –Skybus Airlines announced today it will offer daily nonstop service between Columbus, Ohio and Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport – serving the mega-region stretching from Chattanooga to Atlanta – beginning Dec. 5.

 Skybus also announced it will provide new service beginning Dec. 5 from Columbus to:

• Milwaukee, WI.

• Gulfport/Biloxi, MS and the New Orleans area through Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport.

• Punta Gorda/Ft. Myers, FL, through Charlotte County Airport in Punta Gorda, serving Southwest Florida including the Naples, Sarasota and Port Charlotte areas.

In addition, a second daily nonstop flight will be added between Columbus and the Jacksonville/Daytona Beach area through St. Augustine, FL beginning Dec. 17.

At least 10 seats will be available at $10* on every flight, every day. Tickets for all of the new routes went on sale at 6 a.m. (EDT) today at www.skybus.com.

“Chattanooga is a great destination for our nonstop flights on full-size jets and our outrageously low fares,” said Michael Hodge, Skybus Chief Financial Officer, at a news conference at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport. “We’ll be able to offer a great alternative to people living in and traveling to the huge metropolitan region stretching from Chattanooga to Atlanta.”

* Does not include taxes and fees of up to $7.90, and Sept. 11 Security Fee of $2.50

“Low-cost carrier Skybus Airlines is a great addition to the Chattanooga Airport, giving us our seventh airline and 12^th nonstop destination,” said Michael J. Landguth, A.A.E., President and CEO of the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority. “Travelers across the tri-state region will benefit from this airline’s low fares and convenient service. We look forward to growing with Skybus in the years to come.”

All Skybus flights offer nonstop service on full-size Airbus A319 jets.

“We know travelers are looking for really low fares and nonstop flights, and we believe our pricing structure will not only attract current flyers, but open up the market to many others who now find air travel simply too expensive,” said Bill Diffenderffer, Skybus CEO. “Our strategy is to ‘decomplexify’ airline operations in ways that keep costs down while making flying as simple and convenient as possible for passengers.”

Skybus’ pricing structure is designed to offer passengers the lowest fares available, and then allow them to choose as many or as few add-ons as they like. Passengers have the option to check baggage, obtain priority boarding, and purchase a wide range of food and beverages and gift items on board their flight. All fares are also subject to fees and taxes applied to all airline tickets by the federal government and local airports.

The Skybus website at www.skybus.com offers customers the ability to easily find the lowest fare available. Rather than being forced to search for flights on one given day, a unique “fare calendar” shows them at a glance the lowest fare available for an entire month, allowing them to shop for a fare that suits their budget.

Skybus is able to keep its fares significantly below its competitors’ fares by:

·         Using state-of-the-art technology to ensure high productivity.

·         Minimizing the time its aircraft are parked at gates or spending time taxiing on runways by using only highly efficient airports.

·         Flying all Airbus A319 full-size jets, one of the most fuel-efficient aircraft in commercial service.

·         Providing customers with an informative, easy-to-navigate website that allows them to make and change reservations, rent cars, reserve hotel and resort accommodations, and purchase admission to popular attractions without the need for an expensive call center.

·         Maximizing revenue through a variety of ways including offering advertisers space on both the inside and outside of Skybus’ fleet. Earlier this month, Nationwide Insurance of Columbus unveiled the first of Skybus’ “co-branded” aircraft, with Nationwide branding messages on the plane’s exterior and throughout the interior of the aircraft.

About Skybus:

Skybus, the next generation of low-fare airlines, provides nonstop service on full-size jets from its base in Columbus, Ohio, to cities throughout the United States. Skybus offers outrageously low fares – starting with at least 10 seats at $10 on every flight.

About Columbus:

Columbus, Ohio’s capital city, is the largest city in Ohio and the 15^th largest city in the United States. It is home to The Ohio State University and to 14 corporations listed on the Fortune 1000, including Cardinal Health, Nationwide Insurance, American Electric Power, Limited Brands, Wendy’s International, Abercrombie & Fitch, Scott’s Miracle-Gro and Huntington Bancshares. More than half of the U.S. population lives within 550 miles of Columbus; major cities within 200 miles include Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo, Ohio, as well as Detroit, Indianapolis, Louisville and Pittsburgh. More information about Columbus and Central Ohio is available at the website of Experience Columbus (www.experiencecolumbus.com).

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Media Contacts:  Bob Tenenbaum, (614) 573-1377, bob.tenenbaum@skybus.com

Rachel Escusa, (614) 573-1381, rescusa@themilenthalgroup.com