Making air travel "simple again" was one of the themes I came away with at today's ribbon cutting ceremony for SKYBUS Airlines at the St Johns County Airport in St Augustine, Florida. It was a dedication ceremony for the first commercial air terminal. SKYBUS introduced commercial flights to St. Augustine on July 18, 2007. The service is between Columbus, Ohio and St. Augustine.
Perhaps you might wonder why I would be so excited about a commercial airline coming to St Augustine as a real estate professional. Beside the fact that I moved to St Augustine from Columbus, Ohio and the fact that I still own my home in Columbus, Ohio and that this makes sense for me personally to have a convenient, cost-effective and simple solution for my own commuting needs, SKYBUS Airlines just makes it so simple again! What this flight also does is provide simple access to Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, and Orlando and other parts of Florida with an easy drive from St Augustine from the mid-West! SKYBUS also has a direct flight to Punta Gorda (Ft Myers) for those traveling to the West Coast of Florida.
When I had my first flight at the age of 16, I remember going out to a tarmac to board a plane at LaGuardia Airport in NY to fly directly to North Carolina with my father. It was a thrilling moment and I remember walking up to the plane. It looked so big! The props of the plane (there were very few jets back in the 60's) were gleaming in the sun. It filled me with wonder to know just how this plane would ever get off the ground. The smell of the airplane fuel was overwhelming and the 2 stewardesses (they were all female back then) greeted me with their smiles and reassuring words.
Fast forward to today, it was a "Back to the Future" experience for sure. The simplicity of traveling from point A to point B is just what the doctor ordered for my stressed out life. No longer do I have to go to Jacksonville, Orlando or Daytona Beach to get a direct flight home. Call me selfish, but there are hundreds of people joining me in this gleeful experience from the mid-West. The response (need) for this type of service has been so positive that SKYBUS Airlines added a second daily flight between St Augustine and Columbus, Ohio and they have added a service between Portsmouth, NH and St Augustine. Both additional services begin December 17, 2007. Now I can easily go visit family in the Massachusetts area!
The whole idea about the amazingly low fares (at least every flight has 10 seats priced at $10 and then goes up incrementally) is to provide the average person an opportunity to fly for a reasonable cost. The fact is you have to really plan for future flights because the tickets go quickly.
At least four of my personal friends have flown on SKYBUS Airlines roundtrip already. Overwhelmingly they applauded the experience claiming it was the best flight experience they have ever had!! Now that is a testimony many other airlines would covet.
The air terminal for SKYBUS is nearly 12,000 square feet. It was built in a "record 54 days" at a cost of about 1.6 million. The agreement between SKYBUS and the St Augustine Airport Authority does allow the terminal to be shared by another airline if there is another commercial airline that wants to fly to St. Augustine.
St Johns County benefits from the SKYBUS service in revenue from fuel usage, parking, concession and rental car leases and fees. St Augustine benefits by SKYBUS bringing more jobs and business opportunities. The car rental business is starting to take off as well. It will be a boon to the economy of St Augustine adding to the tourist industry. And for me in Real Estate, well, I hope the focus on St Augustine and St Johns County as a wonderful place to live will become very evident.
When I checked, are still $40 one way fares in January, February and March to Florida. That's $80 round trip...not bad for a vacation or for the snow birds that now have an easier, simple, reduced hassle way of flying. Bet they won't last long after I get this article posted!
No comments:
Post a Comment