JetAmerica is a new U.S. airline that is offering a limited amount of seats on every flight at only $9. But there’s more to the airline than meets the eye.
Familiar Faces Behind JetAmerica
The new airline’s CEO is John Weikle, who co-founded the now defunct Skybus Airlines, but claims he was forced out before the airline launched. Also involved from Skybus are Chris Grazel (former chief pilot, now JetAmerica COO) and Sharon McDermott (former regional station manager, now head director of stations).
Readers of Suite101 Budget Travel will remember that Skybus abruptly closed less than ten months into operation, leaving passengers literally stranded at the airport. That’s not to say that will happen with this new venture, but it does raise a red flag that those involved with Skybus are involved with JetAmerica.
Are the $9 Fares for Real?
Yes, they are. According to JetAmerica, they plan to offer the first nine seats sold for every flight at only $9. Of course, this is before taxes and fees, so once those are added on, expect the actual price to be around $25-$35.
The fine print on the website also states that there is a $4.50 “convenience” fee for bookings made online and a $10 per person fee for bookings made via the airline’s phone number (which is not even toll-free, either).
JetAmerica says its tickets will never be more than $199 each way on any route, but good luck in getting those $9 flights, as the airline seems to be vague how far in advance tickets will go on sale for each route.
The airline will also charge for everything else besides your actual seat from food/beverage service to checked bags, so these additional fees should be factored into the overall cost of flying with the airline.
Destinations Serviced by JetAmerica
The airline will begin service July 13, 2009, to the following airports: Newark, New Jersey; Lansing, Michigan; Melbourne, Florida; South Bend, Indiana and Toledo, Ohio. Flights are scheduled to start from Toledo to Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 14, 2009.
According to the press release, future cities that could be serviced by JetAmerica include Rockford (Illinois), Pittsburgh, St.Petersburg/Clearwater (Florida), and three Ohio cities: Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton.
Buyer Beware with JetAmerica
Some important points to consider when booking with the airline, besides the booking and extra fees mentioned above.
The airline is currently only using one plane, which is actually licensed from Miami Air. Should there be any problems or delays with the plane, it will affect all routes and bookings until the issue is rectified. A second plane will be added once the Minneapolis route opens up, but that is still only two planes servicing all those routes.
Another issue with only utilizing one or two planes is that the routes will only receive limited service, so trips will have to be planned accordingly. Expect most routes to only be flown one to three times a week.
The airline also uses alternate airports. While that isn’t bad with some locations, such as Newark, which has regular scheduled public transportation to New York City, having their website listing the Melbourne, Florida airport as “Orlando/Melbourne” is a bit misleading. Melbourne is almost two hours away from the Orlando tourist areas, though it is ultra-convenient for those taking cruises from Port Canaveral, only a half-hour away.
Want to Book with JetAmerica?
If price is your primary concern when traveling, it may be worth giving this new airline a try. Advance ticketing is already available via the JetAmerica website for the initial routes.
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