Cielobús

Cielobús SA (lit. Skybus) is an headquartered in Cocha, Carrizal, Ventora. The airline is notable for its numerous additional charges above its base fare.

History
The company was formed in 1999 and began operations in 2001. The airline originally flew just three routes. Over time, its service has grown to include 32 destinations.

Destinations
Regularly scheduled service calls on 32 destinations. They are all domestic to avoid the complications of international customs and immigration regulations.

Fleet
The only aircraft model flown is the in a single-class configuration with 100 seats. This allows the airline to keep crew training and aircraft maintenance costs low due to the single aircraft type. The seating arrangement permits the company to operate flights with two flight attendants in accordance with requirements for one attendant per 50 passengers.

Business model
Cielobús aggressively keeps costs low by outsourcing as much as possible, typically to its subsidiaries. It also seeks to increase revenues through add-on charges for amenities, sale of advertising in aircraft, such as on overhead bins, and sale of ancillary goods via duty-free goods trolleys on board. The airline leases its aircraft from subsidiary Cieloflota. Another subsidiary, Cieloservicios, handles aircraft maintenance and servicing, including ground crew and baggage handling. Flight attendants and customer service personnel are employed by subsidiary Cielotripulación. Flight attendants also fulfill gate agent duties prior to their flights. The airline only sells single segment flights. As a result, it does not through-check baggage to connecting flights nor does it recognize any liability for missed connections, even if the follow-on flight is also on Cielobús since they are separate bookings.

To keep turnaround times short, and reduce weight, Cielobús' aircraft cabins have a simple, easy to clean design. The seats do not recline, to reduce weight, and there is no pocket in the seat back. The traditional aircraft safety card is affixed to the underside of the tray table so it is legible when the tray table is stowed. The interior motif is blue and white, despite the airline's red corporate color, as a more soothing design. Overhead bin doors are available for advertising as a revenue stream through subsidiary Cieloanuncio.

Fares
The airline advertises extremely low fares, starting at just 10 standards (Ɇ). The company's slogan is "Solo los pájaros vuelan más barato" (lit. "Only birds fly cheaper"). However, the lowest advertised fare does not include taxes and fees, such as the airport landing fee, credit card processing fee, and a mandatory standard booking fee. Further, the lowest fares are typically available for only 10% of a flight and must be booked well in advance. The fare increases after the limited low fare seats are sold and as booking gets closer to the flight date. Bookings are only accepted online in order to avoid the need for a call center to take reservations.

Additional charges
Beyond the basic fare, the airline levies numerous additional charges. Passengers who do not print out their boarding pass and check in online must pay a fee to check in using a kiosk at the airport and there is an additional charge to print a boarding pass from the kiosk. Beyond one personal item, there are fees for carry-on and checked baggage. There is a 10 Ɇ surcharge for baggage fees not paid online and an additional 20 Ɇ surcharge if the fee is paid at the gate.

The single-class seating is unassigned except for exit rows, which must be reserved online for a surcharge during booking. Passengers may pay an additional fee for early boarding, which must be done online at the time of booking. Otherwise, seat selection is first-come, first-served. Open seating also facilitates quicker boarding and deboarding.

Beyond a single complimentary water, other food and beverage options are offered for sale. Choices depend on flight length, but typically include snacks, sandwiches, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages.

In 2011, Cielobús began charging 1 Ɇ to use the lavatory on board the aircraft, with an exception for persons with disabilities and seniors aged 70 or older. Access to the lavatory is controlled by a credit card reader. Passengers exempted from the fee must request a paper magnetic stripe pass from a flight attendant. The fee is not popular but the airline justifies it based on the cost of consumables and cleaning. Since most flights are under two hours, the fee has not been a large revenue source.