More details to follow.

Skybus again cites rising fuel costs as the reason for the increase.

An unruly passenger was who caused a Skybus flight to return to Port Columbus announced he was an armed TSA agent and “had enough bullets for everyone on the plane,” according to an FBI arrest report.

Todd. W. Tornstrom, 35, of Chesterland outside Cleveland was awaiting a hearing this afternoon in federal court in Columbus.

According to the report, Flight 81 with 134 passengers aboard was already two hours late departing for Fort Lauderdale, Fla., when it began taxiing to the runway about 8:30 p.m. When told to stow a woman companion’s carry-on bag, Tornstrom allegedly told a flight attendant he was a Transportation Security Administration agent and had a gun.

The attendant became concerned because the badge didn’t look like a TSA badge and she had heard him make the “bullet” comment to other passengers, according to the FBI.

Once the plane was in the air, the attendant told the pilot about Tornstrom. The pilot told her to obtain identification from Tornstrom, who told her he had lost his badge.

After a conversation with law enforcement, the pilot turned the plane around just after crossing the Ohio River and returned to Columbus at 10:37 p.m.

Airport police took Tornstrom off the plane and booked him into the Franklin County jail. His companion, Erin Hudson, 31, of Mentor, had a badge from the Bratenahl Police Department, a Cleveland suburb, with the inscriptions “Bratenahl Friend,” “Sergeant” and “Todd.”

Hudson was not expected to be charged.

Passengers had to get off the plane and were subjected to another security check before being allowed to re-board the plane and continue to Fort Lauderdale. Some passengers refused.

“The flight attendant considered it sufficiently threatening that she notified the pilot, which is exactly what they are trained to do,” said Bob Tenenbaum, Skybus spokesman.

I flew back from Columbus, OH to San Diego, CA to only come back home with no
luggage because skybus can’t find them. I waited at the baggage claim carousel
for my luggage and when I noticed that all the luggage was already out, I had a
skybus rep paged to baggage claim to find out what had happened to my baggage.
I waited for 30 minutes and no one came. So, I had to walk all the way to the
skybus ticket counter, with my cranky 14 month old son, to complain. When I
got to the ticket counter, I spoke to one of the reps while the other skybus
reps where standing around listening. When I had told them that my bags were
not at baggage claim, they told me to go back and look again because I’ve
probably just missed it. But when I told them that we’ve checked and my bags
were not there, they told me that it probably didn’t make it on the plane and
suggested that it never made it on because I probably checked in late. But I
got to the airport two hours before my flight took off. They apparently didn’t
know what to do so and told me to come back tomorrow and that my bags would
probably be at the next flight into San Diego. I didn’t want to come back and
find out again that my bags never made it on. So, I had one of the reps call
Columbus to see if they have my bags there. One guy called while another guy
went to baggage claim again to check. When the guy came back empty handed and
the guy on the phone told me that he couldn’t get a hold of anyone, they just
told me to write down my contact information and they would call if when they
get word of my bags. So, I gave them my contact information and one of the
reps says to me, “it’s not San Diego’s skybus fault, it’s all Ohio.” I left
the airport three hours after it had landed. I never received a call back and
I e-mail skybus to complain. I even resorted to calling Columbus airport where
they gave me the number to Skybus’ baggage service department. Unfortunately
they don’t like to answer their phones because I’ve called numerous times and
left voicemail messages and still no call. The only thing I can do is drive to
the airport and keep bugging the reps at the ticket counter. I hope after all
of this they reimburse me for all my airport parking fees.

I’m extremely dissappointed with the service I am getting with Skybus. I now
see that a call center is extremely necessary when dealing with issues like
this. And it’s sad because my son had all his Christmas gifts he received from
his family in Ohio, and now all his gifts are missing. Thanks for ruining his
Christmas Skybus!