Vanguard Airlines
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| Founded | 1994 | ||||||
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| Ceased operations | 2002 | ||||||
| Hubs | Kansas City International Airport | ||||||
| Focus cities | Chicago Midway Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 15 | ||||||
| Destinations | 18 | ||||||
| Parent company | Vanguard Airlines, Inc. | ||||||
| Headquarters | Kansas City, Missouri | ||||||
| Key people | John Teal (First CEO and divided this position with "Air South" airlines) "Rocky" Spane (CEO and retired Navy Admiral) Jeff Potter (CEO history with Frontier Airlines) Scott Dickson (Last CEO) William A. Garrett III (CFO) |
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| Website | flyvanguard.com (defunct) | ||||||
Vanguard Airlines was an airline based in Kansas City, Missouri. For a time, Vanguard also had significant operations at Chicago Midway International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, until late 2000. It ceased operations on July 29, 2002, after filing for bankruptcy. The airline flew leased Boeing 727-200, 737-200, 737-300 as well as McDonnell Douglas MD-80 and MD-87 jetliners to a number of destinations from its main hub in Kansas City at the time of its demise. Vanguard Airlines started service in 1994.
Vanguard was originally started as a low-cost, low-fare airline, the purpose of which was to undercut the costs of the major carriers and so be able to charge lower fares. Super-low regular advance fares of as little as $29 each way were the standard. Sale fares of as little as $10 were not uncommon. By the time Vanguard started, however, most major carriers had learned how to deal with such competition. They simply lowered prices in the markets where these smaller airlines flew, making it impossible for the Low-cost airlines to make money.
Reservations were outsourced to a call center in Lawrence, KS run by Dakotah Reservations, a division of Dakotah Direct (now owned by West Business Services). Reservation agents were mostly college students from the University of Kansas. Eventually the call center moved to Mission, KS.
In 2000, the airline began a program to change itself from a Low-cost, low-fare airline to the more sustainable Low-cost carrier model. This type of airline had lower costs than the major carriers, but competed on more than just price. Service, on-time performance, leg room, frequent flier programs, and other factors are often used in this competitive model. No longer were the cut-rate advance-purchase fares well-below the major carriers. Only the full-coach fares, which fewer customers buy, were significantly lower.
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Wikipedia