BoltBus, RedCoach, other bus lines go for business travelers

Updated 1h 31m ago
By Charisse Jones, USA TODAY

On your next business trip, stretch your legs, plug in your laptop and prepare for a leisurely ride — on the bus?

Bus companies are aggressively pursuing business travelers in a bid to give the airlines and Amtrak a run for their money. They're offering new coaches, rock-bottom fares and perks such as free Internet access so road warriors can work while they ride.

Greyhound stripped out five seats in dozens of new buses that ferry passengers up and down the East Coast and in the Midwest, giving riders more than a foot of extra legroom. BoltBus rewards the first passenger to book a seat on each of its East Coast runs with a $1 fare. And while traveling from Miami to Orlando on the 5-month-old RedCoach, you can catch a flick on one of the LCD monitors that descend from the ceiling.


PHOTO GALLERY: Check out photos of the BoltBus

Bus officials say that when factoring in security screening and getting to and from the airport, a regional bus trip doesn't take much longer than a short-haul flight. And they say that the idea of catching a bus to save money and bypass the hassles of flying is catching on.

"We're attracting a lot more business ridership," says Bruce Westcott, vice president of business development for Peter Pan, a bus line that operates from Washington to Boston.

The company got some new converts after record-breaking flooding in Rhode Island in March prevented Amtrak trains from running. "There was no other alternative to get to New York than taking the bus," he says, "and because of the price differential, we've kept those customers on the bus. ... They can still get to New York, maybe an hour later, but there's more flexible service."

Corporate travel managers aren't flocking to the bus, says Kevin Mitchell of the Business Travel Coalition. But with work-friendly conveniences such as Wi-Fi and electrical outlets, the bus is being viewed as a potential option for some corporate trekkers who would normally hop on an airline shuttle.

"Very few are using it, although it gets reviewed as an option with every upgrade in the service," says Mitchell, who added that even for the airlines, roughly 70% of the revenue from the business-travel sector comes from smaller companies that may not have corporate travel departments and could be more receptive to a bus line's pitch.

"Ten years ago, buses would not have been considered a product substitute to the airline seat," Mitchell says. "However, the air-transportation experience — from security, to airline fees, packed planes, stuffed overhead bins and stressed-out staff — has changed such that consumers are evaluating the whole process today.

"When compared with modern, well-equipped buses that offer a comfortable and productive experience, business travelers are seeing a true product substitute today in traditional short-haul airline markets."

Along the Northeast corridor — where US Airways and Delta run hourly flights between New York, Washington and Boston, and Amtrak's high-speed Acela Express ferries passengers from New York to Washington in less than three hours — train and airline officials are not voicing concern about their roadway counterparts.

"We haven't really considered the buses as our main competition," says Amtrak spokesman Clifford Cole. "We price ourselves competitively with the airline industry."

US Airways spokeswoman Valerie Wunder says that as more business travelers return to the air, "Our shuttle product is doing well. It's on the hour, and fast and efficient and gets business travelers where they need to go."

Some travel analysts agree that the airlines don't have to be too worried about competition from buses.

"The bread and butter of the shuttle route are business travelers who are almost always time-sensitive," says Matt Daimler, founder of SeatGuru.com. Federal officials noted virtually no delays on flights from New York's La Guardia Airport to Boston between January and June. The average flight took 1 hour and 10 minutes, Daimler says. "Compare that with a four-hour bus trip, assuming no traffic, and it is clear to me that business travelers are going to choose the plane over the bus every time."

By comparison, "Amtrak has more to worry about," he says, noting its slower regional trains. "As long as you aren't extremely time-sensitive, the bus experience is likely to be cheaper and more comfortable."

A new image for buses

Some travelers still see bus travel as transportation of last resort, associating it with seedy depots and a way to get from point A to B when you can't afford an alternative, some bus company officials acknowledge.

"The bus industry as a whole had that stigma: 'I'm only going to ride the bus if I have to,' " says Peter Pan's Westcott.

To combat the image, the bus line underwent a makeover earlier this year that included new graphics, new interiors and the addition of seat belts and wireless Internet access.

"Now you have sleeker buses and a different clientele," Westcott says. "We had ... a whole new branding launch to get people to understand that riding the bus isn't being a second-class citizen. You could take the bus and be proud of it."

Several bus services offer free Internet access and emphasize that it's a benefit with particular appeal to business travelers who can stay productive during the ride.

RedCoach, launched in April, offers free Wi-Fi on buses that it likens to a first-class airline cabin. With service to eight Southeastern cities, including Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta, the coaches have 27 leather seats — fewer than many traditional buses — along with electrical outlets and lap desks. While most of their passengers are vacationers, 12% are traveling on business, the company says.

"So many corporations are asking their employees to cut costs, even drive their own cars," says Anne Shaw, account coordinator for RedCoach, which has driven more than 6,200 passengers. "This is an option to decrease that cost but increase productivity. Americans are finally realizing it's OK to be thrifty. And ... it's great that you can be thrifty with this service and still have a first-class experience."

David Curnes of Orlando decided to take RedCoach for a business trip to Atlanta in July, and he enjoyed it so much he plans to use it again for work.

"Why be crammed into a little bitty airline seat when you can sit back in a leather seat with a laptop hookup?" says Curnes, an air conditioning salesman, who paid $85 round trip. "You can use a cellphone because you're on the ground. ... It's longer than flying, but it's worth it."

Still, RedCoach officials recognize that longer treks, such as Miami to Atlanta, make more sense for budget-conscious vacationers than time-sensitive business people. "But between Miami (and) Orlando and other stops, it's comparable to air travel," in terms of time, Shaw says.

Currently the bus line is offering special introductory fares, including a $40 round trip from Miami to Orlando. But even the regular fare, expected to be 10% to 15% higher, will be far lower than the cost of flying, says RedCoach spokeswoman Kim Hinton.

"Based on our full fare and based on giving the airline a three-week notice ... there's a 45% savings in taking our motor coach," Hinton says. And in another bid for business travelers used to hopping on jets, the buses will pick up and drop off passengers at "park and fly" facilities at or near airports.

'This is a whole new animal'

BoltBus is a joint venture by Peter Pan and Greyhound that launched in March 2008. It can make a trip from New York to Washington in a little more than four hours for an average fare of $19. The Internet-ready fleet also makes stops in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Boston. In July, it counted its 3 millionth passenger, says spokesman Tim Stokes.

Last year, Greyhound began rolling out more than 170 new coaches that offer Wi-Fi and 14 extra inches of legroom. The company is also making those changes to some older model buses that are being refurbished, Stokes says.

"With a lot of the amenities ... BoltBus and newer Greyhounds are ideal travel options for business professionals," Stokes says.

Standing at a Midtown Manhattan stop, Esther Sprague decided to give BoltBus a shot.

"It's my first time," says Sprague, who works for a non-profit and was traveling on business from New York to Washington. "I just had heard about it from a friend. Since this one has Wi-Fi (and) ... I have so much work to do, I decided to do it."

Kate Salisbury, another traveler on her way to Washington, wasn't taking the bus for business. But in her work for a church, she says, she takes buses often. And, she says, BoltBus is a pretty good one.

"I swore I'd never go on a bus again after college," Salisbury says. "But this is a whole new animal. It's nice."

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