Airline Delays Are Causing Some Travelers to Book Luxury Buses Over Flights
It’s no secret: Air travel has become a hassle over the past few years. Airlines are plagued by delays, ticket prices are through the roof, and the overall flying experience leaves something to be desired. Enter, buses.
Recently, travelers have been turning to buses to avoid the unpleasantness of flying, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Some are choosing your standard Greyhound, but others are opting for deluxe, luxury buses that offer an experience more akin to that of business or first class on a plane.
“I was looking to be underwhelmed in some ways,” said Brandon Alexander, who went roundtrip between Atlanta and Nashville via the luxury motor coach Vonlane. But he was treated to extra neck pillows, blankets, eye masks, and snacks delivered every 20 minutes. Afterward, he felt like he had underpaid for the trip, and he’s since taken Vonlane buses twice more.
Alex Danza, the CEO of Vonlane, told the WSJ that the company was in particularly high demand after Southwest Airlines’ massive spate of delays and cancellations at the end of 2022. And that sort of demand has been seen across the industry: Greyhound ridership was up 63 percent year-over-year for the July 4th weekend and 70 percent for Memorial Day weekend. In comparison, air travel rose just 11 percent during both of those weekends, according to TSA data cited in The Wall Street Journal.
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While many people opt for a bus as a backup option when their flight is canceled or delayed longer than they can wait, others are choosing bus travel right off the bat, the civil-engineering professor Ramin Shabanpour told the newspaper. They want to avoid the costly tickets and less-than-pleasant airport experience altogether. And a ticket on a luxury bus can cost less than $100 for certain routes.
Rachel Barcellona, an actress in New York, took the Jet luxury bus to Washington, D.C., for a mere $99. The first-class experience includes reclining seats, high-speed Wi-Fi, and complimentary in-seat beer and wine service, among other amenities. After just one trip, Barcellona said she’d opt for another Jet trip over air travel.
Of course, buses are similarly subject to delays—and traffic. But many have decided that those risks are more worth it on the road rather than up in the air.
