First Person Bus Reviews: BoltBus
4/23/2008 at 10:15 AM
Tags: BoltBus, Buses, Budget Travel, Bus Reviews, WiFi, Free WiFi, Deals (all tags)
The much-hyped BoltBus starts its Boston service tomorrow, and in advance of the debut, the Boston Globe has a lengthy story about what makes the cheapo bus line worth riding.
Reporter Nicole Wong, who hated on Skybus in February, notes the similarities between the 'buses:
BoltBus said it got the idea of offering at least one seat per bus for a buck from Skybus, which priced at least 10 seats per plane for $10 until it went bankrupt and shut down this month. BoltBus doesn't view Skybus's demise as a warning...All 51 seats on all 12 daily buses scheduled through Sunday will cost $1 each, plus a 50 cent online booking fee.
Though the tickets are cheap, the service isn't, says BoltBus honcho David Hall. The company's flashy coaches feature an on-board safety video and toilets that actually flush with "blue swirly chemicals" and boarding is handled Southwest Airlines-style in groups.
All that said, early reviews have been mixed.
Budget Travel Blog Editor Sean O'Neill was on one of the first trips between NYC and DC and enjoyed it:
I liked the trip and would definitely recommend the service.
There were some glitches--including with the on-board WiFi--but none of them would keep him from riding again:
Did I mention that my round-trip ticket only cost $3? At that price, or even somewhat higher, BoltBus offers a more comfortable, convenient and cost-effective service than Greyhound's standard service and the "Chinatown buses."
Gadling writer Grant Martin had the same problem getting online, but otherwise his trip was nice:
The coach's wireless service is encrypted and nobody can figure out the password. The driver had a card with a 26 letter code, but between myself (on a Linux Thinkpad) and another guy (on an iPhone), neither could connect. We called HQ, but they couldn't help either.
One reviewer who didn't have trouble surfing from her seat was Andrea Sachs, who blogged about her BoltBus trip for the Washington Post:
After keying in a password, I could run rampant across the Web. The seatbacks also feature outlets, so when gadgets lose their juice, you can just plug 'em in...Overall, the ride was smooth and pleasant, a triple upgrade from the Chinatown bus.
Related Stories:
· The Southwest of Bus Lines? [Boston Globe]
· Cheapskate Travel: BoltBus Adding Boston [Jaunted]
· Buses coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: mattlehrer]
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