Megabus and the Art of the Deal

Posted on 11. Oct, 2009 by in Advice, Trip Planning

In the age of budget travel it is difficult to tell if that deal you’re being offered is REALLY a deal. Sure Ryan Air will fly you from London to Rome for 5 quid…

…Plus £ 40 in taxes…

… Plus the £ 5 mandatory online booking fee

…Plus £ 30 to check your bag.

Suddenly what seemed like a really simple deal isn’t looking so great anymore.

Megabus

Creative Commons License photo credit: fredcamino

I was somewhat suspicious to find out that I could get from DC to New York for $1 on Megabus. I’d used some of the other “Chinatown buses” before and I already knew that they were way more convenient and cheap than flying or taking the train. Previously I’d used Washington Deluxe (link) which charges something like $45 round trip, so I was intrigued by the $1 offer. It seemed too good to be true.

MegaBus is a British transplant. I remembered their ads in England promising to get you from London to Leeds for £ 1. It sounded a little gimmicky even then. They are fairly new to the US Market, joining Washington Deluxe and Bolt Bus in providing cheap transport throughout the Northeast.  Given my penchant for all things British and/ or cheap I decided to give it a shot on my trip up to New York this past weekend.

So was it a good deal? Here are the Pros and Cons:

Pros

  • Really cheap (if you can find the right deal)- My ticket ran me $2.50 ROUND TRIP. That’s $1 each way plus a 50 cent booking fee.  Although the prices fluctuate up to about $20 a leg, if you are flexible and buy your tickets early it is very easy to find fares under $10.
  • Swanky buses- on my way up to New York our bus was a pimped out, brand new, double-decker affair. The bus I took home wasn’t as fancy but both buses were extremely clean and tasteful with comfortable seats and clean bathrooms.
  • Quiet peaceful ride- Putting aside the fact that my friend once sat next to an ACTUAL BOX OF CHICKENS on a china town bus once, some of the other bus companies I’ve used have forced the entire bus to sit through movie screenings. It’s not fair to force a captive audience to sit through movies like Daddy Daycare or Juwanna Mann (actually the riders complained so loudly that the bus drive finally turned of Juwanna Mann thank goodness).
  • Free Wifi- This was a HUGE plus for me and it was nice to get some work done during my 4-hour ride. The first bus I took also had electrical outlets for each seat, which is a nice plus since laptop batteries only last so long.

Cons

  • The wifi didn’t really work- The internet went down for the last hour or so of my ride to New York and on the way back to DC there was no internet at all. This is one of Megabuses major selling points so it was rather annoying.
  • Punctuality- although the website suggests arriving 15 minutes before departure to facilitate timely boarding, my bus didn’t even pull in until 8:40, ten minutes after the scheduled departure time. Fortunately boarding was quick, although we did arrive to New York behind schedule. The second bus I took was on time.
  • phpAvzv4pPMSeat dimensions- I am not a big person and I only have a tiny Mac book, but I had a very uncomfortable time trying to use my laptop in the shiny new bus. The seats in front of me were so close that there was no room for the computer in my lap, particularly because of a large plastic handle on the back of the seat which made it difficult to position my screen. The seats are spacious enough for just sitting and reading, but if Megabus is going to play up it’s free internet they ought to consider giving you enough room to use a lap top.

On the whole my ride was much more pleasant than I’ve experiences on other buses. If I’d paid full price for my ticket I may have been more irked about the internet issues but for $1 it more than fulfilled it’s end of the bargain. Megabus got me to and from New York quickly and with minimal hassle for less than I would have spent on toll charges if I’d driven myself. And that, Ryan Air, is a deal.

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22 Responses to “Megabus and the Art of the Deal”

  1. Laura

    11. Oct, 2009

    Thanks for this post!

    I’m traveling to USA next summer and am trying to figure out which type of public transport to use to travel between cities. Amtrak trains seem quite expensive, and from what I have read, bus travel has a bad reputation there, for some reason? Maybe it’s the Greyhound horror stories.

    Megabus seems like a good option, if only I could find a deal like this!
    .-= Laura´s last blog ..Binding Days, and Books =-.

    Reply to this comment

  2. Grant Lingel

    11. Oct, 2009

    Great post! I’ve been wondering how the Megabus works… I see them all the time! Definitely a better option than the Chinatown Bus!

    Reply to this comment

  3. Steph

    11. Oct, 2009

    Bus travel in the US is under-developed compared to Europe and other places. With Megabus, Bolt bus and others, traveling inexpensively is becoming much easier- at least in the Northeast.

    Reply to this comment

  4. Craig

    12. Oct, 2009

    We used Megabus many times in the UK and found them to be good enough for the price. We had a few breakdowns, so it’s nice to hear that their US counterparts are starting out with nice(r) vehicles. Here’s our comparison on plane, train or megabus when booking in the UK.
    .-= Craig´s last blog ..How not to starve while travelling in the UK =-.

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    • Steph

      12. Oct, 2009

      Really appreciating all your articles on the UK since I’m heading there next month. Thanks Craig!

      Reply to this comment

  5. Nancy

    13. Oct, 2009

    Great post. I’m bookmarking this one. Btw-left you a little love on my blog. :)
    .-= Nancy´s last blog ..Hot damn y’all, I’m famous! =-.

    Reply to this comment

  6. Brandon

    17. Oct, 2009

    DC to NYC for under 10 dollars? I will forgo all comfort for that price…
    .-= Brandon´s last blog ..British Airways Catches A Wave of Criticism Over Surfboard Ban – AOL Travel =-.

    Reply to this comment

    • Steph

      18. Oct, 2009

      Yeah it’s really hard to argue with a price like that. I stayed with a friend, so I felt like my trip was practically free!

      Reply to this comment

  7. Liza

    20. Oct, 2009

    the thing with Ryanair and all the fees is that in spite of all of that, I haven’s seen anything even remotely close to their prices here in north america….its impossible to fly anywhere for less than a couple hundred dollars

    Reply to this comment

    • Steph

      21. Oct, 2009

      I agree that RyanAir is cheaper than anything the US offers, I just have a problem with their deceptive advertising practices. I prefer EasyJet personally.

      Reply to this comment

  8. Ramblingsaffie

    06. Jul, 2010

    $1, thats crazy!!

    Reply to this comment

  9. Melvin

    27. Aug, 2010

    talking about seats… maybe your laptop is just too big??? LOL

    Reply to this comment

    • Steph

      28. Aug, 2010

      ha fair enough! luckily with my new netbook this won’t be a problem

      Reply to this comment

  10. Justin

    27. Aug, 2010

    Train, plane, or bus the northeast is very connected via public transportation, more so than anywhere else in the country.

    I usually make several trips between Boston and NYC in the Summer, this is the first time I’ve used megabus and I’m completely sold. Generally I pay between $10/$15 one way on megabus depending on which time of the day I go at. Their last bus out of the city tends to be the cheapest. And since Megabus is relatively new I’ve found they’re not nearly as overcrowded.. at least between NYC/Boston (greyhound always overbooks, leaving the last people in line to wait for a 2nd bus.. the 1st bus already having been late.) Also love the new buses and wifi like you.

    A small tip: Whenever we board (we arrive early) we usually run up and get the seats in the very front row on the second floor. That way you have a great view with the big open window in front of you, and a lot more space! With no seats in front of me it lets me stretch my legs out and you shouldn’t have any laptop positioning problems anymore! Only downside is there’s no outlets there so you have to bother the people behind you for use of one. :)

    Reply to this comment

    • Steph

      28. Aug, 2010

      I’m a big fan of those front seats as well- for the view if nothing else!

      Reply to this comment

  11. Kayling05

    27. Aug, 2010

    I’m using megabus next month on my trip to the UK and I too got some really cheap deals when booking ahead (most expensive trip was 6 pounds, other 2 were 1.50 each). I’m a pretty frugal person, so I was really excited to find these great deals. I’m not traveling with a laptop so I’m not too concerned about that, and it’s like, nothing could be smaller than coach airplane seats anymore, right?? I’m taking 2 buses and 1 train with them and I imagine the train is probably going to be on time, whereas I understand the buses sometimes are late due to traffic (which is ok, I’m not really in a rush either day on those as they aren’t connecting).

    Reply to this comment

    • Steph

      28. Aug, 2010

      I’ve never used the british buses but I’ve seen them and I’m sure they are excellent! Definitely let us know about the train!

      Reply to this comment

  12. Jessie

    12. May, 2011

    Being a D.C. native I’m a huge Megabus / Bolt bus fan. And FYI, there’s a nifty Chinatown bus search engine (Greyhound included) for the Eastern seaboard. http://busjunction.com — they even tell you what busses have wifi and bathrooms in the searches.

    Reply to this comment

  13. Tom

    28. Sep, 2011

    OHGOD both times I’ve used Megabus (in the UK) were a NIGHTMARE. Going to London from Newcastle, the bus broke down and my legs were touching the seat in front of me. I’m not even tall – only 5’8”!

    On the way back, it was 45 minutes late due to “traffic”. Strangely enough, the National Express buses on the same route were all on time. We were then informed the driver had to have a 30 minute break by law – screw the fact we’d been waiting 45 minutes not having a clue what was going on. They didn’t even have a back-up driver. Really, really shitty. I ended up arriving 2 hours behind schedule, missing all the public transport home and having to shell out for a taxi because it was pissing it down with rain.

    I’d rather shell out for the National Express in the UK – or spend a little more and take the train!

    Reply to this comment

    • Steph

      28. Sep, 2011

      Hmm, I’ve never taken Megabus in the UK so I can’t vouch for them. It’s pretty nice in the US though! Unfortunately we don’t have the wonderful train system you guys do- taking the amtrak to New York costs as much as flying!

      Reply to this comment

  14. Cornelius Aesop

    11. Apr, 2012

    I’ve personally never used Megabus but I know that I’ve checked it out for a few trips. The only downside is that unlike Greyhound the have limited stops. Yet, if they have your desired start and stop location, then unlike Greyhound you don’t have to stop at every podunk town along the way.

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