Thursday, July 22, 2010

Free bus tickets from Philly to a number of cities (including far-flung Toronto)

I appreciate it when companies try to do the right thing. And I think that's what Megabus tries to do.

This fleet of low-cost busses covering some of the most popular routes in the US and Canada (Montreal to Toronto, NYC to Washington, DC, Chicago to Memphis, etc.) guarantees some $1 seats on every one of their itineraries (and even the more expensive rides rarely exceed $20). Drivers are trained to operate their vehicles in a green fashion, never idling the motors too long and filling up the tires properly, to make the most of the gas on board (in fact, a GPS system and other onboard computers track these issues for the company). And because Megabus runs double decker busses between many destinations, they can carry twice as many folks on the same amount of fuel as the competition.

To celebrate the debut of routes to and from Philadelphia yesterday, Megabus gave away 10,000 free seats. From what I hear, many are still available, particularly on the Philly-Toronto routes. In addition, Megabus will be working with local tour operators in Philly (from walking tour companies to trolly tours) to give discounts to their passengers of 10% to 20%. That new program will be announced next week.

Currently, Megabus has routes in both the US and Canada. For more information on the dozens of routes the company services, go to www.megabus.com.

(Photo by Fred Camino)

1 comment:

  1. Not a bad deal at all.

    I once took advantage of an even better deal: I got paid to take the bus (not sure if it still works).

    I booked on megabus.com a round-trip New York-Atlantic City. Since I booked it 2-3 months in advance, I paid about $5 for it.

    That line is being operated by Academy bus, so at Port Authority, I exchange my Megabus receipt for an Academy bus ticket.

    Approaching Atlantic City (I left at Trump's casino) I hear a message stating that we can exchange our bus tickets for a $20 gaming coupon (note: a regular Academy bus ticket costs more than $20). I do that. Apparently I need to be a member of Trump's loyalty program (no fee, just like a frequent flyer program) in order to redeem it, so I register for that - and then I go to the cashier, present the (unused) loyalty card along with my coupon to get $20 cash (a $15 net profit).

    PS: I did sign the petition to save vacation rental in NY

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