Coach USA owner of Megabus files for bankruptcy

[Willbridge]

Some friends of ours used to use Megabus to visit family in Tallahassee, leaving from the Gainesville area. They used to like the service and remarked on how nice it was with clean comfortable busses and very affordable prices. They mentioned how the service was declining, to their dismay. Now, the service doesn't even exist.

It is a real shame that public transportation between two key State Universities has disappeared. The affordable busses are no longer servicing this route, and the RR tracks have been removed.

In the digital age style, Megabus now says that it is still operating, but doesn't say where. Its claim of serving 500 cities includes independent carriers in their on-line booking system. As railiner observed, the independents are out there just carrying on their family businesses.

https://us.megabus.com/routechanges

Perhaps we can have a prize contest with the winner to be the first person to see a Megabus in service in the United States. Of course, any day they might undercut that by publishing something so old school as a system map or a timetable.

 

[PVD]

As far as i am aware, the Peter Pan acquired routes are now running out of the PABT not the street.

 

[Lcon]

Every single word of this rings true from a rider's view, powerful piece of writing. With your understanding of the realities of running intercity and long distances buses why are you not in the top job?

Because I became the Forth Olive. Twice.
I have rewritten this about 6 times now each time ending up in a long story about my experience inside Peter Pan bus lines. Explaining how I was laid off rehired and then fired again. I could even add in that I was even offered my position back twice after that. However that would all be very off topic. When I worked for PPBL where I worked it was not a friendly environment. Ticket agents were high turnover rate almost everyone was either quitting for a termination. Few people moved from the Bowl to the back office. Many stations were already closing counters for Kiosks in high demand locations or third party sales in low before we all got ticket sales in our pockets. The reason I had a job in 2012 was because it was more expensive to run a kiosk than pay my salary and I knew it at the time. Because it was openly stated. The reason my local station is still running even at slashed hours is the building is owned by one of the Picknelly siblings and it’s written on contract that that suite is a bus station.

 

[railiner]

As far as i am aware, the Peter Pan acquired routes are now running out of the PABT not the street.

So basically, Peter Pan is just doing business as usual, with perhaps some added frequencies on its existing routes. Not a trace of former Megabus?

 

[PVD]

Not sure, since the Megabus website still exists, and I still get advertising e-mails under their name. PP did say they expected to buy some additional buses to use. I haven't really looked, since I use the train, but have booked tickets for neighbors in the past that are on a tighter budget.

 

[Cal H]

Because I became the Forth Olive. Twice.

I am not familiar with this expression, and google didn’t come up with anything. Can you tell me what it means?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I am not familiar with this expression, and google didn’t come up with anything. Can you tell me what it means?

Appears to be a biblical reference for early regrowth after a period of indiscriminate vengeance.

Link: https://theopolisinstitute.com/the-meaning-of-the-mount-of-olives/

 

[hlcteacher]

i miss megabus

 

[railiner]

Not sure, since the Megabus website still exists, and I still get advertising e-mails under their name. PP did say they expected to buy some additional buses to use. I haven't really looked, since I use the train, but have booked tickets for neighbors in the past that are on a tighter budget.

Peter Pan has had an all-MCI fleet for a number of years. I’m pretty sure they would not buy any of Megabus’s old equipment, certainly not any of the Van Hool double-deckers, that Megabus is known for.

 

[Lcon]

I am not familiar with this expression, and google didn’t come up with anything. Can you tell me what it means?

Appears to be a biblical reference for early regrowth after a period of indiscriminate vengeance.

Link: https://theopolisinstitute.com/the-meaning-of-the-mount-of-olives/

No, good guess.
@Cal H in 1987, the CEO of American Airlines wanted to find a way to save come money for the company. After looking through the company he discovered that the most common food waste on first class flights was olives. The airline’s salad included 4 olives per. He realized that he could shave 1 olive per salad. This would save money by meaning less olives would be required for the company to buy, and less weight per meal making less weight per flight. For the passengers whom didn’t eat the olives anyway no problem. For those who did would they really make a stink over 3 as opposed to 4?
This ended up saving about $40,000 a year $100,000 adjusted to modern dollars.

 

[Lcon]

Peter Pan has had an all-MCI fleet for a number of years. I’m pretty sure they would not buy any of Megabus’s old equipment, certainly not any of the Van Hool double-deckers, that Megabus is known for.

Peter Pan’s main fleet is MCI. They do however maintain a small fleet of charter buses that includes some double decker for charter and events though those are British style.
Greyhound has been more flexible in terms of its motor pool.

 

[Cal H]

Thank you @Lcon for taking the time to explain it for me. I guess if I were an olive - I was in the situation where the whole salad was done away with!

 

[Willbridge]

Because I became the Forth Olive. Twice.
I have rewritten this about 6 times now each time ending up in a long story about my experience inside Peter Pan bus lines. Explaining how I was laid off rehired and then fired again. I could even add in that I was even offered my position back twice after that. However that would all be very off topic. When I worked for PPBL where I worked it was not a friendly environment. Ticket agents were high turnover rate almost everyone was either quitting for a termination. Few people moved from the Bowl to the back office. Many stations were already closing counters for Kiosks in high demand locations or third party sales in low before we all got ticket sales in our pockets. The reason I had a job in 2012 was because it was more expensive to run a kiosk than pay my salary and I knew it at the time. Because it was openly stated. The reason my local station is still running even at slashed hours is the building is owned by one of the Picknelly siblings and it’s written on contract that that suite is a bus station.

From all the way west, I recognize some similarities with family-controlled and/or otherwise independents. I was the last dispatcher for the Gray Line of Portland and luckily was hired away by a customer before it was absorbed by allies of Norman Kneisel (former Portland Trailways agent who built an empire around Alaska tours). WE had at least two staff who had been fired by Kneisel and they used to joke about the annual reunion of the Norman Kneisel Alumni Club -- to be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton. That's just one of a dozen stories from five months in 1973.

There are some good people in the intercity bus business, but operating with such thin margins brings out a lot of trouble. Now with the deregulated environment, it has got to be scary for the person at the top.

1973 - the only fringe benefit was free tours.

 

[railiner]

Peter Pan’s main fleet is MCI. They do however maintain a small fleet of charter buses that includes some double decker for charter and events though those are British style.
Greyhound has been more flexible in terms of its motor pool.

I didn’t know that. My observations were based on seeing what they brought into New York’s PABT, where low clearances blocked entry by double-deckers, as well as what they brought into Albany. Peter Pan has been a long time loyal MCI operator, at least since GMC exited the business in 1980.
I don’t believe they ever owned an Eagle, a Prevost, a Van Hool, or anything else, at least for their intercity line operations…

 

[PVD]

Also, sometimes a company that sticks to one brand may acquire some of something else when they buy out another company. Over time, they try and weed them out, but it doesn't always happen overnight.

 

[railiner]

From all the way west, I recognize some similarities with family-controlled and/or otherwise independents. I was the last dispatcher for the Gray Line of Portland and luckily was hired away by a customer before it was absorbed by allies of Norman Kneisel (former Portland Trailways agent who built an empire around Alaska tours). WE had at least two staff who had been fired by Kneisel and they used to joke about the annual reunion of the Norman Kneisel Alumni Club -- to be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton. That's just one of a dozen stories from five months in 1973.

There are some good people in the intercity bus business, but operating with such thin margins brings out a lot of trouble. Now with the deregulated environment, it has got to be scary for the person at the top.

1973 - the only fringe benefit was free tours.
View attachment 37612

When I worked for Continental Trailways, back in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s, I made very extensive use of my free annual pass, travelling to 49 states. Where we didn’t go, we got free or reduced “employee rates” on other carriers, similar to Interline Rates for airline employees.

I would often take Gray Line tours when visiting a new city for the first time. Pretty sure Portland, OR was one of them…

Also, sometimes a company that sticks to one brand may acquire some of something else when they buy out another company. Over time, they try and weed them out, but it doesn't always happen overnight.

Good point. By far, Peter Pan’s largest acquisition was when they bought Bonanza from Coach USA, but BZ’s fleet was very similar to PP, except PP had switched to MCI’s upscale ‘J’ model, while BZ had stayed with the older ‘DL-3’ type.

 

[PVD]

Some years back, Hampton Jitney bought a carrier in Florida and inherited their MCI fleet, I believe most are gone, they are almost all Prevost, with a couple of Van Hool. Anyway, on the Mega subject, I got another promotion e-mail from them today, and there was a news story about people standing on the far West Side because they didn't know the buses would be at PABT.

 

[west point]

Did not know about the low clearances at the PABT. Is the planned work going to change that?

 

[Willbridge]

With the inclusion of Barron's Bus the Trailways website now shows the first choice from NYC or Toronto to Denver to be Trailways! This is a result of New York Trailways stepping in for Megabus. The itineraries are via Indianapolis.

Also, they are including Salt Lake Express in their promotions. The Denver-Salt Lake portion is missing.

 

[railiner]

With the inclusion of Barron's Bus the Trailways website now shows the first choice from NYC or Toronto to Denver to be Trailways! This is a result of New York Trailways stepping in for Megabus. The itineraries are via Indianapolis.

Also, they are including Salt Lake Express in their promotions. The Denver-Salt Lake portion is missing.

New York to Denver using NYT, Barron’s, and Burlington Trailways would require a sort of convoluted route…New York to Toronto, then Toronto to Detroit on NYT, Detroit to Indianapolis on Barrons, and finally Indianapolis to Des Moines, then Des Moines to Denver on BT…

 

[Willbridge]

New York to Denver using NYT, Barron’s, and Burlington Trailways would require a sort of convoluted route…New York to Toronto, then Toronto to Detroit on NYT, Detroit to Indianapolis on Barrons, and finally Indianapolis to Des Moines, then Des Moines to Denver on BT…

Indianapolis <> Denver is a through service. The Burlington Trailways web ticketing uses Greyhound from NYC to Denver as cheapest and fastest, but from Toronto their system offers the itinerary that I described.

I've used that bus on an Amtrak ticket between Galesburg and Indianapolis.

 

[west point]

It appears that riding a bus from Smallville to west Podunk has become very complicated. Time to simplify that process.

 

[railiner]

Indianapolis <> Denver is a through service. The Burlington Trailways web ticketing uses Greyhound from NYC to Denver as cheapest and fastest, but from Toronto their system offers the itinerary that I described.

I've used that bus on an Amtrak ticket between Galesburg and Indianapolis.

Oh…I had thought BT ran their thru trip from Denver to Chicago, with the line to Indianapolis as the connection. It would seem more logical to do it that way, since Greyhound abandoned most of that heavily traveled route. Greyhound runs New York to Denver via St. Louis and Kansas City.
Thanks for the correction.

 

[TheVig]

AmHound.

Government takeover of Greyhound would make for interesting congressional debates. Let’s get ready to rumble…….

Then somebody would have to start the “National Bus Passengers Association” lobbying group. Lol.

 

[jis]

AmHound.

Government takeover of Greyhound would make for interesting congressional debates. Let’s get ready to rumble…….

Then somebody would have to start the “National Bus Passengers Association” lobbying group. Lol.

The creation of NARP actually preceded the creation of Amtrak. Indeed IIRC it played a pivotal role including helping write legislative language fro the creation of Amtrak.