Need to get from San Francisco to Los Angeles but the little George Washington in your pocket doesn't have any friends to hang out with? Well, that's no problem now that low-cost bus provider MegaBus has got you covered.
As a way of announcing the inter-city bus service's expansion into the Golden State, MegaBus is temporarily offering $1 fares between all of its California hubs--San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Jose, Riverside and Sacramento. The company also offers service to Las Vegas.
SFBay notes that this mind-bogglingly low ticket price is just a temporary offer during the company's first week of California service and prices will eventually increase into the $5-9 range, which doesn't seem exactly like it would break the bank.
"We are providing state-of-the-art double-decker buses, with Wi-Fi on board, electric outlets, heating, air conditioning," MegaBus Vice President Mike Alvich boasted to the Oakland Tribune. Alvich explained that the company's target market is largely young professionals who need to travel but don't want to drive or be temporarily disconnected from the internet, as would happen on most airplane flights.
Known as curbside carriers, they do without bus stations and ticket vendors, arranging stops in city centers, often near transit stations, and relying solely on their website for ticket sales. Megabus.com, owned by Coach USA, a subsidiary of a British bus company, got its U.S. start in Chicago in 2006. It's since expanded to the East, where it has hubs in New York, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Atlanta, among other cities. It carries 5 million to 6 million passengers a year, said Mike Alvich, vice president of marketing and public relations.
The company initially rolled out California bus service in 2007, but quickly withdrew from the state citing lack of demand. Officials told the Sacramento Bee they believe the market has expanded significantly in the intervening years largely due to the prevalence of social media. "We think there is a pent-up demand for a better way to travel," Alvich told the Los Angeles Times.
The first Megabus trips in California begin December 12th.