Bolt Bus Offers $1 Fares
Travel Cheaply on New U.S. Discount Bus Line
That’s right, soon you will be able to travel between two of the East Coast’s largest cities for the same price as a double cheeseburger at McDonald’s. Here are the details on how to nab such a great deal:
What is the Bolt Bus?
It’s a new budget subdivision of Greyhound Bus lines that will only service the 230-mile route between New York City and Washington, D.C. At least this is the first route planned by Bolt. It is scheduled to begin service on March 27th, 2008, and will offer several round-trips a day.
In New York City, the Bolt Bus has two stops: one at 33rd St. and 7th Ave.; the other at Canal St. and 6th Ave. In Washington, D.C., there is only one stop, at 11th and G St. NW. All of these stops are adjacent to Metro centers, making it easy to get around once you get to your final destination. However, they are all street-side pick-ups and drop-offs, meaning you are subject to the outdoor elements while you wait.
Though it is aimed at regular commuters between the two cities, savvy budget travelers can also take advantage of these low fares.
How the Bolt Bus Prices Tickets
The Bolt Bus pricing system works on supply and demand. When a day’s routes first go on sale, at least one seat will be available for $1, with other seats offered at different price levels. The more in demand a seat on the bus is – for instance a bus is starting to sell out – the more seats will go up in price until the bus is full. Routes where seats are not as in demand will have more $1 tickets available.
To get a $1 seat, you’ll need to book your ticket as early as possible and it’s recommended to pick a route that isn’t packed with normal commuters, such as a mid-morning route. However, as the Bolt Bus is new, it is still possible to nab a $1 seat for even the busy morning and early evening commute times.
Bolt Bus Amenities and Services
For each ticket sold, you are entitled to bring one bag to check underneath the bus, and two carry on bags (such as a purse or small backpack) that must be small enough to be able to be stowed in the overhead bin. Oversized items such as a bicycle or golf bag are allowed, but count as your one checked bag.
Once onboard, you’ll notice this is not your average Greyhound bus. The Bolt Bus has had several rows of seats removed to add about three extra inches of legroom per seat. Each bus is also equipped with power outlets (standard 110 volts) to plug in laptops, iPods, portable DVD players and other electronics.
Laptops? Yes, because each bus is also equipped with free wi-fi service, the speed of which will be determined by how many others on board are using it and how much they’re trying to download. But hey, it is free.
And while the average vacation traveler will not be able to fully take advantage of it, the Bolt Bus even offers a frequent traveler rewards program that offers a free one-way ticket for every eight trips paid for.
How to Book a $1 Fare on the Bolt Bus
Currently, tickets are available for purchase at the bus line’s website at Boltbus, up to two hours prior to the departure time. There will be a 50-cent service fee added on to each online purchase. You can also purchase a walk-up ticket at the actual bus stop, but expect to pay a higher price, if there are seats available on that bus at all.
When purchasing online, which is highly advised in order to get the $1 seats, you will receive an email confirmation of the purchase. This is your ticket, so you will need to print it out and bring it with you to the bus stop. It’s also recommended that you arrive at the bus stop at least fifteen minutes prior to departure to allow for boarding procedures.
Tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable. They are also only good for the day and schedule time you purchase them for. The only exception is if, for any reason such as extreme bad weather or mechanical issues, the bus line is the one who cancels the scheduled bus. Then you can reschedule to another time or date or request a refund, at your discretion.
The Bottom Line on the Bolt Bus
Budget travelers won’t find a cheaper way to get between New York City and Washington, D.C., and with free wi-fi, the four hour trip can be put to good use by those who are blogging on the road or just want to check their emails. Let’s hope the service becomes popular enough that they expand to other city routes in the future.
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