USA
A new inter-city coach service between New York and Washington DC has been launched by entrepreneur Chad Scarborough, aimed at younger leisure travellers in their 20s and 30s and offering what the operator calls a luxury experience. Using a fleet of six MCI tri-axle coaches, the service offers passengers a high-class journey for fares starting from $99 each way, which is more than other coach services but less than an air fare. With tickets bookable online at thejet.coach, each coach is fitted with just 14 reclining seats in a staggered 2+1 formation.
The seats are equipped with folding tables in the armrests, and sit on electromagnetically sprung bases giving passengers a smoother ride and offering a similar experience to drivers’ air-sprung seats. These are claimed to reduce vibrations from the road by as much as 90%.
CEO Chad told local media: “If we can create a really comfortable way to travel at a better price point than what else is out there, it should hopefully have broad appeal. There’s a little stigma in everyone’s mind because people think buses are the discount form of travel, so we’re very conscious of making it a really attractive option for people so they can come try the first time and hopefully take us again.”
If the concept proves itself, the firm says it intends to scale up to over 20 coaches in the next five years, with the possibility of operating in cities such as Hoboken, New Jersey, Baltimore, or Philadelphia.
