I was flying out of DFW a few years ago in August and the gate led us to a bus. That airport is so big they had to bus us to an outlying area where the planes were. That driver was a hoot! "Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to whatever airlines flight xxx to Seattle. Our cruising altitude today will be approximately two feet. The weather at our destination is cloudy and 65 degrees." We had just spent a week in Dallas. Everyone on board started cheering. "Now just sit back and relax. Our arrival time will be about 15 minutes. Thanks for riding with us."
Honestly, if American's biggest hub (DFW) were to start this bus service for some of the smaller cities (but still highly populated) around the DFW area within a 2-3 hour driving distance, I would strongly consider riding. Cities like Frisco, McKinney, Tyler, Abeline, Waco, downtown Dallas, downtown Fort Worth, etc. These cities don't have giant airports for American flights, but they are still populated enough that someone could fly into DFW and take one of these busses right out of Terminal A to those cities.
Indeed. I see this as a creative way to add other options into flight routes to connect into smaller areas. I would absolutely welcome this esp. since these busses look very clean and well run.
They should consider doing this for people traveling to Disney world. The drive from MCO could be an airline bus. I think they’d make out really good especially when people don’t have to worry about luggage.
Have you seen the nice buses like they have in Japan? I think there’s a market! But I also think bright line is trying to fill that market. We’ll see who gets there first
@@Bobspineable Flying into Orlando for a vacation at Disney World and worrying about the cost of a train ride from the airport to the resort? Are you sure that's fitting?
@@Bobspineable bright line is like $7. I don’t know how much a bus could undercut that. I know megabus is known for being super cheep but I can’t remember how much it costs.
I’ve taken Landline through another airport and I’ve always been impressed by them. Great and professional service all around, complete with a “flight attendant!”
Not sure why he had no snack or drink. Lux busses in Thailand hand snack and drink out when you board. They can clean up and do it again at endpoint for next guests. Clean, spacious, professionally operated bus service is a nice way to travel on shorter trips.
*"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have reached cruising altitude of 6’ and will be traveling at 70mph. Estimated arrival is 58 minutes. Sit back and enjoy your flight"* I mean, when it comes to planes, Atlantic City is served by only one airline...Spirit. So compared to Spirit, I'd much rather be on that bus. If you choose to go by train to Atlantic City from PHL, it takes over 2 hours. You also have to change from SEPTA's Airport Line to NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line at 30th Street. This is vastly better
But you know that a less than 3 hour train will probably be about the same speed as getting to the airport, getting through security, boarding your first plane, getting off, getting on the bus.
@@gavintantleff ? Did you watch? He was coming from North Carolina to AC via Philly. A trip from NC to Philly on a plane (and then bus from Philly to AC) very much wouldn't be the same as taking a train which would be far longer. Not to mention at these smaller airports like Greensboro, Atlantic City, Lancaster, and Allentown, security is a breeze. I've taken flights from Long Island MacArthur where that is the case. Greensboro to Atlantic City by train - 13 hours Greensboro to Atlantic City by plane/bus - nearly 4 hours North Carolina and Virginia don't have high-speed rail. By the way, trains can't get you across the Atlantic like planes can. American letting passengers do security in AC and then take a bus from AC to Philly to connect them to a hub with many destinations (without having to go through security again) is a smart move
@@SYDAirlineEnthusiast I said plane/bus as in a combo of the two. Since as the video shows, the "flight" from Philly to Atlantic City is a bus. So it's the flight from Greensboro to Philly on a plane, and then the bus from there to AC.
KLM also operates buses from Amsterdam to other Dutch cities, and it also appears to the end user like it's a connecting flight. They even take you to Eindhoven, which has it's own regional airport. But because KLM doesn't really fly to Eindhoven, it can be handy if you want to fly KLM to use miles or whatever reason.
Those aren’t leaving from behind the security. It is more like a way to travel to the airport if you booked a flight. You also don’t see them on the airport app as a flight.
And Air France allows you to check in at the Brussels South train station where you take the TGV to Paris in first class. And you'll say byebye to your luggage in Brussels and pick it up at your destination. KLM also offers the train service from Brussels and Antwerp, but you have to keep your bags with you till Schiphol and check them in there. And if you departed from Antwerp, you'll also have to check-in yourself at Schiphol as Antwerp railway station does not have a KLM check-in counter.
You can call them and add the bus service after, but you're expected to book your journey selecting the destination city that the bus will take you to, and you'll get a second boarding pass for the bus just like the one for the plane. At least that was my experience last year. I used the website though, not the app, and checked-in at the desks. But yeah, it's clearly stated that it's bus service
@@life.with.sabine If they offer a bus from Eindhoven in one direction, they offer it in the other direction. The bus trip IN EITHER DIRECTION is completely seamless when booking a flight.
It's a great idea in my opinion, because a lot of people only want or need to go a short distance to a nearby town or city after they land in the area at a big city airport. Depending on the distance, it might be too expensive and too far to reasonably take a taxi cab.
Well yeah but its clear that they dont make it obvious you’re paying for a bus ticket.. and imagine someone wanted to fly to a nearby city to land quicker but could of just drove there instead of this bus 😂😂
@@uabforfindingthisbutalr6464 That last sentence you wrote makes no sense. Regardless of transport mode, the ticket booking shows the total time enroute. This is all they need to consider.
My daughter has booked a "flight" from Indianapolis to Allentown with the layover in Philly in December. The "flight" was cheaper than if she booked the flight ending in Philly (so strange). She chuckled at the "Bus" description on her itinerary. She was not sure how this worked, so this video was VERY informative and timely! Thanks! BTW....Jeb pronounced Lancaster correctly! (Lan-KISS-ter). 😄
I ran into a similar situtuation with Allentown many years ago on Continental, via Newark, NJ. The connection was via bus. I decided to change my airline to avoid the bus service.
@@Newbyte It has been awhile, but I think it had more to do with the time difference of taking the connecting bus service (1.5 hours or so) or just flying direct. I was only flying from Manchester, NH so the flight to Newark was 45 minutes and then add twice that for bus service, or just fly direct in an hour or so.
@@MaxGrey03 I think I had that connection. I booked a flight from ABE to somewhere with a connection in Newark. The flight from Newark direct would have been 4-500 more and parking at ABE was certainly cheaper than Newark. And the trip from ABE to Newark was a bus.
One of the best parts of this is picking up the bus from the ramp. Being able to avoid all the nonsense of getting through the airport at a big hub like PHL is really nice
We have something very similar in Germany, where a lot of regional flights to the big airports like Munich and Frankfurt are actually high speed train rides. It’s called the Lufthansa Express Rail and is operated by German National Rail Deutsche Bahn. Looking forward to you reviewing that some time. :)
@@LS-Moto But you get announcements if you are able to catch the flight if the train is late, and iirc there is Lufthansa staff on the train which can help you out when missing the flight or there are other questions.
Yep. And that bus from Straßburg is really only useful because it makes the actual flight (from Frankfurt) cheaper. Why ? Because "from Strasbourg" means this Lufthansa coach is in direct competition to whatever Air France has on offer from Straßburg, which is usually really expensive because Strasbourg is full of Eurocrats and lobbyists (with expense accounts) The only downside is, you actually have to be on that bus. Which is inconvenient if you don't actually live there. But at least only for one leg, on the return trip you can simply get the train from Frankfurt airport station to your home, which is far more convenient (and faster).
About 10 years ago, I had a bus “flight” connection from Newark with United Airlines. There was no overhead storage for carry-ons. And there was no restroom! Actually the bus looked more like the type that transfers passengers to smaller planes located far away on the tarmac. It was very surprising when the bus exited the gate and went on the highway. Glad it was only an hour drive.
PAX (airline lingo for passengers) were always surprised at our regional airport when "flying" to Philadelphia. They would fly into Newark (EWR) and then take Amtrak to Philly's 39th St station IATA code ZFV. It is on the ticket.
I think this should be illegal if they don’t make it clear it’s a bus. People don’t book flights and go through tedious security to get stuck in traffic in slow buses. If they did they should’ve talked to Greyhound not American Airlines
Coaches are criminally underrated. Basically unlimited baggage, better recline, and also significantly cheaper. In the Middle East it beats flying in every sector.
In Mexico City, Rapid Transit is considered a bit upscale compared to the Metro (subway), though the BRT isn't immune to getting caught in traffic. I used to do a lot of cross-country trips on Greyhound. Not great or fast, but cheap; my first trip was $400 to go whereever I wanted, for a month; I visited 8 different places. Great deal compared to a single round trip plane ticket that might have cost the same. Of course, even better would be a good train.
I like it! The thing that impressed me the most about this bus is that the interior is arranged like a CRJ cabin rather than like a Greyhound bus. It makes me wonder if Greyhound would be more popular if it had the same seating. And yes, the airline bus does make perfect sense. I would love to have a bus connection from PDX to Salem, OR. That way, I could sit in an airport bar or coffee shop while waiting on my connecting bus rather than sitting on the curb while waiting on ground transportation bus. But I think the most sensible part of this bus service is fuel efficiency. The fuel a CRJ burns on a 50 miles flight far exceeds what a bus burns. I think it also has a lot to do with the fact that all major air carriers no longer use prop planes, making regional flights less efficient. After watching this video, I think this regional bus service is going to be a huge hit. I believe it will add new destinations and will also add the frequency of the trips. So yes, I see this as a winner.
> _It makes me wonder if Greyhound would be more popular if it had the same seating._ From my experience of GLI: That might get a *big* thumbs-up from passengers, but it would functionally cripple GLIs capacity on many routes, and remember that (Unlike airlines) GLI aren't forced to have max one bum per seat. ✈🍑🚌 Some GLI routes can get _horrendously_ crowded (Las Vegas NV to Los Angeles CA being the classic example) and as someone who's been extremely thankful for his sturdy legs holding up for the 7h30 trip with 67 bums packed onto a 55-seat bus, removing thirteen seats from each bus is not going to do anything to help GLIs business model. Finally: Like myself, the company which owns GLI - First Group - Comes from the UK, and I can tell you that *really* stingy buggers like us are only going to _add_ seats, never _remove_ them... 💺💰😉
If I was the ATC, I'd have fun with the driver. "American Prevost, hold short of the gate. Okay, bank left on Airport Road. Hold short of the I-95. You are clear for the highway!" 😁
Perfectly fitting for Atlantic City to get this instead of a proper American Eagle plane. With the past casino closures resulting from neighboring PA legalizing gambling, Revel's opening being a disaster, the fact the Atlantic City Line was the only line NJ Transit completely shut down to add positive train control for a year (not to mention Atlantic City no longer having direct train service to NYC because of Amtrak's withdrawal in 1995 and the short-lived ACES from 2009 to 2011), and now the pandemic...that city just can't catch a break
My first trip to Germany was in 1988 when I flew from Chicago O'Hare to Cologne on Lufthansa. Our flight was to Frankfort but then we changed to a Lufthansa train. My luggage was checked thru to Cologne and it was just like a flight, with a meal and cabin attendants, just like on a plane. They even had a guide book, in four languages, explaining what it was you were seeing along the way. A few years later, I made the same trip, but by then they had shut the train down and you got a regional jet instead. I kind of liked the train.
I love this video, I live just 20 mins from ACY and it’s amazing to see my local airport add more options to travel since we only have around 7 flights a day out of the airport and there all on spirit. It’s a really nice airport but very underrated. I’m glad to see American Airlines give it more recognition and for giving us people that live in south east Jersey a better way of traveling.
This might be the funniest Jeb video I've ever watched, love it! As someone who frequently flies to small airports with limited frequencies I'm happy to see this, we're really been short changed with the resumption of flights post-covid and this seems like a solid option. I just wish they would have a way to clear security in the small airport.
From a security POV I can understand why, considering that the "flight" would have to remain sterile/secure throughout the entire journey... when a plane is in the air it's no big deal, but if the bus is traveling on public roads then it could be an issue... even if you put seals on every single access point, the driver opening their window for any reason (such as paying a toll) would render the entire flight unsecured.
There is just no way to clear security at the smaller airport, then take a bus to a bigger airport. The logistics of maintaining security would just be too complex.
@@JoeDFWAviation waait so they have to go through security after arrival in philadelphia? how is this possible? after arriving at the airport you dont have security
I had a flight booked on AA from Phoenix to John Wayne at 6:00 pm on the Friday before Christmas, (12/23), John Wayne doesn't allow flight operations after 10:00 pm and the flight was delayed and therefore diverted to LAX. We were then put on a bus back to OC arriving at around dawn on Christmas Eve.
I flew by Lufthansa from Uruguay to Strasbourg once. But after landing in Francfort, we took a Lufthansa bus and it took us to Strasbourg. The funny thing is that in the return trip, we should have done the check in, using the fly number and code. All the same things you do when you get an international flight
COS to DEN would be amazing for this. Parking or ubering locally and clearing security at COS and then being taken into the secure area in DEN for your transfer flight.
Yes! You *can* Bustang between the city centers, but the dropping of the southern Denver stops, including a couple where the AT/AF buses would pick up, saving some time compared to going west into downtown (for the airport on the eastern plains), makes Bustang less than optimal.
As a Philadelphia area native I would highly encourage you to check out Lancaster it’s beautiful in the culture of the Amish is something to be seen food is awesome to😊
I hope this gets brought back to Carlsbad, CA (CLD). It used to have multiple flights to LAX on propeller planes until SkyWest retired them in 2015, and the runway is too short for jets. It was very convenient for those living in the cities north of San Diego as they didn't have to make the one-hour drive to downtown San Diego (SAN) to catch flights, and had more connecting options. (I used to live in San Marcos, just east of Carlsbad, and we found the airport very convenient)
I recently flew American, & the connecting flight was an American Eagle, operated by Southern Airways Express, who operate out of the Corporate Aviation Terminal at DFW, which is accessed via shuttle bus, as it's nowhere near the "commercial" terminals. I was told by Southern Airways Express that American would summons the shuttle bus once my first flight landed at DFW & I informed the gate agent that I needed it. The gate agent told me she didn't know what I was talking about, that she'd never HEARD OF Southern Airways Express, then waved me away dismissively. American entered into its contract with Southern Airways Express to operate service as American Eagle FIVE YEARS AGO! So I whipped out my cell phone & called Southern Airways Express & explained the situation. I was already late for boarding, & it was their LAST flight to my destination that day. Did I mention I was rushing to see my mother in the hospital before she died? (I did to the American Airlines gate agent who said she'd "never heard of" Southern Airways Express, right before she gave me that dismissive wave). Not only did Southern Airways Express send the shuttle bus for me immediately, but they also held up the flight for over 30 minutes for me & one other passenger who had been on the first flight with me! Now THAT'S service! Unfortunately, American would not let me take their wheelchair with me (they couldn't find my personal wheelchair, which they INSISTED on checking at the gate at LAX) so I had to CRAWL onto the shuttle bus & ride to the Corporate Aviation Terminal on the floorboard! The shuttle bus driver offered to help me, but I said no coz I didn't want to leave him open to litigation should anything go wrong. My wheelchair arrived at my destination a day & a half later! When I called to change the date on my returning flight because my mother died, I was told that American does not offer a bereavement fare, & my "one free change" that I paid over $100 for (a "Main Cabin" reservation, rather than "Basic Economy" entitles you to (1) choose your seat, which I did not, as the agent at check-in in Los Angeles made me miss my first flight trying to charge me $100 for my checked bag being 9lbs over, when simply shifting 9lbs to my carry-on & checking it only cost me $40, which I figured out on my own, just not quickly enough to make my flight, so I had to take whatever seat they gave me on the next one, a center seat, btw, (2) to board the plane BEFORE "Basic Economy," which I do anyway coz I'm in a wheelchair, & (3) one free change to my itinerary) would cost me $167!!! Difference in fare, they said, for changing from a flight with 42 empty seats to one with 54 empty seats, same exact flight, one week later. So I pushed my return flight back by two weeks instead & only had to pay $76 for my one "free" change that I'd already paid over $100 for the privilege of making. Southern Airways Express: A+ American Airlines: F- Tried to charge me $100 for something that ultimately cost $40, made me miss my first flight, refused to get me to my connecting flight because they had "never heard of" their interflight partner of 5 years, lost my personal wheelchair, wouldn't let me take theirs on the shuttle bus, which I had to crawl into & ride on the floor, didn't get my personal wheelchair to me for a day & a half, & charged me $76 for my "one free change" I already paid $100+ for! I've complained, but as yet have not received even so much as an insincere apology. I genuinely can't think of ONE POSITIVE THING I can say about American Airlines' role in my trip. Not one. WORST AIRLINE EXPERIENCE EVER. (And I've logged in an above average number of miles aboard aircraft in my lifetime, with 8 trips to Asia & 4 to Europe, 1 to Central America & COUNTLESS domestic flights within the US, plus living with an avionics installer with a pilots license for 5+ years) Southern Airways Express is awesome, though. Next time I'll fly with them the WHOLE way, from Los Angeles! And American can look forward to a call from the Dept of Justice about some Americans with Disabilities Act violations. They seem to have phased out the slogan "We Know Why You Fly" (coz wtf does that mean anyway?!? I fly coz I'm in a hurry!) to which I say, "You have a funny way of showing it!" Here are my Top Ten suggestions for a replacement slogan: #10...Meal Vouchers Issued AFTER You Leave the Terminal, Maybe (inspired by another recent trip on American which included an overnight delay) #9...Dogs Under 10 Inches (ONLY) Welcome for $125 More #8...Our Wheelchairs Stay with Us (Even When We Lose Yours) #7...We Don't Know Our Interflight Partners #6...Now With Buses! #5...We'll Overcharge You If You Let Us #4...Trying Our Best to Make Your Trip the Worst #3...Not Responsible for Cancelled Flights #2...Define "FREE" And my #1 suggestion for a replacement slogan for American Airlines: You're on Your Own Might I also suggest using Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" in a future ad campaign? ✌🏼
The MN low cost carrier Sun Country does this from MSP to larger cities like Rochester, and Duluth using Landline. Not only does it help for pilot shortages and navigating traffic, but also with connecting local regionals with MSP.
I saw this option the last time I flew to Duluth to visit family. I still opted to fly on Delta, because I wanted to go through security in Duluth instead of MSP, and wasn't sure how that worked with the bus.
They need to do this in Texas. It can connect DFW airport to McKinney and Frisco. Both are almost an hour away and have populations of over 210,000 each. True that Arlington is larger but it's half an hour away, nothing Lyft or local taxis can't manage.
Delta needs to consider having a service like this between their hub in Detroit and Toledo now that AA pulled out there. Also, service between Atlanta and Rome, Chattanooga, Macon, and Athens would be great too
I agree but Deltas hub is not in Detroit it's in Atlanta there is to much competition for delta to do it in Chattanooga since Greyhound has a major station in Chattanooga also Chattanoogas airport is to small
@@ryanlowery2888 You do know that Delta has multiple hubs, right? They have hubs in Atlanta, Detroit, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, and JFK airport in NYC.
Oh, I would jump on the service from Macon to Atlanta in a heartbeat. I so miss the ASA service from Macon to Atlanta. What would be even better is to allow us to clear security at the airport in Macon and bypass the nightmare in Atlanta. That would be really sweet
The only problem with Toledo Express is that it is way out in the middle of nowhere. It would be better if the bus “flight” ended somewhere more central in that case.
Once I returned from Rennes (France) to Prague (Czechia) and the first leg (to Paris) was actually done by TGV train. It was awesome :) I had a ticket from AirFrance to board the train which had it's SNCF train number as well as GDS flight number.
Gives a hilarious new meaning to the name "Airbus"! The only issue that kinda annoys me is American DOES own Airbus planes, my last flight was on an AA A321. I wonder if a few passengers reading the ticket would mistakenly think the printer wasn't working and panicked, thinking the letters "Air" didn't print on it! LMAO....
This service reminds me of Europe's "Flixbus" - main difference is that "Flixbus" is a german private company with several different bus companies all over Europe working for them (franchise) - they don't really own the busses.
The obvious advantages of this service is continuity/convenience and time savings. However, in terms of cost it has competition from New Jersey Transit for the same route. Philadelphia International is also connected to Atlantic City via New Jersey Transit. The traveler has the option of taking the SEPTA airport line to 30th Street Station and transferring to NJ Transit for the remainder of the journey. This doesn't offer a much convenience but it might be more affordable
I agree with the comments about clearing security at the start of the bus ride. I think that would make this service very popular. Great video, thanks for doing this!
Between Seattle and Vancouver BC, Amtrak supplements their trains with buses. You book through Amtrak but ride a really nice coach bus (from a company called Cantrail) between the two train stations and it takes about the same amount of time.
To get to LA from Bakersfield Amtrak runs a bus. Usually when you book Amtrak you have to a train portion of your trip but you can book Amtrak from the Burbank Airport Amtrak to Bakersfield Amtrak on a bus for only $15. That is less than to cost of gas not to mention parking.
This happened to me flying back to Kansas City from Allentown PA, back around 2003. They stuck us on a Continental Airlines bus to Newark and I'd catch my connecting flight onward.
Once I flew with Airfrance from ICN -> CDG -> BRU. The flight from ICN to CDG was normal but the “flight” from CDG to BRU was on a train. The train had the Airfrance livery which was odd considering most of the trains on the platforms were operated by the RER
I get that Americans get surprised by seen a bus service since most travel by air but in countries like Mexico, Brazil and most South America bus services are by common and they have 4 tiers of busses. Basic: you get what you paid for pretty much Plus: you get reclining seats, TV, toilet Executive: leather reclining seats,snacks, wifi, toilet, personal TV Platinum: everything above but wider selection and in a 1 - 1 row. This is more for business travelers.
A bus that is "inside" security. Could be cool/faster...if you're "flying" from one of their service cities. Of course the bus has a lavatory, that said, I'd have used the airport restroom too. This type of thing could be useful in a "we want to have you for your whole trip itinerary" theme. Love that the bus just pulls up to the gate at PHL.
I think airlines and authorities would be nervous about letting any bus count as inside security, since it's relatively easy to smuggle people or objects onto the bus when it's on the road. Hard to load drugs or weapons onto a plane in the air, much easier to pass them through the window of a bus on the road.
I think this is a great idea and they should continue doing it. It also frees up a good deal of airspace. Going short distances by bus or train is really the best way to do it.
Philly has some interesting setups like this. I was traveling from NJ to Anchorage a few years ago and my best price was out of Philly. But starting point was not the airport, it started at the train station. Train to Newark to catch plane to Alaska. Had to catch the train going as it was the first leg of the "flight", but skipped it on the way back since Newark was closer to home.
Makes a lot of sense actually. Imagine a flight's destination is Time Square / Port Authority bus terminal instead of JFK and get scammed by MTA's airtrain or pay $80 for a taxi
Bus service seems like a good way to travel fairly short distances. Back in the 1970s, airlines were flying jets everywhere, even from LAX to Burbank Airport, a distance of less than 30 miles. Clearly, it was just one segment of a longer flight on PSA, but I wish I had taken that short hop just to say I had done so. Airlines also used to have "Jumbo Jet" non-stop service from L.A. to San Diego and back. In 1979 when I worked at LAX, I flew first class from LAX to San Diego on an L-1011, and my return trip was on a DC-10. The flight was only 20 minutes or so, so first class consisted of a complimentary cocktail prior to takeoff. I don't think you can even fly to San Diego from L.A. anymore, without detouring to San Francisco or Phoenix first, and what a waste of time that would be. Thanks for another informative video, Jeb.
@@CarlBlack Thanks, Carl. In doing an online search, it looks like only Delta and United offer nonstops from LAX to SAN, and they are quite pricey (around $400 r/t) considering the short flight. Several years ago, a company was going to fly me to SAN for a media event, but they couldn't find any nonstop flights at that time, nor could I, so I ended up driving. I guess the pandemic travel bargains are just a memory now. In March of last year, I flew r/t nonstop from LAX to MIA on JetBlue for $72. I couldn't afford not to go at that price. Travel safely!
Bus looks nice. Would love to see more buses to smaller airports; like Phoenix to Prescott, Denver to Centennial, etc. I know there’s the public buses; but this just seems more convenient and nicer.
ACY is my local airport!!! I was just there on the 18th and I remember seeing one of the buses parked out front and can’t help but wonder if it was yours! I am personally stoked about this service as someone that travels often. This bus service definitely be more comfortable and less time consuming than taking two trains up to PHL so I can’t wait to try it!
I flew 9 flights by AA in my recent visit to the USA the last couple of months, but thankfully never had to roll by road instead of fly by air. But appreciate sharing this unique experience. Shalom.
I can fully get behind airlines offering routes by bus within the continent, even if the travel time ends up being directly comparable to driving there yourself in your own personal vehicle, since the bus lines follow the interstate highway system. One more thing about it that all the further guarantees my additional support is that, being down on the ground, you retain access to cell phone service, which you lose at 40,000 feet. That is the number one reason why regional carriers should invest in Cessna 172 Skyhawks: their cruising altitude maxes out at about 10,000 feet, the same altitude at which cell phone service begins to falter.
This video is fantastic. And such great on-camera chemistry between Jeb and Suzanne… more of that, please! Also, I guess replacing some plane routes with buses makes sense, where the route is in-demand but rather odd to fly on a plane. For example, when I was growing up in Houston in the 90s, Continental Airlines operated a truly silly intra-city flight between IAH (Bush) and Hobby airports, which is about a 30-mile distance. I’ve also flown a number of times between Zurich and Basel (around a 60-mile distance, I think), and I think that flight was also eventually discontinued.
I used to fly the Continental shuttle between Ellington and IAH, and it was great. Easier parking and quicker security (pre-TSA). It was much more convenient than driving across town and parking at the larger airport, and usually faster. The problem was that was usually the first route cancelled if there was a plane shortage, leaving you stranded at IAH and figuring how to get a ride back to Clear Lake. TSA and 9/11 killed the service.
There is enough room on that bus to swap out one passenger for a f/a seat and at least serve something quick like trail mix or nuts with coffee. I've seen privately owned bus lines install a self serve bar in the back.
@@largol33t1 service level in the main cabin is determined by flight mileage and a drive from PHL to ACY will be about 65 miles. However, I do agree that there could be some way to provide snacks since the actual time it takes for the drive. A plane ride that long would’ve had service done in main cabin.
This was amazing, and I would have never known about this! I would totally love to try the American Buslines at some point in my journeys! I would really love if other airlines did this between airports. Some flights I've booked require airport transfers hence: EWR to JFK or ORD to MDW. Bus services instead of taking Ubers would be so helpful!
@@rich-tp2dx I personally would enjoy that, but I chose Google flights to find them, so it required an airline transfer which was only in JFK to get the cheapest price.
@@ArdenTheSnep I think at that point I'd be eating the extra cost of the flight. thats a loooong way across the city. I don't think public transportation is even really that cheap and I'm sure the Ubers were about $150.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have reached cruising altitude of 6’ and will be traveling at 70mph. Estimated arrival is 580 years. Sit back and enjoy your flight"
I think airlines should add a bus route that goes between airports in the same city. While it might sound useless, maybe I want to fly from Washington DC (DCA) to London (LHR), connecting in new york and flying American Airlines. If the only flights from dca to new york are to LaGuardia, but my flight to London is going from JFK, then no problem! I just spend like 30 more dollars on another “flight” from LGA to JFK. (Too short for a plane to do that route). I think it could make airlines more money and make flying more accessible by connecting nearby airports if they both are hubs for an airline. (I know there are flights from DCA to JFK, I was just using that as an example)
When booking flight to Köln (Cologne) in Germany using Lufthansa, you fly into Frankfurt, pick up your luggage etc, and then it's high speed train to Köln. Lufthansa has a special train car specifically for this, but I've failed to find it and sat down in a different part of the train and nobody complained.
You are correct also Brussels you are basically put on a DB Baureihe 406 via Schnellfahrstrecke Köln Aachen The reason for this is that European Union want to get rid of short plane rides that are also connected by high speed train. Same thing also applies to Lufthansa if you try booking New York to Amsterdam via Frankfurt Flughafen. The last stops in Germany for that route on the train are Duisburg and Oberhausen Hbf then the Netherlands.
Great video Jeb. These bus services could provide a useful service for potential passengers who live within a reasonable distance of a hub airport who wish to connect from that hub airport, where a bus connection is easier and more covenient that a flight connection would be
@@Deltaexe190 Nobody likes taking planes for such short flights either, they take longer if you include security and waiting, it’s significantly more expensive, and just plain bad for the environment. Seems like super short plane routes will fizzle out.
@@Deltaexe190 Nah, this is actually a really good idea, for people within about 90 mins drive it works. Means you don't have to get a regular bus/train or drive and have to pay to park at the airport
One unheralded benefit is that parking at the smaller airports is often free or much cheaper than PHL. The tickets are supposedly cost-neutral, which makes this a good way to save money if you have a longer trip.
I once got bumped off an MKE-ORD flight, and in addition to being comped for the bump, they booked me on a bus that went between the two airports. It seems like an ideal city pair for United and American alike to run regular buses between, or to have a railroad build branches off the existing Hiawatha Service that Amtrak runs now. Meanwhile in Europe, there’s a whole train station at Schipol on the NL mainline, and a similar station at Paris-CDG for TGV high-speed trains. I think the big airports in the US need a similar setup, to reduce the number of seemingly unnecessary flights between big cities and smaller neighbours.
You had perfect timing on this. I drive that area all the time and saw a AA bus drive by. I wondered what was happening there. Pretty cool stuff! I’m a Philly local!
In Brazil this is very common but is more like a service than an actual schedule route, azul for example offer bus rides from their hub in Campinas to many neighboring cities and to the capital São Paulo. Latam and Gol on the other hand only offer shuttle busses from their airports in São Paulo (between Congonhas and Guarulhos). And is not rare for canceled flights in Brazil to have a bus alternative.
I have heard of Gol bus lines. Do they connect Rio to Sao Paulo? That would be handy if an airline has planes at one airport but has mechanical problems at the other. They can put everyone on a bus and drive them to the other airport and get on a plane that works.
@@largol33t1 No, both Latam and Gol use busses mainly to connect one airport to another in the same city so (GRU-CGH) in São Paulo and (GIG-SDU) in Rio. Replacement busses for canceled flights only happen when there are no more options Sao Paulo and Rio have so many flights it would be difficult to happen but if it is late at night and the airport is closed it would be a possibility. I used to live on Foz Do Iguaçu and I had my share of canceled flights to Curitiba being changed to a Bus. But it is only a last resort option. Foz had very few flights daily so if it got canceled they would offer an overnight bus trip as an option for those who could not wait a day or two to reschedule their flight.
lol just yesterday I was looking at flight options to Dubai from YYZ. One of them is with Etihad, to Abu Dhabi and then bus service to Dubai (2 hrs). I had no idea that was a thing but it makes so much sense, then I came across this video.
Great video Jeb. I think it totally makes sense, especially replacing very short haul flights, if only from an environmental impact perspective. Really American are just a travel company you pay to get you from one place to another in the most suitable way.
I've been told that Luton Airport in the UK sometimes does this. However, the buses are subcontracted, thus the airline doesn't own the vehicles. EasyJet has done this a few times when they ran into issues with their planes and the mechanics didn't find it cost effective to make the passengers sit and wait all night for a 35-minute flight out of Luton. I saw the BBC version of the show Airline and they actually chartered 2 buses to drive passengers to London when the plane broke down. The passengers were happy to at least get to their destination rather than be stuck at the airport all night.
The same company (Landline) operates busses for United out of DEN and when a flight I was on diverted to Cheyenne due to weather they sent 2 busses to pick us all up. It's not nearly as bad as I expected it to be (think Greyhound🤮) and aside from getting us to the airport late I kinda liked it. There are definitely worse ways to get around.
If Delta had one from DTW to Ann Arbor when I was in college I would have used it 100%, but I also think that we should just work on building up the train infrastructure for this sort of route.
American Airlines could definitely use the bus service to take passengers to and from destinations. Imagine for something like the Orlando theme park resorts having busses pick you up at/take you to your hotel upon landing and saving on the rental car. I know Disney used to do this themself but the service discontinued so American could offer a compelling add-on to their customers bound for Orlando!
United has bus service between Newark and Allentown, it's a crazy ride as they use those hotel shuttle type buses. It works and you get on curbside so you can literally board 15 min before departure. American just started the bus service to PHL from Allentown, looking forward to trying it, looks like a nice ride. These local connections are great. I hope American adda Reading, PA to their local flights.
Hi Jeb! Another great video! By chance I was driving to ATL this weekend (Crown Room staff reunion) and passing Columbus GA airport (97 miles from ATL). I had the exact same thoughts. A bus could easily be effectively a much more comfortable CRJ which Delta uses on routes such as Columbus ATL, Macon ATL, etc. It could be configured for similar passenger capacity in a much nicer arrangement. Fewer hassles with weather and a better ride. I understand the logistics of ramp access but I think it could work on short routes (TOL DTW, FLT DTW, LAN DTW come to mind. I would NOT complain to have a bus instead of Satan's chariot! From a Skymiles perspective it would be treated as a segment on a CRJ! Best regards Jonathan
Look at what Groome Transportation already does in the ATL. But, their van bases compared to this is like comparing first class to basic economy. Those Groome van seats seem smaller than economy class airline seats
I think Lufthansa does the bus service between Munich and Nuremberg as they wanna cut cost. With Lufthansa you can also book a rail ticket too for Berlin to Frankfurt. Personally that addition gives more flexibility for the airline and also for passengers too Now what would be even better if you could book Atlantic city Center so you don’t even have to bother to exit at the airport (I don’t k ow how far these two are) but would be a great additional point :-) Thanks for the video Jeb - so enjoyed this video!
The LH bus is what came to my mind as well, but the AA bus service seems to be far more convenient since it departs from within the terminal (as opposed to outside) and your luggage is checked through. For the Lufthansa bus, the only benefit is that they'll rebook you onto the next flight if the bus is delayed - all of the other stuff like checking in luggage, going through security etc. has to be done as if you were departing from Munich.
In the uk it is rare fly somewhere you could drive in an hour but we have trains that serve most of the country and when the trains are not working then a bus replacement service is provided which is exactly like this coach.
I would love this service in the closest airport to my city, it is actually like 20 km away from the city, for weather reasons, so having the bus included with the plane would be a great benefit.
Very entertaining video Jeb !!! Atlantic City is my hometown and I've lived and worked in the area my whole life. Back in the day there were actually regular flights from Bader Field in A.C. (the first municipal airport in the U.S., BTW) to PHL. It was called the Allegheny Commuter and used de Havilland Twin Otter planes. Allegheny eventually became USAir.
Hey Jeb! I LOVE your videos. I think that Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport could TOTALLY serve busses because it is a smaller city airport with lots of regional traffic, and I think that busses could be the PERFECT addition!!!
Yeah, Van Galder/CoachUSA already runs a fairly frequent service between Madison/Milwaukee and O’Hare & Downtown Chicago. Not sure how they’d feel about American operating some lines there. 😉
@@pokepress You're right! And they also have the Badger Bus, which is for students of UW Madison to commute home or their days off of school. This route runs Madison-Milwaukee!!!
American used to run a bus from Lancaster PA to Philly. Check your bags in Lancaster. They were working on security. We LOVED it, and used it every time we flew, but they discontinued it.
A service like this would make a lot of sense to replace the discontinued CLL-IAH service on United. I have in the past taken a credit to be bumped on an overbooked flight on that route and they just put me in a taxi.
Something like this seems like it might work well in places where a single airport serves a large area, like Seattle. For example I could see SEA -> PAE (Everett) or BLI (Bellingham) being a good candidate for something like this if Alaska ever started doing this. Was looking at flights from SLC to PAE recently and saw one that was something ridiculous like SLC to SEA, then SEA to SFO after a 2.5 hour layover, then an overnight layover at SFO before finally flying to PAE in the morning for something like an extra 15 hours.. Even in traffic I don't think it would take 2.5 hours to drive that.
I booked a "flight" from Philadelphia to Allentown. My mom told me to make sure it wasn't a bud as a few airlines are doing this now. This happened to her with United. I checked, and it was a bus. The agent on the phone was shocked, too, and knew nothing about the service. I was going to do it but I didn't want to wait two and a half hours for a bus. To me, buses should run differently than flights, but I get it'd in lieu of a flight, so it like a flight time. I might try this next time. Thanks for the video.
The Allentown bus route is very convenient. Took it from Newark using United. Hope more option like these open up they are great for connecting smaller cities to the big international airports.
I’m just shocked at the use of reverse thrust at the gate.
Yes!! 🤣🤣🤣
I saw a C-17 do that at an airshow
I think it's called reverse gear.
@@russs7574 No, reverse thrust.
This is EXACTLY why I came down here. Jokes... 😛
I was flying out of DFW a few years ago in August and the gate led us to a bus. That airport is so big they had to bus us to an outlying area where the planes were. That driver was a hoot! "Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to whatever airlines flight xxx to Seattle. Our cruising altitude today will be approximately two feet. The weather at our destination is cloudy and 65 degrees." We had just spent a week in Dallas. Everyone on board started cheering. "Now just sit back and relax. Our arrival time will be about 15 minutes. Thanks for riding with us."
That was funny 😁
While watching this video I was just thinking that they should have an attendant or the driver make the pre-"flight" announcement.
I've had to take several busses in dfw out to regional jets going back home to Louisiana
United does this in EWR too
In lax, you need to take a bus from terminal 5 to a remote terminal if you fly American eagle.
Honestly, if American's biggest hub (DFW) were to start this bus service for some of the smaller cities (but still highly populated) around the DFW area within a 2-3 hour driving distance, I would strongly consider riding. Cities like Frisco, McKinney, Tyler, Abeline, Waco, downtown Dallas, downtown Fort Worth, etc.
These cities don't have giant airports for American flights, but they are still populated enough that someone could fly into DFW and take one of these busses right out of Terminal A to those cities.
Indeed. I see this as a creative way to add other options into flight routes to connect into smaller areas. I would absolutely welcome this esp. since these busses look very clean and well run.
This is what I was thinking
what about trains tho.
@@jzderf Trains
@@BREEZY.67 Trains tbh
They took "airbus" too serious 💀💀💀
*too literally
Fr tho lol 😂
they sure did 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀
At least European airbus flies 🙄 This one needs wings 😱
Bus💀💀💀💀💀💀💀
They should consider doing this for people traveling to Disney world. The drive from MCO could be an airline bus. I think they’d make out really good especially when people don’t have to worry about luggage.
Have you seen the nice buses like they have in Japan? I think there’s a market! But I also think bright line is trying to fill that market. We’ll see who gets there first
@@nicksurfs1 The bus could be the cheap option, you choice is train for speed, bus for price
@@Bobspineable Flying into Orlando for a vacation at Disney World and worrying about the cost of a train ride from the airport to the resort? Are you sure that's fitting?
@@Bobspineable bright line is like $7. I don’t know how much a bus could undercut that. I know megabus is known for being super cheep but I can’t remember how much it costs.
This comment make me so sad bc I just flew out of MCO and I miss it sm but it would def make life easier for people visiting disney
I’ve taken Landline through another airport and I’ve always been impressed by them. Great and professional service all around, complete with a “flight attendant!”
More like bus attendant 😅
@@CommandoBoy99 lol it be called the same name I'm sure lol
@@CommandoBoy99 yea
Not sure why he had no snack or drink. Lux busses in Thailand hand snack and drink out when you board. They can clean up and do it again at endpoint for next guests. Clean, spacious, professionally operated bus service is a nice way to travel on shorter trips.
@@jbranche8024 The bus should have had free sodas and bottled water in a refrigerator or something similar.
*"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have reached cruising altitude of 6’ and will be traveling at 70mph. Estimated arrival is 58 minutes. Sit back and enjoy your flight"*
I mean, when it comes to planes, Atlantic City is served by only one airline...Spirit. So compared to Spirit, I'd much rather be on that bus. If you choose to go by train to Atlantic City from PHL, it takes over 2 hours. You also have to change from SEPTA's Airport Line to NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line at 30th Street. This is vastly better
But you know that a less than 3 hour train will probably be about the same speed as getting to the airport, getting through security, boarding your first plane, getting off, getting on the bus.
@@gavintantleff ? Did you watch? He was coming from North Carolina to AC via Philly. A trip from NC to Philly on a plane (and then bus from Philly to AC) very much wouldn't be the same as taking a train which would be far longer. Not to mention at these smaller airports like Greensboro, Atlantic City, Lancaster, and Allentown, security is a breeze. I've taken flights from Long Island MacArthur where that is the case.
Greensboro to Atlantic City by train - 13 hours
Greensboro to Atlantic City by plane/bus - nearly 4 hours
North Carolina and Virginia don't have high-speed rail. By the way, trains can't get you across the Atlantic like planes can. American letting passengers do security in AC and then take a bus from AC to Philly to connect them to a hub with many destinations (without having to go through security again) is a smart move
@@AverytheCubanAmerican Greensboro to Atlantic City by plane would be an hour if such a flight existed. By bus, four hours is right.
@@SYDAirlineEnthusiast I said plane/bus as in a combo of the two. Since as the video shows, the "flight" from Philly to Atlantic City is a bus. So it's the flight from Greensboro to Philly on a plane, and then the bus from there to AC.
@@AverytheCubanAmerican ah, alright
KLM also operates buses from Amsterdam to other Dutch cities, and it also appears to the end user like it's a connecting flight. They even take you to Eindhoven, which has it's own regional airport. But because KLM doesn't really fly to Eindhoven, it can be handy if you want to fly KLM to use miles or whatever reason.
Those aren’t leaving from behind the security. It is more like a way to travel to the airport if you booked a flight. You also don’t see them on the airport app as a flight.
And Air France allows you to check in at the Brussels South train station where you take the TGV to Paris in first class. And you'll say byebye to your luggage in Brussels and pick it up at your destination. KLM also offers the train service from Brussels and Antwerp, but you have to keep your bags with you till Schiphol and check them in there. And if you departed from Antwerp, you'll also have to check-in yourself at Schiphol as Antwerp railway station does not have a KLM check-in counter.
This is ABSOLUTELY pointless, there is a train every 30 minutes from Schiphol to Eindhoven Centraal.
You can call them and add the bus service after, but you're expected to book your journey selecting the destination city that the bus will take you to, and you'll get a second boarding pass for the bus just like the one for the plane. At least that was my experience last year. I used the website though, not the app, and checked-in at the desks. But yeah, it's clearly stated that it's bus service
@@life.with.sabine If they offer a bus from Eindhoven in one direction, they offer it in the other direction. The bus trip IN EITHER DIRECTION is completely seamless when booking a flight.
It's a great idea in my opinion, because a lot of people only want or need to go a short distance to a nearby town or city after they land in the area at a big city airport. Depending on the distance, it might be too expensive and too far to reasonably take a taxi cab.
Well yeah but its clear that they dont make it obvious you’re paying for a bus ticket.. and imagine someone wanted to fly to a nearby city to land quicker but could of just drove there instead of this bus 😂😂
@@uabforfindingthisbutalr6464 That last sentence you wrote makes no sense. Regardless of transport mode, the ticket booking shows the total time enroute. This is all they need to consider.
My daughter has booked a "flight" from Indianapolis to Allentown with the layover in Philly in December. The "flight" was cheaper than if she booked the flight ending in Philly (so strange). She chuckled at the "Bus" description on her itinerary. She was not sure how this worked, so this video was VERY informative and timely! Thanks!
BTW....Jeb pronounced Lancaster correctly! (Lan-KISS-ter). 😄
I ran into a similar situtuation with Allentown many years ago on Continental, via Newark, NJ. The connection was via bus. I decided to change my airline to avoid the bus service.
@@MaxGrey03 Just curious, why did you want to avoid the bus service?
@@Newbyte It has been awhile, but I think it had more to do with the time difference of taking the connecting bus service (1.5 hours or so) or just flying direct. I was only flying from Manchester, NH so the flight to Newark was 45 minutes and then add twice that for bus service, or just fly direct in an hour or so.
@@MaxGrey03 I think I had that connection. I booked a flight from ABE to somewhere with a connection in Newark. The flight from Newark direct would have been 4-500 more and parking at ABE was certainly cheaper than Newark. And the trip from ABE to Newark was a bus.
One of the best parts of this is picking up the bus from the ramp. Being able to avoid all the nonsense of getting through the airport at a big hub like PHL is really nice
I was surprised to see this *bus* being boaded along-side the airplanes, and not out at the road-curb of Terminal F.
ive flown many times out of philly it isn't that bad
Looks like they are parked in a corner where they can't fit planes anyway.
This 2:1 seating is quite a game changer for buses. We've had it n Ghana some years now and it's absolutely lovely
Ooh, I’d probably actually take buses if they were laid out like this in the UK
We have this in Korea too and I love it :)
We have something very similar in Germany, where a lot of regional flights to the big airports like Munich and Frankfurt are actually high speed train rides. It’s called the Lufthansa Express Rail and is operated by German National Rail Deutsche Bahn. Looking forward to you reviewing that some time. :)
But its still Deutsche Bahn operating the trains. Its not like Lufthansa runs high speed trains. Its just a cooperation between DB and LH.
@@LS-Moto But you get announcements if you are able to catch the flight if the train is late, and iirc there is Lufthansa staff on the train which can help you out when missing the flight or there are other questions.
You can also get a Lufthansa Bus from Frankfurt Airport to Strasbourg in France and when I was a kid they had Buses to Heidelberg too!
Yep. And that bus from Straßburg is really only useful because it makes the actual flight (from Frankfurt) cheaper. Why ? Because "from Strasbourg" means this Lufthansa coach is in direct competition to whatever Air France has on offer from Straßburg, which is usually really expensive because Strasbourg is full of Eurocrats and lobbyists (with expense accounts)
The only downside is, you actually have to be on that bus. Which is inconvenient if you don't actually live there. But at least only for one leg, on the return trip you can simply get the train from Frankfurt airport station to your home, which is far more convenient (and faster).
Deutsche Bahn is a member of Star Alliance since August 😅
I love how enthralled you guys were at a bus. Amazing.
What can I say? We’re simple people!!
About 10 years ago, I had a bus “flight” connection from Newark with United Airlines. There was no overhead storage for carry-ons. And there was no restroom! Actually the bus looked more like the type that transfers passengers to smaller planes located far away on the tarmac. It was very surprising when the bus exited the gate and went on the highway. Glad it was only an hour drive.
Imagine wanting to fly and accidentally booking a bus
PAX (airline lingo for passengers) were always surprised at our regional airport when "flying" to Philadelphia. They would fly into Newark (EWR) and then take Amtrak to Philly's 39th St station IATA code ZFV. It is on the ticket.
"Dammit, I thought the ticket meant (Air)bus, you know, the plane maker!" 😂
I think this should be illegal if they don’t make it clear it’s a bus. People don’t book flights and go through tedious security to get stuck in traffic in slow buses. If they did they should’ve talked to Greyhound not American Airlines
That would be pain.
This is awesome. Also, Jeb, 0:02 was this necessary, and the answer is yes, yes it was
Coaches are criminally underrated. Basically unlimited baggage, better recline, and also significantly cheaper. In the Middle East it beats flying in every sector.
never taken a bus because theyre always filled with the sketchiest and dirtiest of people
@@rich-tp2dx you should try living nicer places
Every sector? I don't know about that but for routes like in this video yeah
@@LTLWrestling I live in a nice part of NJ its just that busses only visit dirty places. busses dont run to nice parts of the state.
In Mexico City, Rapid Transit is considered a bit upscale compared to the Metro (subway), though the BRT isn't immune to getting caught in traffic.
I used to do a lot of cross-country trips on Greyhound. Not great or fast, but cheap; my first trip was $400 to go whereever I wanted, for a month; I visited 8 different places. Great deal compared to a single round trip plane ticket that might have cost the same.
Of course, even better would be a good train.
I like it! The thing that impressed me the most about this bus is that the interior is arranged like a CRJ cabin rather than like a Greyhound bus. It makes me wonder if Greyhound would be more popular if it had the same seating. And yes, the airline bus does make perfect sense. I would love to have a bus connection from PDX to Salem, OR. That way, I could sit in an airport bar or coffee shop while waiting on my connecting bus rather than sitting on the curb while waiting on ground transportation bus. But I think the most sensible part of this bus service is fuel efficiency. The fuel a CRJ burns on a 50 miles flight far exceeds what a bus burns. I think it also has a lot to do with the fact that all major air carriers no longer use prop planes, making regional flights less efficient. After watching this video, I think this regional bus service is going to be a huge hit. I believe it will add new destinations and will also add the frequency of the trips. So yes, I see this as a winner.
> _It makes me wonder if Greyhound would be more popular if it had the same seating._
From my experience of GLI: That might get a *big* thumbs-up from passengers, but it would functionally cripple GLIs capacity on many routes, and remember that (Unlike airlines) GLI aren't forced to have max one bum per seat. ✈🍑🚌
Some GLI routes can get _horrendously_ crowded (Las Vegas NV to Los Angeles CA being the classic example) and as someone who's been extremely thankful for his sturdy legs holding up for the 7h30 trip with 67 bums packed onto a 55-seat bus, removing thirteen seats from each bus is not going to do anything to help GLIs business model.
Finally: Like myself, the company which owns GLI - First Group - Comes from the UK, and I can tell you that *really* stingy buggers like us are only going to _add_ seats, never _remove_ them... 💺💰😉
I'd really like to hear the conversation with ATC on departure.
"Bus getting ready for departure turn on to Interstate 1 for (ahem, "takeoff") enjoy your roadtrip and your operating altitude will be 3 feet" 😂👏
Taxi… uh I mean… no, you’re in a bus… GOD DAMMIT! I QUIT!
I wanna know what jfk Steve would say
If I was the ATC, I'd have fun with the driver. "American Prevost, hold short of the gate. Okay, bank left on Airport Road. Hold short of the I-95. You are clear for the highway!" 😁
Wow great production value and very entertaining! You learn something new every day
That must be a really cool POV riding around the airport on a bus like that.
It's an airbus without wings :D
In Europe, Lufthansa operates some 'flights' with high speed trains (via a Codeshare with DB. The Railroad even has its own IATA code).
In my country, Florida will attempt the same thing with a high speed train called Brightline. It should be running very soon.
Perfectly fitting for Atlantic City to get this instead of a proper American Eagle plane. With the past casino closures resulting from neighboring PA legalizing gambling, Revel's opening being a disaster, the fact the Atlantic City Line was the only line NJ Transit completely shut down to add positive train control for a year (not to mention Atlantic City no longer having direct train service to NYC because of Amtrak's withdrawal in 1995 and the short-lived ACES from 2009 to 2011), and now the pandemic...that city just can't catch a break
My glorious leader may I have some rice?
Hello glorious leader! It is an honor to have you join us
Mr Glorious Leader, how do you know so much about transportation routes and stuff in the United States?
Supreme leader has a deep knowledge with American infrastructure, interesting
NJ moment.
My first trip to Germany was in 1988 when I flew from Chicago O'Hare to Cologne on Lufthansa. Our flight was to Frankfort but then we changed to a Lufthansa train. My luggage was checked thru to Cologne and it was just like a flight, with a meal and cabin attendants, just like on a plane. They even had a guide book, in four languages, explaining what it was you were seeing along the way. A few years later, I made the same trip, but by then they had shut the train down and you got a regional jet instead. I kind of liked the train.
0:03 I'm sure Airbus is fuming at that joke.
I love this video, I live just 20 mins from ACY and it’s amazing to see my local airport add more options to travel since we only have around 7 flights a day out of the airport and there all on spirit. It’s a really nice airport but very underrated. I’m glad to see American Airlines give it more recognition and for giving us people that live in south east Jersey a better way of traveling.
This might be the funniest Jeb video I've ever watched, love it!
As someone who frequently flies to small airports with limited frequencies I'm happy to see this, we're really been short changed with the resumption of flights post-covid and this seems like a solid option. I just wish they would have a way to clear security in the small airport.
Agreed. I was disappointed when I learned that you had to clear security at the big airport
From a security POV I can understand why, considering that the "flight" would have to remain sterile/secure throughout the entire journey... when a plane is in the air it's no big deal, but if the bus is traveling on public roads then it could be an issue... even if you put seals on every single access point, the driver opening their window for any reason (such as paying a toll) would render the entire flight unsecured.
If I book a flight I am paying for a airplane, NOT BUS. If they will have this they have to be clear when you book is a bus so you can skip it.
There is just no way to clear security at the smaller airport, then take a bus to a bigger airport. The logistics of maintaining security would just be too complex.
@@JoeDFWAviation waait so they have to go through security after arrival in philadelphia? how is this possible? after arriving at the airport you dont have security
I had a flight booked on AA from Phoenix to John Wayne at 6:00 pm on the Friday before Christmas, (12/23), John Wayne doesn't allow flight operations after 10:00 pm and the flight was delayed and therefore diverted to LAX. We were then put on a bus back to OC arriving at around dawn on Christmas Eve.
I flew by Lufthansa from Uruguay to Strasbourg once. But after landing in Francfort, we took a Lufthansa bus and it took us to Strasbourg. The funny thing is that in the return trip, we should have done the check in, using the fly number and code. All the same things you do when you get an international flight
COS to DEN would be amazing for this. Parking or ubering locally and clearing security at COS and then being taken into the secure area in DEN for your transfer flight.
Yes!
You *can* Bustang between the city centers, but the dropping of the southern Denver stops, including a couple where the AT/AF buses would pick up, saving some time compared to going west into downtown (for the airport on the eastern plains), makes Bustang less than optimal.
As a Philadelphia area native I would highly encourage you to check out Lancaster it’s beautiful in the culture of the Amish is something to be seen food is awesome to😊
And Franklin and Marshall college has a gorgeous campus
And there is a bus that goes to the Lancaster airport, just like thisnone to AC.
I hope this gets brought back to Carlsbad, CA (CLD). It used to have multiple flights to LAX on propeller planes until SkyWest retired them in 2015, and the runway is too short for jets. It was very convenient for those living in the cities north of San Diego as they didn't have to make the one-hour drive to downtown San Diego (SAN) to catch flights, and had more connecting options.
(I used to live in San Marcos, just east of Carlsbad, and we found the airport very convenient)
Glad to see Suzanne back on the videos! Always super videos - Thanks!!!!
Your content: Simple yet Fascinating.
I recently flew American, & the connecting flight was an American Eagle, operated by Southern Airways Express, who operate out of the Corporate Aviation Terminal at DFW, which is accessed via shuttle bus, as it's nowhere near the "commercial" terminals. I was told by Southern Airways Express that American would summons the shuttle bus once my first flight landed at DFW & I informed the gate agent that I needed it.
The gate agent told me she didn't know what I was talking about, that she'd never HEARD OF Southern Airways Express, then waved me away dismissively. American entered into its contract with Southern Airways Express to operate service as American Eagle FIVE YEARS AGO!
So I whipped out my cell phone & called Southern Airways Express & explained the situation. I was already late for boarding, & it was their LAST flight to my destination that day. Did I mention I was rushing to see my mother in the hospital before she died? (I did to the American Airlines gate agent who said she'd "never heard of" Southern Airways Express, right before she gave me that dismissive wave). Not only did Southern Airways Express send the shuttle bus for me immediately, but they also held up the flight for over 30 minutes for me & one other passenger who had been on the first flight with me! Now THAT'S service!
Unfortunately, American would not let me take their wheelchair with me (they couldn't find my personal wheelchair, which they INSISTED on checking at the gate at LAX) so I had to CRAWL onto the shuttle bus & ride to the Corporate Aviation Terminal on the floorboard! The shuttle bus driver offered to help me, but I said no coz I didn't want to leave him open to litigation should anything go wrong.
My wheelchair arrived at my destination a day & a half later!
When I called to change the date on my returning flight because my mother died, I was told that American does not offer a bereavement fare, & my "one free change" that I paid over $100 for (a "Main Cabin" reservation, rather than "Basic Economy" entitles you to (1) choose your seat, which I did not, as the agent at check-in in Los Angeles made me miss my first flight trying to charge me $100 for my checked bag being 9lbs over, when simply shifting 9lbs to my carry-on & checking it only cost me $40, which I figured out on my own, just not quickly enough to make my flight, so I had to take whatever seat they gave me on the next one, a center seat, btw, (2) to board the plane BEFORE "Basic Economy," which I do anyway coz I'm in a wheelchair, & (3) one free change to my itinerary) would cost me $167!!! Difference in fare, they said, for changing from a flight with 42 empty seats to one with 54 empty seats, same exact flight, one week later. So I pushed my return flight back by two weeks instead & only had to pay $76 for my one "free" change that I'd already paid over $100 for the privilege of making.
Southern Airways Express: A+
American Airlines: F-
Tried to charge me $100 for something that ultimately cost $40, made me miss my first flight, refused to get me to my connecting flight because they had "never heard of" their interflight partner of 5 years, lost my personal wheelchair, wouldn't let me take theirs on the shuttle bus, which I had to crawl into & ride on the floor, didn't get my personal wheelchair to me for a day & a half, & charged me $76 for my "one free change" I already paid $100+ for!
I've complained, but as yet have not received even so much as an insincere apology.
I genuinely can't think of ONE POSITIVE THING I can say about American Airlines' role in my trip. Not one.
WORST AIRLINE EXPERIENCE EVER. (And I've logged in an above average number of miles aboard aircraft in my lifetime, with 8 trips to Asia & 4 to Europe, 1 to Central America & COUNTLESS domestic flights within the US, plus living with an avionics installer with a pilots license for 5+ years)
Southern Airways Express is awesome, though. Next time I'll fly with them the WHOLE way, from Los Angeles!
And American can look forward to a call from the Dept of Justice about some Americans with Disabilities Act violations.
They seem to have phased out the slogan "We Know Why You Fly" (coz wtf does that mean anyway?!? I fly coz I'm in a hurry!) to which I say, "You have a funny way of showing it!"
Here are my Top Ten suggestions for a replacement slogan:
#10...Meal Vouchers Issued AFTER You Leave the Terminal, Maybe (inspired by another recent trip on American which included an overnight delay)
#9...Dogs Under 10 Inches (ONLY) Welcome for $125 More
#8...Our Wheelchairs Stay with Us (Even When We Lose Yours)
#7...We Don't Know Our Interflight Partners
#6...Now With Buses!
#5...We'll Overcharge You If You Let Us
#4...Trying Our Best to Make Your Trip the Worst
#3...Not Responsible for Cancelled Flights
#2...Define "FREE"
And my #1 suggestion for a replacement slogan for American Airlines:
You're on Your Own
Might I also suggest using Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" in a future ad campaign? ✌🏼
The MN low cost carrier Sun Country does this from MSP to larger cities like Rochester, and Duluth using Landline. Not only does it help for pilot shortages and navigating traffic, but also with connecting local regionals with MSP.
Wish they had a shuttle between MSP and Menomonie, WI.
I believe Sun Country was actually the first airline to parter with Landline.
I saw this option the last time I flew to Duluth to visit family. I still opted to fly on Delta, because I wanted to go through security in Duluth instead of MSP, and wasn't sure how that worked with the bus.
They need to do this in Texas. It can connect DFW airport to McKinney and Frisco. Both are almost an hour away and have populations of over 210,000 each. True that Arlington is larger but it's half an hour away, nothing Lyft or local taxis can't manage.
Delta needs to consider having a service like this between their hub in Detroit and Toledo now that AA pulled out there. Also, service between Atlanta and Rome, Chattanooga, Macon, and Athens would be great too
I agree but Deltas hub is not in Detroit it's in Atlanta there is to much competition for delta to do it in Chattanooga since Greyhound has a major station in Chattanooga also Chattanoogas airport is to small
@@ryanlowery2888 You do know that Delta has multiple hubs, right? They have hubs in Atlanta, Detroit, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, and JFK airport in NYC.
Oh, I would jump on the service from Macon to Atlanta in a heartbeat. I so miss the ASA service from Macon to Atlanta. What would be even better is to allow us to clear security at the airport in Macon and bypass the nightmare in Atlanta. That would be really sweet
The only problem with Toledo Express is that it is way out in the middle of nowhere. It would be better if the bus “flight” ended somewhere more central in that case.
@@stevehockey4 Would Franklin Park Mall or Levis Commons be more ideal?
imagine the bus just started going to the runway and takes off
Then you hear the driver on the intercom say "lol wrong cheat code".
Once I returned from Rennes (France) to Prague (Czechia) and the first leg (to Paris) was actually done by TGV train. It was awesome :) I had a ticket from AirFrance to board the train which had it's SNCF train number as well as GDS flight number.
All I can say is what a genius idea.
Landline is a great addition for those who have to travel out of Philadelphia on a regular basis, especially for parking facilities.
Love seeing Suzanne get more into this! You guys are such a great couple ❤
Imagine being promised that you’re gonna be on a “brand new American Airbus” only to see this at the gate waiting for ya 😂😂😂😂 great video Jeb!
Gives a hilarious new meaning to the name "Airbus"!
The only issue that kinda annoys me is American DOES own Airbus planes, my last flight was on an AA A321. I wonder if a few passengers reading the ticket would mistakenly think the printer wasn't working and panicked, thinking the letters "Air" didn't print on it! LMAO....
This service reminds me of Europe's "Flixbus" - main difference is that "Flixbus" is a german private company with several different bus companies all over Europe working for them (franchise) - they don't really own the busses.
The obvious advantages of this service is continuity/convenience and time savings. However, in terms of cost it has competition from New Jersey Transit for the same route. Philadelphia International is also connected to Atlantic City via New Jersey Transit. The traveler has the option of taking the SEPTA airport line to 30th Street Station and transferring to NJ Transit for the remainder of the journey. This doesn't offer a much convenience but it might be more affordable
I agree with the comments about clearing security at the start of the bus ride. I think that would make this service very popular. Great video, thanks for doing this!
Even Amtrak has "Thruway" bus service from various cities to connect with their rail service. Especially on the west coast.
I am curious if they added it in Burlington to "connect" the Ethan Allen and the Vermonter.
@@maxpowr90 that would be good, actually. I would prefer they'd get the Ethan Allen Express to Essex Jctn, but a bus would be a good second.
in phoenix you get a Greyhound bus w/o an assigned seat to get to the amtrack station in Maricopa, az... there is no phoenix Amtrak station anymore
Between Seattle and Vancouver BC, Amtrak supplements their trains with buses. You book through Amtrak but ride a really nice coach bus (from a company called Cantrail) between the two train stations and it takes about the same amount of time.
To get to LA from Bakersfield Amtrak runs a bus. Usually when you book Amtrak you have to a train portion of your trip but you can book Amtrak from the Burbank Airport Amtrak to Bakersfield Amtrak on a bus for only $15. That is less than to cost of gas not to mention parking.
This happened to me flying back to Kansas City from Allentown PA, back around 2003. They stuck us on a Continental Airlines bus to Newark and I'd catch my connecting flight onward.
Once I flew with Airfrance from ICN -> CDG -> BRU. The flight from ICN to CDG was normal but the “flight” from CDG to BRU was on a train. The train had the Airfrance livery which was odd considering most of the trains on the platforms were operated by the RER
I get that Americans get surprised by seen a bus service since most travel by air but in countries like Mexico, Brazil and most South America bus services are by common and they have 4 tiers of busses.
Basic: you get what you paid for pretty much
Plus: you get reclining seats, TV, toilet
Executive: leather reclining seats,snacks, wifi, toilet, personal TV
Platinum: everything above but wider selection and in a 1 - 1 row. This is more for business travelers.
A bus that is "inside" security. Could be cool/faster...if you're "flying" from one of their service cities.
Of course the bus has a lavatory, that said, I'd have used the airport restroom too.
This type of thing could be useful in a "we want to have you for your whole trip itinerary" theme.
Love that the bus just pulls up to the gate at PHL.
I think airlines and authorities would be nervous about letting any bus count as inside security, since it's relatively easy to smuggle people or objects onto the bus when it's on the road. Hard to load drugs or weapons onto a plane in the air, much easier to pass them through the window of a bus on the road.
@@barneylaurance1865 Interesting point there Barney. I agree. Lots more "uncontrollable" areas.
I think this is a great idea and they should continue doing it. It also frees up a good deal of airspace. Going short distances by bus or train is really the best way to do it.
Philly has some interesting setups like this. I was traveling from NJ to Anchorage a few years ago and my best price was out of Philly. But starting point was not the airport, it started at the train station. Train to Newark to catch plane to Alaska. Had to catch the train going as it was the first leg of the "flight", but skipped it on the way back since Newark was closer to home.
I saw this bus on the road recently and was confused why it had a American Airlines logo. This video answered my questions 👍
Maybe next time you take this trip you can check out the NJT Atlantic City line!
Makes a lot of sense actually. Imagine a flight's destination is Time Square / Port Authority bus terminal instead of JFK and get scammed by MTA's airtrain or pay $80 for a taxi
or better, have your plane ticket double as an airtrain ticket to NYC.
Bus service seems like a good way to travel fairly short distances. Back in the 1970s, airlines were flying jets everywhere, even from LAX to Burbank Airport, a distance of less than 30 miles. Clearly, it was just one segment of a longer flight on PSA, but I wish I had taken that short hop just to say I had done so. Airlines also used to have "Jumbo Jet" non-stop service from L.A. to San Diego and back. In 1979 when I worked at LAX, I flew first class from LAX to San Diego on an L-1011, and my return trip was on a DC-10. The flight was only 20 minutes or so, so first class consisted of a complimentary cocktail prior to takeoff. I don't think you can even fly to San Diego from L.A. anymore, without detouring to San Francisco or Phoenix first, and what a waste of time that would be. Thanks for another informative video, Jeb.
Yes, you can fly LAXSAN. There simply aren’t as many flights or carriers providing serving on the route as before Covid.
@@CarlBlack Thanks, Carl. In doing an online search, it looks like only Delta and United offer nonstops from LAX to SAN, and they are quite pricey (around $400 r/t) considering the short flight. Several years ago, a company was going to fly me to SAN for a media event, but they couldn't find any nonstop flights at that time, nor could I, so I ended up driving. I guess the pandemic travel bargains are just a memory now. In March of last year, I flew r/t nonstop from LAX to MIA on JetBlue for $72. I couldn't afford not to go at that price. Travel safely!
bro took “Airbus” to a whole new level
Bus looks nice.
Would love to see more buses to smaller airports; like Phoenix to Prescott, Denver to Centennial, etc. I know there’s the public buses; but this just seems more convenient and nicer.
That’s honestly the nicest big bus like that I’ve ever seen. Those seats looks great.
ACY is my local airport!!! I was just there on the 18th and I remember seeing one of the buses parked out front and can’t help but wonder if it was yours! I am personally stoked about this service as someone that travels often. This bus service definitely be more comfortable and less time consuming than taking two trains up to PHL so I can’t wait to try it!
I flew 9 flights by AA in my recent visit to the USA the last couple of months, but thankfully never had to roll by road instead of fly by air. But appreciate sharing this unique experience. Shalom.
I was dying at the "are we really flying?" lolol. Never knew this existed through AA. Thanks for the report!
This is actually pretty smart idea and honestly super cool
I can fully get behind airlines offering routes by bus within the continent, even if the travel time ends up being directly comparable to driving there yourself in your own personal vehicle, since the bus lines follow the interstate highway system. One more thing about it that all the further guarantees my additional support is that, being down on the ground, you retain access to cell phone service, which you lose at 40,000 feet. That is the number one reason why regional carriers should invest in Cessna 172 Skyhawks: their cruising altitude maxes out at about 10,000 feet, the same altitude at which cell phone service begins to falter.
This video is fantastic. And such great on-camera chemistry between Jeb and Suzanne… more of that, please!
Also, I guess replacing some plane routes with buses makes sense, where the route is in-demand but rather odd to fly on a plane. For example, when I was growing up in Houston in the 90s, Continental Airlines operated a truly silly intra-city flight between IAH (Bush) and Hobby airports, which is about a 30-mile distance. I’ve also flown a number of times between Zurich and Basel (around a 60-mile distance, I think), and I think that flight was also eventually discontinued.
I used to fly the Continental shuttle between Ellington and IAH, and it was great. Easier parking and quicker security (pre-TSA). It was much more convenient than driving across town and parking at the larger airport, and usually faster. The problem was that was usually the first route cancelled if there was a plane shortage, leaving you stranded at IAH and figuring how to get a ride back to Clear Lake. TSA and 9/11 killed the service.
Nice. I’m a FA and I was wondering how this worked. I think this is smart to connect more people. ✈️
There is enough room on that bus to swap out one passenger for a f/a seat and at least serve something quick like trail mix or nuts with coffee. I've seen privately owned bus lines install a self serve bar in the back.
@@largol33t1 service level in the main cabin is determined by flight mileage and a drive from PHL to ACY will be about 65 miles. However, I do agree that there could be some way to provide snacks since the actual time it takes for the drive. A plane ride that long would’ve had service done in main cabin.
You can list
This was amazing, and I would have never known about this! I would totally love to try the American Buslines at some point in my journeys! I would really love if other airlines did this between airports. Some flights I've booked require airport transfers hence: EWR to JFK or ORD to MDW. Bus services instead of taking Ubers would be so helpful!
EWR to JFK sounds like a nightmare. how did that happen?
@@rich-tp2dx I personally would enjoy that, but I chose Google flights to find them, so it required an airline transfer which was only in JFK to get the cheapest price.
@@ArdenTheSnep I think at that point I'd be eating the extra cost of the flight. thats a loooong way across the city. I don't think public transportation is even really that cheap and I'm sure the Ubers were about $150.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have reached cruising altitude of 6’ and will be traveling at 70mph. Estimated arrival is 580 years. Sit back and enjoy your flight"
I think airlines should add a bus route that goes between airports in the same city. While it might sound useless, maybe I want to fly from Washington DC (DCA) to London (LHR), connecting in new york and flying American Airlines. If the only flights from dca to new york are to LaGuardia, but my flight to London is going from JFK, then no problem! I just spend like 30 more dollars on another “flight” from LGA to JFK. (Too short for a plane to do that route). I think it could make airlines more money and make flying more accessible by connecting nearby airports if they both are hubs for an airline. (I know there are flights from DCA to JFK, I was just using that as an example)
When booking flight to Köln (Cologne) in Germany using Lufthansa, you fly into Frankfurt, pick up your luggage etc, and then it's high speed train to Köln. Lufthansa has a special train car specifically for this, but I've failed to find it and sat down in a different part of the train and nobody complained.
You are correct also Brussels you are basically put on a DB Baureihe 406 via Schnellfahrstrecke Köln Aachen The reason for this is that European Union want to get rid of short plane rides that are also connected by high speed train. Same thing also applies to Lufthansa if you try booking New York to Amsterdam via Frankfurt Flughafen. The last stops in Germany for that route on the train are Duisburg and Oberhausen Hbf then the Netherlands.
Great video Jeb. These bus services could provide a useful service for potential passengers who live within a reasonable distance of a hub airport who wish to connect from that hub airport, where a bus connection is easier and more covenient that a flight connection would be
Nobody likes busses this will fizzle out and fail.
@@Deltaexe190 Nobody likes taking planes for such short flights either, they take longer if you include security and waiting, it’s significantly more expensive, and just plain bad for the environment. Seems like super short plane routes will fizzle out.
@@Deltaexe190 Nah, this is actually a really good idea, for people within about 90 mins drive it works. Means you don't have to get a regular bus/train or drive and have to pay to park at the airport
One unheralded benefit is that parking at the smaller airports is often free or much cheaper than PHL. The tickets are supposedly cost-neutral, which makes this a good way to save money if you have a longer trip.
I once got bumped off an MKE-ORD flight, and in addition to being comped for the bump, they booked me on a bus that went between the two airports. It seems like an ideal city pair for United and American alike to run regular buses between, or to have a railroad build branches off the existing Hiawatha Service that Amtrak runs now.
Meanwhile in Europe, there’s a whole train station at Schipol on the NL mainline, and a similar station at Paris-CDG for TGV high-speed trains. I think the big airports in the US need a similar setup, to reduce the number of seemingly unnecessary flights between big cities and smaller neighbours.
Woaw I'm impressed about the bus, it looks way more comfortable than all the buses I've been to.
You had perfect timing on this. I drive that area all the time and saw a AA bus drive by. I wondered what was happening there. Pretty cool stuff! I’m a Philly local!
In Brazil this is very common but is more like a service than an actual schedule route, azul for example offer bus rides from their hub in Campinas to many neighboring cities and to the capital São Paulo. Latam and Gol on the other hand only offer shuttle busses from their airports in São Paulo (between Congonhas and Guarulhos). And is not rare for canceled flights in Brazil to have a bus alternative.
I have heard of Gol bus lines. Do they connect Rio to Sao Paulo? That would be handy if an airline has planes at one airport but has mechanical problems at the other. They can put everyone on a bus and drive them to the other airport and get on a plane that works.
@@largol33t1 No, both Latam and Gol use busses mainly to connect one airport to another in the same city so (GRU-CGH) in São Paulo and (GIG-SDU) in Rio. Replacement busses for canceled flights only happen when there are no more options Sao Paulo and Rio have so many flights it would be difficult to happen but if it is late at night and the airport is closed it would be a possibility. I used to live on Foz Do Iguaçu and I had my share of canceled flights to Curitiba being changed to a Bus. But it is only a last resort option. Foz had very few flights daily so if it got canceled they would offer an overnight bus trip as an option for those who could not wait a day or two to reschedule their flight.
This looks so much fun to go from a plane to a bus. So cool
lol just yesterday I was looking at flight options to Dubai from YYZ. One of them is with Etihad, to Abu Dhabi and then bus service to Dubai (2 hrs). I had no idea that was a thing but it makes so much sense, then I came across this video.
5:28 aweeeee... she looks at you the way Pam looks at Jim.
Great video Jeb. I think it totally makes sense, especially replacing very short haul flights, if only from an environmental impact perspective. Really American are just a travel company you pay to get you from one place to another in the most suitable way.
I've been told that Luton Airport in the UK sometimes does this. However, the buses are subcontracted, thus the airline doesn't own the vehicles. EasyJet has done this a few times when they ran into issues with their planes and the mechanics didn't find it cost effective to make the passengers sit and wait all night for a 35-minute flight out of Luton. I saw the BBC version of the show Airline and they actually chartered 2 buses to drive passengers to London when the plane broke down. The passengers were happy to at least get to their destination rather than be stuck at the airport all night.
The same company (Landline) operates busses for United out of DEN and when a flight I was on diverted to Cheyenne due to weather they sent 2 busses to pick us all up. It's not nearly as bad as I expected it to be (think Greyhound🤮) and aside from getting us to the airport late I kinda liked it. There are definitely worse ways to get around.
If Delta had one from DTW to Ann Arbor when I was in college I would have used it 100%, but I also think that we should just work on building up the train infrastructure for this sort of route.
American Airlines could definitely use the bus service to take passengers to and from destinations. Imagine for something like the Orlando theme park resorts having busses pick you up at/take you to your hotel upon landing and saving on the rental car. I know Disney used to do this themself but the service discontinued so American could offer a compelling add-on to their customers bound for Orlando!
I seem to remember that when I was at Newark airport about 15 years ago shat a few ‘flights’ displayed on the departures board were operated by train.
United has bus service between Newark and Allentown, it's a crazy ride as they use those hotel shuttle type buses. It works and you get on curbside so you can literally board 15 min before departure. American just started the bus service to PHL from Allentown, looking forward to trying it, looks like a nice ride. These local connections are great. I hope American adda Reading, PA to their local flights.
Just Lancaster but that's close 😊 Newark and Allentown are the same busses Motorcoaches same setup
Hi Jeb! Another great video! By chance I was driving to ATL this weekend (Crown Room staff reunion) and passing Columbus GA airport (97 miles from ATL). I had the exact same thoughts. A bus could easily be effectively a much more comfortable CRJ which Delta uses on routes such as Columbus ATL, Macon ATL, etc. It could be configured for similar passenger capacity in a much nicer arrangement. Fewer hassles with weather and a better ride. I understand the logistics of ramp access but I think it could work on short routes (TOL DTW, FLT DTW, LAN DTW come to mind. I would NOT complain to have a bus instead of Satan's chariot! From a Skymiles perspective it would be treated as a segment on a CRJ! Best regards Jonathan
Look at what Groome Transportation already does in the ATL. But, their van bases compared to this is like comparing first class to basic economy. Those Groome van seats seem smaller than economy class airline seats
I think Lufthansa does the bus service between Munich and Nuremberg as they wanna cut cost. With Lufthansa you can also book a rail ticket too for Berlin to Frankfurt.
Personally that addition gives more flexibility for the airline and also for passengers too
Now what would be even better if you could book Atlantic city Center so you don’t even have to bother to exit at the airport (I don’t k ow how far these two are) but would be a great additional point :-)
Thanks for the video Jeb - so enjoyed this video!
The LH bus is what came to my mind as well, but the AA bus service seems to be far more convenient since it departs from within the terminal (as opposed to outside) and your luggage is checked through. For the Lufthansa bus, the only benefit is that they'll rebook you onto the next flight if the bus is delayed - all of the other stuff like checking in luggage, going through security etc. has to be done as if you were departing from Munich.
In the uk it is rare fly somewhere you could drive in an hour but we have trains that serve most of the country and when the trains are not working then a bus replacement service is provided which is exactly like this coach.
I would love this service in the closest airport to my city, it is actually like 20 km away from the city, for weather reasons, so having the bus included with the plane would be a great benefit.
Great vid ACY is my home airport any i always see these parked around
Very entertaining video Jeb !!! Atlantic City is my hometown and I've lived and worked in the area my whole life.
Back in the day there were actually regular flights from Bader Field in A.C. (the first municipal airport in the U.S., BTW)
to PHL. It was called the Allegheny Commuter and used de Havilland Twin Otter planes. Allegheny eventually became
USAir.
Hey Jeb! I LOVE your videos. I think that Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport could TOTALLY serve busses because it is a smaller city airport with lots of regional traffic, and I think that busses could be the PERFECT addition!!!
Plenty of busses go from MKE to both ORD and MDW not too mention Madison and multiple towns in between.
Yeah, Van Galder/CoachUSA already runs a fairly frequent service between Madison/Milwaukee and O’Hare & Downtown Chicago. Not sure how they’d feel about American operating some lines there. 😉
@@pokepress You're right! And they also have the Badger Bus, which is for students of UW Madison to commute home or their days off of school. This route runs Madison-Milwaukee!!!
American used to run a bus from Lancaster PA to Philly. Check your bags in Lancaster. They were working on security. We LOVED it, and used it every time we flew, but they discontinued it.
A service like this would make a lot of sense to replace the discontinued CLL-IAH service on United. I have in the past taken a credit to be bumped on an overbooked flight on that route and they just put me in a taxi.
Absolutly amazing video Jeb, My personal favorite is Delta but this seems like quite the adventure.
Something like this seems like it might work well in places where a single airport serves a large area, like Seattle. For example I could see SEA -> PAE (Everett) or BLI (Bellingham) being a good candidate for something like this if Alaska ever started doing this. Was looking at flights from SLC to PAE recently and saw one that was something ridiculous like SLC to SEA, then SEA to SFO after a 2.5 hour layover, then an overnight layover at SFO before finally flying to PAE in the morning for something like an extra 15 hours.. Even in traffic I don't think it would take 2.5 hours to drive that.
As a PAE enthusiast I’d welcome this.
There is bus service from SEA to BLI as well as YVR.
I booked a "flight" from Philadelphia to Allentown. My mom told me to make sure it wasn't a bud as a few airlines are doing this now. This happened to her with United. I checked, and it was a bus. The agent on the phone was shocked, too, and knew nothing about the service. I was going to do it but I didn't want to wait two and a half hours for a bus. To me, buses should run differently than flights, but I get it'd in lieu of a flight, so it like a flight time. I might try this next time. Thanks for the video.
Very Cool! Would love to try this service.
The Allentown bus route is very convenient. Took it from Newark using United. Hope more option like these open up they are great for connecting smaller cities to the big international airports.
Same! I was so confused when I got there expecting a flight