Flixbus announced that one-way ticket prices from San Francisco to Los Angeles would only be a little over $9. Here’s the catch.
According to SF Gate earlier today (July 20, 2018) Flixbus expanded service to Northern California and to celebrate this milestone, riders get $9.99 one way rides from SF to LA, which is an absolute steal. Here’s the catch!
- Your total price really isn’t $9.99.
Included on each booking is a $2.00 service fee, so at the very least, your ticket will cost $11.99.
Then, Flixbus guilts you into voluntarily adding .81 onto your ticket to make your trip carbon neutral. You can forgo that additional .81 but just know that you’re making our environment worse for the wear.
Included on each ticket is one carry-on bag. But if you want to carry an additional bag, that’ll be another $10.
Technically, if you’re eco-conscious with two bags, your trip from SF to LA could cost you $22.80, more than double that promotional price.
- This is only promotional pricing until at least August.
According to Flixbus’s Senior Public Relations Manager Ryan Marquardt, “The promotional fares will be offered until at least August.” For now, you CAN find lots of cheap tickets for $9.99 but those prices won’t last long when Flixbus’s operations smooth out in Northern California.
For an idea of how much tickets will cost in the future, head on over to one of Flixbus’s main competitors at the moment, Megabus. Right now, you can get a one-way ticket to Los Angeles from SF for just $25.50.
Expect Flixbus prices to double for that SF to LA route in the near future.
- Their WiFi WILL suck.
Your Wifi will only be as good as the source it’s attached too. Wifi at Starbucks and at your home is probably good because it’s connected to Cable Internet.
On the other hand, Bus Wifi is just one mobile internet connection divided up depending on how many people are actually using it. One person streaming an HD video and already your WiFi experience will be slow.
Fortunately, there will be Wifi-less entertainment thanks to an Icomera based entertainment system that’s much like what you’d find on a Southwest Airlines flight.
“The entertainment platform we use (Icomera, which is actually the same platform United Airlines uses) allows passengers to access a free library of offerings during their trip including movies, TV shows, audiobooks, magazines, and video games.”
- You probably won’t ride in that cool new Flixbus…bus.
Flixbus, Megabus, and Boltbus is nothing more than a fancy website and/or app. All they do is connect you with Coach Fleets already in use, that’s how they keep prices low. Remember that trip from SF to LA, it’ll be on a Tourcoach bus as seen here.
Yes, Flixbus does have cool new buses but what you actually ride on will be totally up to when you book if you’re lucky to get on one of these new buses.
That’s pretty much the gist of the catch. Your price won’t actually total $9.99, that price will only last for so long, Wifi will be non-existent, and you’ll be riding in buses already on the road.
You can imagine the type of people who might frequent these kinds of bus trips so keep in mind that your experience may vary wildly per trip.
Honestly, at the end of the day Flixbus tickets, promotional pricing or not, will be vastly cheaper than renting a car or driving their yourself. So, I’m all for this new service and can’t wait to try it myself!
