For many people, traveling by bus can be uncomfortable, and they try to avoid it at all costs. But if you can find a luxury bus with first-class amenities, would you change your mind?
The Jet, a luxury bus transport firm that began operations in 2021, is about to celebrate its second anniversary of connecting the Hudson Yards neighborhood of New York City with the Metro Center of Washington, D.C.
The luxury bus company provides its customers with a first-class experience, down to the smallest detail of their trip, without charging first-class prices. Tickets start at just $99 one way, and it gets you cutting-edge technological solutions, smart design, and superior service.
What Amenities Are Included In This Luxury Bus Ride?
The Jet’s luxury bus travel fleet consists of four, fully-customized 45-foot motorcoaches. They include a spacious, upscale restroom, a full galley with an attendant onboard providing in-seat service, and a seating reservation system.
Unlike Greyhound, The Jet provides comfortable seats, in-ride treats, and fast Wi-Fi, among other bonuses. The seats use a suspension technology developed by Bose to block 90% of the bus ride’s uncomfortable bumps and movements. Further industry-first innovations include power leg rests, power lumbar support, and a 45º recline on each seat.
The Jet also recently launched an upgraded food & beverage menu. According to The Jet’s founder and CEO, Chad Scarborough, the new items have been a hit so far.
The best part of this luxury form of transit? Guests can enjoy free alcoholic beverages.
Guests can purchase tickets for The Jet through its website, with multiple daily departures scheduled to provide ease-of-travel and minimal congestion.
The Jet Aims For Service Seven Days A Week
Scarborough, a native New Yorker who has lived in Washington, D.C. for most of his career, first had the idea for a luxury bus when he was stuck on a painful intercity bus ride years ago.
“New York City to Washington, D.C. is the premier travel market in North America, yet our mass transit options have been stale for decades,” Scarborough told Travel Noire. “ When we first launched, we were operating just three days a week (Friday-Sunday). We’ve slowly expanded the service and will get to seven days a week next month, then six daily departures later this year.”
Luxury Bus Travel At Affordable Rates
“I’ve done this trip hundreds of times and often thought there had to be a better way from both a comfort and cost perspective,” Scarborough explained. “With The Jet, we rethought the experience entirely, combining the luxury environment of a private jet with the convenience of a motorcoach. And at $99, it’s a first-class experience most of us couldn’t otherwise afford.”
Scarborough told Travel Noire he bought the four motorcoaches in December 2019. “We had no idea we were about to enter a global pandemic. So that was obviously an enormous, unexpected challenge. We finally launched in November 2021 and thankfully the reception has been great,” he said.
The Jet hit 85% ridership in its first year, beyond the company’s expectations. “Passengers really seem to love the product. We’ve had rave reviews in the press and online, with a 4.9 Google rating and over 44K followers on Instagram,” Scarborough shared.
On The Future of Luxury Bus Travel
The Jet’s CEO also shared intentions to eventually expand the company’s service to further cities.
“The first key milestone is profitability. Once that happens, we will look to grow, with more stops likely in D.C. and New York, and also Philadelphia and Baltimore. We’re also considering some summertime beach runs,” Scarborough told TN. “Our long-term goal is to change the way people travel between major cities in the U.S. The luxury motorcoach experience is unique and better in almost every regard: more comfortable, more convenient, cleaner, and greener.”
This article was originally published in January 2023. Updated April 2023.
