Background:
We are trying to get a handle on the costs of starting up a small
transportation business. The idea bus services for medium to
high income professionals over short distances at a premium over
public transport.  

Question:

Can you find a  list of other businesses you can find like these
i.e.  Luxury bus motor coach services for middle ? higher income
groups over the short haul (less than 2 hours)? What specific
challenges have inhibited their growth?

An initial list provided by czh-ga is here:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=544728

I am looking for more pointers and analysis along these lines. Our
gratitude (and tip) commensurate with quality of research.

Thanks,
Funmoney

Hello funmoney-ga,

I appreciate your enthusiasm about your business concept of starting a
luxury scheduled bus service but I have to report to you that my
research shows that it?s a very tough market and few in the industry
survive. I?ve identified about a half dozen operators who seem to be
succeeding at the moment. You can browse their websites and the few
articles I?ve been able to find about their operations.

The main selling point for the luxury scheduled service buses is that
they?re an alternative to the hassle of short haul air travel or that
they offer a luxury alternative to more mundane local transportation
services.

These luxury buses offer comfortable seating, meeting spaces, meal
service, attendants and other amenities. The most recent addition
that?s just beginning to be offered is WiFi service. This should be
particularly attractive to the business traveler.

I hope that the information I?ve collected will give you a good base
for exploring your business concept.

Go for it! ? but use caution.

Good luck.

~ czh ~



================================================
LUXURY BUS / MOTORCOACH TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES
================================================

---------
LimoLiner
---------

http://www.limoliner.com/
http://www.limoliner.com/footer/about.html
http://www.limoliner.com/qa.html

LimoLiner Q&A 

What is LimoLiner?
LimoLiner is a first-class 28-passenger express Liner and a
state-of-the-art business travel center all rolled into one. It
provides business travelers commuting between Boston and New York with
the very best in civilized executive-class service, comfort and
convenience.

Where will LimoLiner go?
LimoLiner offers you a choice of four daily trips between the Hilton
Boston Back Bay and the Hilton New York in Midtown Manhattan.
LimoLiner will also stop in Framingham, MA (on request) to accommodate
companies and individuals in the MetroWest area.

What makes LimoLiner so special?
LimoLiner offers business travelers high-quality, personal business
services that enable them to be productive en route for their entire
trip. It?s the only travel alternative between Boston and New York
with free, onboard wireless Internet access, seatside power outlets,
clear and constant cell phone reception, and worktables for meetings.
A professional onboard travel attendant will make sure that your needs
are fully met from snacks to complimentary magazines and pillows. In
short, it?s a semi-private office on the road with all the amenities
of your office without the interruptions.  And all of our seats are
reserved in advance so you won?t have any annoying lines, unruly
crowds or time-consuming, demeaning check-ins.

How long is the trip each way?
As little as 4 hours and 10 minutes. 

What does a LimoLiner fare cost?
LimoLiner offers one low fare of just $76 each way.

Is LimoLiner for everyone? 
No. It?s designed for frequent business travelers who want to travel
from downtown Boston to downtown New York.  If they live or work too
far from our selected departure points, air travel may be more
appropriate. This is a premium service for small numbers of passengers
who want to exercise better control over their travel time. Our aim is
to serve about 3% of the Boston and New York business travel set ?
people who want to travel smarter, not harder.

***** Be sure to read the entire site to get a good overview of how
this service operates and the niche market it serves.



--------------------
Hampton Luxury Liner
--------------------

http://www.hamptonluxuryliner.com/
Hampton Luxury Liner

Travel between Manhattan & the Hamptons in one of our NEW 33 passenger
luxury motor coaches. Each motor coach is equipped with leather
reclining captains chairs providing wider seating and twice the
legroom. Each chair has individual armrests with cup and snack holders
for maximum comfort. The interior was custom designed with mahogany
paneled walls and trim, window shades, carpeted floors, personal
entertainment system, and a restroom with a flushable toilet. Each
motor coach has a rear galley equipped with a refrigerator serving
complimentary bottled water, a variety of snacks, and a magazine
library.

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.hamptonluxuryliner.com/select_trip_type.asp
One-Way $32
Round Trip $60
Value Pack $249

Hampton Luxury Liner

Contact us by phone, fax or e-mail 
Phone: 631.537.5800
Fax: 631.537.9095
E-mail: info@hamptonluxuryliner.com
	
-------------------------------------------------

http://www.subscriberdirect.com/vf/0410/new8.cfm
Hampton Luxury Liner

Travel to the beach in comfort and style in one of Hampton Luxury
Liner?s new fleet of luxury motor coaches. The chic way to head to the
Hamptons, the Luxury Liner coaches are equipped with 33 elegant
leather reclining captain?s chairs?providing twice the legroom and
additional elbow room?a custom-designed mahogany-wood interior,
complimentary onboard movies, and a rear galley offering free
refreshments and snacks. Electronic ticketing ensures passengers an
uninterrupted ride. The Hampton Luxury Liner is available for charter
and special events, as well as Vineyard and New York City tours. The
Luxury Liner has new rates of $28 one-way, $52 round-trip, and $249
for a 10-trip value pack.

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.hamptonsview.com/hamptons_article_long_island_642.htm
From Manhattan to the Hamptons: Traveling in Style

***** This article is of interest because it gives you all the
competitive players in the market served by the Hampton Luxury Liner.



-------------------
Hampton Jitney
-------------------

http://www.hamptonjitney.com/cgi-bin/nav.cgi?page=home.html
http://www.hamptonjitney.com/cgi-bin/nav.cgi?id=1121996338&page=about-us.html
Hampton Jitney

Hampton Jitney now operates a fleet of luxury motor coaches and
limousines. Hundreds of thousands of people now travel each year in
style and comfort, safely and on time via Hampton Jitney.

***** Hampton Jitney operates a service between New York and the
Hamptons along with weekend service to Boston and an assortment of
recreation oriented services.

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.licvb.com/vendor_detail.cfm?ID=26
Hampton Jitney, Inc.

Hampton Jitney is a multi-faceted transportation company operating
motorcoach service between the Hamptons and New York City, service to
Boston and Florida, customized charters and pre-packaged tours. We
also offer service to Foxwoods Casino and a newly opened Port
Jefferson to Hamptons line.

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.muniwireless.com/archives/applications/346
Wireless Rolling Area Network: New York to Hamptons jitney

***** Announcement of wireless on the Hampton Jitney.

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/03/technology/circuits/03jitn.html?ex=1122091200&en=3f7502ab533f1d3e&ei=5070&oref=login
June 3, 2004
On a Souped-Up Jitney, the Folks Roam and Roll

The two-hour trip from Manhattan to the far reaches of Long Island may
pass more quickly for laptop-toting passengers of the Hampton Jitney,
now that the coach service has added a wireless Internet connection on
four of its buses.

The system, called Wi-RAN - for wireless rolling area network - by its
developers, uses a small computer that feeds a Wi-Fi signal to
passengers and relays data to the Internet over a high-speed AT&T
Wireless cellular data network.

***** You need to be registered to access the article.

-------------------------------------------------

http://wifinetnews.com/archives/003843.html
Jitney Rolls on to the Hamptons, Wirelessly

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.wi-ran.com/pdfs/rate-sheet.pdf
Hampton Jitney is pleased to offer service to its Ambassador Class 



------------
Ambience Sun
------------

http://www.keywestwelcomecenter.com/ambiance_sun_to__key_west.html
Ambience Sun

The only luxury coach to go between Key West and Miami.  Talk about
better than Greyhound, it includes Meals and snacks, Complimentary
Soft Drinks and pillows with a luxurious fleece blanket in a reclining
seat.

The coach has Multi-Channel Video Movies & Audio Channels as well as
wireless Internet Access. The main cabin has reclining seats, generous
leg room and two by two abreast seating.

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.keywestwelcomecenter.com/ambiance_sun_to__key_west.html
Facts About Ambiance Sun!

Now, you have another choice when traveling within Florida. Initially,
we began with twice daily service from Miami to Key West, the only
Caribbean Island that you can drive to. Whether you are going for
business or pleasure, you will surely enjoy the wide array of
amenities that Ambiance Sun has to offer.  As of March 1st, 2005, we
started service between Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Marathon Key
and Key West. It will no longer be just Miami to Key West.

***** This is an interesting new operator. Be sure to check out the
description of services and amenities as well as the rates.

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.busride.com/2005/06/The_Pitch_is_inside_and_high.asp
BUSRide Magazine - June 2005
The Pitch is inside and high
Luxury coach travel begins with upgraded interior components

Bill Hennessey founded Ambiance Sun in 2004, in response to what he
sees as a serious decline in the overall quality of the travel
industry. Since his start as a flight attendant for American Airlines
16 years ago, Hennessey says he has watched everything become smaller
and less.

"I never imagined I would see travel come to this," he says. To
counter his ambivalence, Hennessey set out to provide affordable
luxury ground travel throughout Florida - known as the Big Purple Bus.
The coach color recalls Hennessey's first car, a 1968 Plymouth
Barracuda in a factory color called "plum crazy."



--------------------
Red Arrow Motorcoach
--------------------

http://www.redarrow.ca/home/index.php
http://www.redarrow.ca/home/home_business.php
Red Arrow Motorcoach

That is what you would be doing while travelling aboard a Red Arrow
Motor Coach. With Red Arrow?s Distinctive Travel Service, you can stay
connected to the office via phone or you can plug in your laptop to
finish up those last minute business details while enjoying
complimentary food and beverages. For find out more about what each
coach offers our Corporate Passengers, take a virtual tour of one of
our coaches.

To alleviate the stress of travelling and the uncertainty of business,
Red Arrow also offers our Corporate Passengers a Corporate Travel Plan
to accommodate an ever-changing business schedule. The Corporate
Travel Plan allows you to change a date, time or even cancel your
reservation prior to your departure with no penalty. As a member of
the Corporate Travel Plan, you will receive Red Arrow?s corporate
rates throughout the entire year and you can choose from our flexible
invoice plan or pay as you go.

***** This company is very highly rated in the trade literature. The
website is badly designed and it?s hard to find information. I suggest
that you take the time and explore topics of interest.

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.wirelesscity.ca/city/bins/content_page.asp?cid=1614-3016
Update: Red Arrow ? Rolling down the road!
 
The Wireless City Red Arrow project continues to move forward, with
exciting additions to the project team.  Project partners Red Arrow
Motorcoach, TELUS Mobility and Bentek Systems have equipped a test
coach with Bentek?s Mobile Gateway product to provide flexible,
authenticated IP service to passengers using Wi-Fi technology.  To
boost link performance, all Internet traffic is routed through a
land-based iBOMA server provided by Wireless Edge Canada, giving the
data compression and caching capability to optimize content delivery
to devices onboard the coach.  Road testing of the project begins in
June, with the expectation of a limited public trial of the service in
upcoming months.



---------
The Coach
---------

http://ridethecoach.com/
https://www.ridethecoach.com/
The Coach
luxury bus service between Oklahoma City & Dallas
Oklahoma City
800-266-6415

***** The web site has disappeared and I can?t find anything to
explain what happened to the company.



========================================================
FINANCIAL ISSUES / COSTS OF OPERATING LUXURY BUS SERVICE
========================================================

http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2003/09/12/not_your_fathers_magic_bus/
Not your father's magic bus
LimoLiner sets its sights on executive set as it plies Boston-New York route
By Keith Reed, Globe Staff, 9/12/2003

Fergus McCann, a Scottish-American entrepreneur, is betting almost $2
million of his own fortune that his fledgling LimoLiner bus service,
offering four round trips a day to New York, will lure travelers away
from the pricey air shuttle and the sometimes erratic Amtrak rail
service. One of his three $550,000 custom buses is scheduled to make
its inaugural run from the Hilton Boston Back Bay Hotel at 6 a.m. Oct.
1, arriving at the Hilton New York in Manhattan at 10. Passengers --
only 28 for each bus, rather than the usual 55 -- will pay $69 each
way for a round-trip ticket.

"In the last 30 years, luxury bus service has been tried on and off,
and it generally has not met with resounding success," said Bruce
Sankey, editor of Bus & Motorcoach News, a Phoenix-based trade
magazine.

Instead, LimoLiner aims to skim passengers from airline shuttles like
those of Delta Air Lines and US Airways, and from Amtrak's Acela
Express trains, both of which offer more frequent service. LimoLiner
is cheaper than either train or plane (a one-way ticket on Acela
starts at $99, and the airline shuttles start at about $250 for a
walk-up fare), and its amenities were designed to compete with the
shuttles' first-class cabins and Acela Express's business class
service, McCann said.

McCann said his company should turn a profit if it can survive for a
year and a half and capture 3 percent of the travelers who now opt for
his competition.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.limoliner.com/qa.html
LimoLiner costs

What does a LimoLiner cost? 
It costs about $550,000 to build each one. This high cost is not all
that surprising when you consider all of the state-of-the-art business
features built-in. LimoLiner?s construction is all high technology as
well; it?s designed with safety and the environment in mind.

How many people does the LimoLiner carry?
LimoLiner carries only 30 people (28 passengers and 2 crew) so there?s
plenty of legroom and personal space.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.busandmotorcoachnews.com/artman/publish/article_22.shtml
New: LimoLiner Luxury Bus Service
Sep 23, 2003
 
BOSTON ? The newest luxury motorcoach service in North America is
being launched Oct. 1, with four daily trips each way between Boston
and New York City.

-------------------------------------------------


http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:xj3DgJ5r5wkJ:69.18.158.67/News_03_10_14_HJPR.htm+Hampton+Jitney&hl=en
HAMPTON JITNEY GAINS A BEST MOBILE SOLUTION
Southampton, NY?

Hampton Jitney Inc. (Southampton, NY), one of the region's leading
transportation companies, recently awarded a major contract to Best
Mobile Inc. (Huntington, NY), a fast growing provider of mobile and
wireless solutions designed to make the routine communication of
mission critical information faster and more reliable. Best Mobile is
providing a credit card processing solution to be used by Hampton
Jitney's on-board hosts in accommodating riders who wish to pay their
fare by credit card. The first phase of the contract calls for Best
Mobile to provide two prototypes for field application and testing
prior to deploying 40 units in the second phase of the installation.
Hampton Jitney is expected to realize a high ROI from its investment,
most directly related to greatly reduced credit card transaction
processing fees. The entire system is expected to pay for itself
within a year.



===============================================
LUXURY BUS / MOTORCOACH TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY
===============================================

http://www.busandmotorcoachnews.com/artman/publish/article_34.shtml
Luxury Bus Services Face Tough Road 
Sep 24, 2003, 02:25

From time to time during the past 30 years, motorcoach operators in
the United States have launched luxury commuter bus service without
resounding success.

Greyhound Lines tried it and failed in New York City in the mid 1970s,
an experiment that apparently discouraged a whole generation of
operators from taking a chance.

However, among those that have launched luxury commuter service in
this decade and appear to have found success are two New York
operators. They compete head-on for business and other travelers
between heavily populated commercial centers in Manhattan and the
assorted bedroom and vacation towns that form the Hamptons along the
eastern end of Long Island.

Hampton Luxury Lines, which was founded three years ago, makes the
100-mile, two-hour plus daily run with modified luxury coaches, while
Hampton Jitney, around since 1974, has been doing it for a little more
than two.

The Coach hits the field
While New York may be the ideal place for luxury bus service, an
Oklahoma entrepreneur has found the concept works on the Great Plains
as well.

The Coach uses an E4500 MCI equipped with two-and-one executive Amaya
leather seats for its Dallas to Oklahoma City runs. An attendant
serves snacks and beverages during the three-hour and 15-minute trip
between Westin hotels in the two cities and the cost is $125
roundtrip.

Successful model 
When coach operators in the U.S. beginning looking for examples of
successful luxury bus services they can model, their investigation
invariably takes them to the province of Alberta in Canada. There they
find the most successful North American luxury bus service outside of
Mexico.

Red Arrow Motorcoach has been doing it with great success for close to
25 years, operating luxury coaches between the business centers of
Edmonton and Calgery since 1979.

No guarantees
But creating a luxury bus service that appears to emulate Red Arrow is
no guarantee of success. Just ask Doug Anderson, president of Anderson
Coach and Tours in Greenville, Pa.

Last spring, Anderson and his partner, industry consultant Dale Bunce,
shut down their ExecConnect America luxury service between Pittsburgh
and Cleveland after less than a year.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2003/12/29/story5.html
From the December 26, 2003 print edition
Then & Now
Local executives still wait to take luxury bus rides

Then 
------
Date: Feb. 7-13, 2003 
Headline: 'Motorcoach firm to offer high-rolling transportation' 
The Story 
A South Carolina would-be entrepreneur teamed up with a
Pittsburgh-based motorcoach company to launch an executive bus service
between Pittsburgh and Cleveland, Ohio.

Called ExecConnect America, the service was to feature luxury
motorcoaches specially designed and equipped for business travelers.
The coaches would make several scheduled nonstop trips daily between
pairs of cities nationwide that have a lot of frequent travelers.

The idea was to provide an alternative to flying with lower fares,
better service and less hassle.

The founders of ExecConnect had announced they were poised to come
into Texas and were eyeing the corridors between Houston and Dallas
and Austin and San Antonio. It was to be the next step after what CEO
Dale Bunce said were nearly-done deals to begin service in the
Washington, D.C., New York and Atlanta markets.

Now 
------
ExecConnect America and Anderson Coach both apparently ran out of gas.
ExecConnect's Web site is still operational but has not been updated
for more than a year. It lists only the Pittsburgh-to-Cleveland route.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/031103/3diversions.htm
11/3/03
The deals on the bus 

Buses tend to inspire memories of miserable trips squished up against
a broken armrest, not white-collar convenience. But LimoLiner and
other upscale transporters are reinventing the wheels that go round
and round. Custom buses can come with lounge seating, plasma TVs,
marble floors, full bars, and more. In many foreign countries, where
motor coaches are not inexorably linked to seedy terminals and sketchy
characters, luxury bus is not an oxymoron. America is catching up now,
in part because of a post-9/11 fear of flying. "We're changing the
perception of travel by motor coach," says Peter Pantuso, president of
the American Bus Association.

***** This is a short article with a few points worth noting.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.imgcoach.com/imgoperator.asp
International Motorcoach Group, Inc. (IMG)

IMG is comprised of the best, independently - owned charter & tour
companies across the USA and Canada who work together towards
achieving the following united goal: "To Be The Customer's First
Choice." The Owners/Shareholders of IMG operate more than 2,300 luxury
motorcoaches and annually provide premier ground transportation
throughout North America for over 21 million charter and tour
customers.

***** You might want to investigate the services offered by this
company. The Hampton Jitney is one of their operators.

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.imgcoach.com/operator.asp?id=87
Hampton Jitney, Inc.

***** This page lists the company?s Key Contacts.

-------------------------------------------------


http://directory.google.com/Top/Business/Transportation_and_Logistics/Bus/Operators/North_America/
Business > Transportation and Logistics > Bus > Operators > North America

-------------------------------------------------


http://www.highwayhome.com/travel/bus/buslines.html
Directory of Bus Charter Companies



===============
SEARCH STRATEGY
===============

luxury bus OR motorcoach
luxury bus OR motorcoach executive service
luxury bus OR motorcoach scheduled service
Bus & Motorcoach News
Fergus McCann
LimoLiner
Hampton luxury liner
Hampton jitney 
The Coach
Red Arrow motorcoach
ExecConnect
Anderson Coach
"the coach" oklahoma city dallas
luxury bus service industry

---

Request for Answer Clarification by funmoney-ga on 23 Jul 2005 22:46 PDT

Thanks czh-ga. I appreciate there isnt a lot of detail on this topic
except for the public facing websites of these companies. Quick
clarifications:

What other sources of information regarding this topic are there
besides these websites? Any research firms or consultants you would
point me to? You mention "trade literature" in your response. Which
ones?

Based on your research, what, if any, emerges as the theme for this
not being a more lucrative market? Lack of demand for bus services in
general? Traffic?

Thanks in advance, 

Funmoney
Abhijit

---

Clarification of Answer by czh-ga on 24 Jul 2005 00:58 PDT

Hello again funmoney-ga,

I?ve located some additional market research and industry reports to
help you with understanding the bus transportation industry in general
and the short haul bus transportation segment in particular. I?ve also
included some more articles and business press reports to illustrate
what is going on in the industry.

You asked about my general impressions about the market for a luxury
bus service. These are my impressions and conclusions based on the
research. Americans are reluctant to use public transportation. It is
seen as a lower class solution. To overcome this prejudice, the
service has to be exceptionally convenient and acceptable to the peer
group of users. The problem with bus service is that riders must get
to the bus station at their originating point and then get to their
place of work (or meeting) at their destination point. There are very
few cities where this might be appealing.

The convenience of door-to-door service is the reason people use their
cars even if the commute is awful. Limousine service is the substitute
for high-level executives and officials. I think convenience is the
chief determinant in whether business people will be willing to switch
to your proposed luxury motor coaches. The few luxury bus services
that seem to be making it are on routes that are convenient and less
painful than driving.

I hope this additional information helps with giving you a more
complete picture of the market.

All the best.

~ czh ~


http://www.valuationresources.com/Reports/SIC4100BusTransportationServices.htm
Industry Information Resources
SIC 4100  /  NAICS 485000 -- Bus Transportation Services
Listed below are industry resources available from trade associations,
industry publications, and research firms which address subjects such
as industry overview,
issues, trends, and outlook, financial benchmarking, compensation
surveys, and valuation resources.

***** This site offers links to about a dozen market research reports
that might be of interest to you.

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.busbook.com/
Bus Solutions

***** This is a portal for industry information about bus transportation.

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.census.gov/epcd/naics02/def/NDEF485.HTM
2002 NAICS Definitions 
485 Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation

Industries in the Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation
subsector include a variety of passenger transportation
activities,such as urban transit systems; chartered bus, school bus,
and interurban bus transportation; and taxis. These activities are
distinguished based primarily on such production process factors as
vehicle types, routes, and schedules.

In this subsector, the principal splits identify scheduled
transportation as separate from nonscheduled transportation. The
scheduled transportation industry groups are Urban Transit Systems,
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation, and School and Employee Bus
Transportation. The nonscheduled industry groups are the Charter Bus
Industry and Taxi and Limousine Service. The Other Transit and Ground
Passenger Transportation Industry group includes both scheduled and
nonscheduled transportation.

Scenic and sightseeing ground transportation services are not included
in this subsector but are included in Subsector 487, Scenic and
Sightseeing Transportation. Sightseeing does not usually involve
place-to-place transportation; the passenger's trip starts and ends at
the same location.

***** This site is worth reviewing to see how the US census and the
NAICS system organizes the various types of bus services.

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.busexchange.com/
http://www.busexchange.com/boma/index.html#boma
BOMA - Bus Owners Marketing Alliance
BOMA is an industry-based marketing alliance that has recently been
established to improve and promote the use of bus services throughout
North America.

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.bts.gov/
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
Bureau of Transportation Statistics

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.bts.gov/publications/issue_briefs/number_07/html/many_intercity_travelers_face_longer_travel_schedules.html
Many Intercity Travelers Face Longer Travel Schedules

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2002/2002-08-16-driving.htm
08/16/2002 - Updated 11:06 AM ET 
More U.S. travelers choosing cars over jets 

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.frommers.com/articles/1390.html
The Official Line on LimoLiner
The concept of luxury buses isn't new. Many other countries have
clean, speedy and comfortable bus services, but the misery of
Greyhound has poisoned bus travel in Americans' minds. One company,
ExecConnect, tried to introduce a luxury bus service between
Pittsburgh and Cleveland in 2002, but that firm has since vanished
without a trace.
McCann says LimoLiner is trying to play on business travelers'
aggravation with airport security hassles and with Amtrak's pathetic
on-time performance over the past year. Drivers can dodge traffic by
taking alternate routes and even arranging alternate transportation
when necessary, McCann says. That's flexibility that airlines and
Amtrak can't or won't provide.
The $69 fare makes LimoLiner a little more expensive than a standard
Amtrak train ($64), but cheaper than Acela or most airline shuttle
tickets. Greyhound (at $42) and the Chinatown buses (at $10-15) are
much cheaper, but most business travelers wouldn't be caught dead on
those.

-------------------------------------------------

http://www.newyorkology.com/archives/2005/04/limoliner_servi_1.html
April 18, 2005
LimoLiner service rises after Acela brake problem
As Amtrak shuffles its stock to get a few of its high-speed Acela
trains back on track, luxury bus service LimoLiner is seeing a little
spike in ridership, according to the Boston-based company.

http://www.business2.com/b2/web/articles/0,17863,1017156,00.html
Google's Magic Bus 
By Rachel Rosmarin,  January 26, 2005 

A few lucky people actually look forward to the daily commute. Just
ask one of about 300 Google employees who regularly go to and from the
Googleplex in Mountain View, Calif., on the company's free
Wi-Fi-equipped shuttles.

NO ROAMING PENALTIES Google (GOOG) project manager Cari Spivack
conceived of the Bay Area-wide busing program. "People have moved up
to San Francisco because they know they can take the shuttle to work,"
she says.

TIME SAVER The biodiesel-fueled shuttle and its carpool-lane
privileges can cut a 90-minute commute in half.

STAY CONNECTED Web access comes via a high-speed cellular data network
and an 802.11g wireless router. "Riders tell me they're experiencing a
boost in productivity," Spivack says. And, presumably, a lot less road
rage.

Good research on a topic that does not seem to have puclicly available
research and analysis. Thanks czh-ga.

Fnmoney