Founded 1979 | ||
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California Shuttle Bus is a bus company that provides daily bus services between Los Angeles and San Francisco, making one stop in San Jose. The company has been operating for 9 years and uses large, 47-seat charter buses from MCI.
Contents
History
The company launched its services in 2003. The service was initially launched as a $40 one-way service between the Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area.
In 2008, the company started offering $5 trips, but the prices are now in the $25–40 range. The advent of the $5 fares coincided with the cessation of Megabus service from LA to the Bay Area. Megabus has since resumed service between the Bay Area and Los Angeles.
The company has progressively upgraded their services and now runs large 47-seater charter buses once a day. California Shuttle Bus offers a daily "noon" bus everyday except for Tuesdays and Saturdays. The company also offers a "midnight" bus on major holidays. Their buses have free wireless Internet and GPS tracking so that customers and their friends can call the office to find out more accurate estimated times of arrival (ETAs) based on traffic conditions as the bus approaches the drop-off locations.
Prices & Reservations
Similar to Megabus, California Shuttle Bus uses a dynamic pricing model where prices start very low and gradually increase as tickets are sold. Prices generally start at $15.
In 2013, California Shuttle Bus upgraded their service to add assigned seating, becoming one of the only daily bus services in California offering reserved seats. They also added a unique feature that allows customers to purchase the seat next to them for a reduced rate for "a more comfortable ride." The success and popularity of these new features have yet to be determined for the California market.
Service
The bus service offers "reliable and convenient" bus services between Los Angeles and San Francisco/San Jose areas comparable to Greyhound or Amtrak Throughway Buses, the former its main competitor, although due to its success, other players have entered the market. In Northern California, major stops include Powell Street Station in downtown San Francisco and San Jose Diridon Caltrain & Amtrak Station. In Southern California major stops are at Union Station, Santa Monica, Hollywood and North Hollywood Metro station.
The company's most unusual offering is that they pick up and drop off from "convenient" locations that are easy for customers to get to. Their bus stops are located at major transit centers, hotels, and downtown areas. The company also tries to find "nicer" bus stops that are safe and comfortable for their passengers to wait and get picked up/dropped off. The company also has marketed itself as safer than flying due to perceptual terrorism safety concerns with regards to flying.
It has been called a "cheap alternative for students" and although originally envisioned to attract upmarket travelers from long waits at airports it has attracted mostly backpackers, senior citizens, business people, and bargain hunters. Patrons may pay a higher fare to guarantee that their adjoining seat is empty for their comfort.