Megabus New Routes/Destinations just announced

[extendedpaul]

Megabus is now serving Heathrow and Gatwick Airports to and from destinations along the M4 corridor. There are also £1 fares, including between the airports.

National Express have as I recall never offered Fun Fares on airport routes so this is welcome competition.

 

[Volvodart]

Megabus is now serving Heathrow and Gatwick Airports to and from destinations along the M4 corridor. There are also £1 fares, including between the airports.

National Express have as I recall never offered Fun Fares on airport routes so this is welcome competition.

It is already posted in the relevant thread of the contractor.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=2961364&postcount=1161

 

[GusB]

It might be advisable to amend that thread title to include the word "Megabus".

 

[Volvodart]

Why it is in the contractors thread and the narrative clearly states MEGABUS?

 

[Darandio]

Why it is in the contractors thread and the narrative clearly states MEGABUS?

What is it with people and their precious threads recently?

You are seriously suggesting that to find this latest news on Megabus, I need to look at page 78 of a thread entitled ' Bristol Independents-and Wessex Connect'?

 

[Volvodart]

I did not think it was worth starting another new thread when it had already been mentioned in a very popular thread already.

 

[Darandio]

I did not think it was worth starting another new thread when it had already been mentioned in a very popular thread already.

But as someone who only has a very casual interest in buses but likes snippets such as this, I have no idea of the correlation between that thread title and Megabus, I wouldn't know where to look.

 

[WelshBluebird]

New routes? There was a M18 that did the same route during 2014/2015 so I'd hardly call it "new". Bringing it back from the dead more like! Not complaining though since my railcard runs out around the same time the M18 comes back, so will help in keeping my travel costs to and from London down!

 

[Joe Paxton]

Megabus is now serving Heathrow and Gatwick Airports to and from destinations along the M4 corridor. There are also £1 fares, including between the airports.

National Express have as I recall never offered Fun Fares on airport routes so this is welcome competition.

Thanks extendedpaul. Interesting development.

Often, though not always, there is only the one £1 fare on a Megabus service which gets snapped up pretty quickly - but then a limited £3 tier of fares often seems to be available.

Aha, but yes I see this Megabus promo page about these new routes suggests a wider availability of £1 fares during the week of 1-7 May - and the small print on this page states that:

You will be able to get your hands on a £1* fare on all our new services when you travel between 1st and 7th May 2017. This includes brand new services for the first time to Gatwick and Heathrow Airports which will make your travel to the airport more affordable. [...]

 

[freetoview33]

I wonder if National Express are worried? Ironically it will be using the same drivers as National Express as SGBC contract ends with them ends then.

 

[wiltshirebloke]

Will also be a threat to Berrys who offer the London service from Tiverton & Taunton already.

 

[swifty]

I wonder if National Express are worried? Ironically it will be using the same drivers as National Express as SGBC contract ends with them ends then.

They're operating pretty much the same routes as they did for Nat Ex as well, probably utilising the same arrangements for driver stay overs at places like Gatwick and Barnstaple.

 

[Class 33]

Megabus is now serving Heathrow and Gatwick Airports to and from destinations along the M4 corridor. There are also £1 fares, including between the airports.

National Express have as I recall never offered Fun Fares on airport routes so this is welcome competition.

Indeed. I don't like it how National Express charge higher fares for services to and from airports. Just as an example I quickly found. Bristol-Heathrow Airport on Thursday 5th May, on the 0550 service. Price £30 single!!! Yet travelling on the very same service from Bristol-London(albeit a longer way round than normal), and the fare is only £8 single!

So the new Megabus services and cheaper more affordable fares will be welcome to many.

 

[overthewater]

If its anything like Edinburgh Airport then Heathrow Airport are greedy sods and charge alot of departure fees.

 

[vicbury]

I wonder if National Express are worried? Ironically it will be using the same drivers as National Express as SGBC contract ends with them ends then.

Let's hope that Megabus stipulates a more stringent driver management system than National Express as some of the existing driving leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[vicbury]

Indeed. I don't like it how National Express charge higher fares for services to and from airports. Just as an example I quickly found. Bristol-Heathrow Airport on Thursday 5th May, on the 0550 service. Price £30 single!!! Yet travelling on the very same service from Bristol-London(albeit a longer way round than normal), and the fare is only £8 single!

So the new Megabus services and cheaper more affordable fares will be welcome to many.

Depends how the new fares to Heathrow compare. Higher bus fares / rail fares / parking fees at airports are the norm - passengers have to get there somehow!

 

[Busaholic]

If its anything like Edinburgh Airport then Heathrow Airport are greedy sods and charge alot of departure fees.

The TfL night route N9 must be the bargain of the century then, Heathrow to Aldwych in Central London for £1.50!

 

[Deerfold]

The TfL night route N9 must be the bargain of the century then, Heathrow to Aldwych in Central London for £1.50!

And you can have connected in from another bus route if doing it in the other direction.

 

[richw]

Having had time to look through the details, it appears SGBC are almost operating the new routes in a franchise style way.
SGBC reportedly approached megabus with the proposal. Sgbc will operate all of the new routes that are direct competition for the work they've just lost from natex.
Megabus will undercut natex pricing so may get interesting potentially a pricing war if natex decide to compete back. All good for the traveller

 

[extendedpaul]

Megabus website yesterday loaded tickets for journeys on most routes right through to early October so there are currently plenty of £1 fares, albeit usually only one per journey. £3 and £5 fares are widely available.

Some routes are excluded from the £1 deal, including London to Swansea which starts @ £7 and Cardiff to Bristol which is £3 . The Megabus twitter team tell complainers that the £1 tickets are now released at random and are no longer the first seat sold but that isn't true in the vast majority of cases. I needed 9 return journeys between London and Cardiff and got exactly what I wanted for a total of £18.50

As for the new routes there seem to be plenty of £1 seats in the first week, and there is a £5 seat deal currently on Tuesdays to Thursdays but outside the promotional periods some of the fares are surprisingly high for Megabus. Birmingham to Barnstaple for two people jumps from £2 on May 1-7 to £50 on May 8, then back to £10 May 9-11 but £50 again on May 12-15 and so on. Even in October the fare for the second seat sold is £20. This is very similar to the fare structure previously used for international routes so it may be an error.

 

[swifty]

I wonder if National Express are worried? Ironically it will be using the same drivers as National Express as SGBC contract ends with them ends then.

Well in Bristol at least Nat Ex have started radio adverts with prices from £12 single to Heathrow and Gatwick.

 

[cambsy]

Today, Monday 15th May saw a Blue Megabus Caetano Levante in Tiverton, on Kennedy way late afternoon ish, cant remember exact time, only saw it briefly as was driving taxi for work. May have been heading to Barnstaple etc, it makes sense now, as thought at time it was odd seeing a megabus in Tiverton, may try it one day, will be competition for Berrys coaches, though u get Host/Hostess and can pay when board coach and reserve exact seat, but they charge 25 day return, may get Berrys to reduce their prices, which would be good if they do.

 

[extendedpaul]

Sad to note that the Megabus Gold overnight service between London and Scotland ends on Sunday, May 21. Losses apparently became unsustainable.

Just standard seated vehicles on all Anglo-Scottish routes from Monday onwards.

 

[ValleyLines142]

I wonder what will happen to the Gold vehicles? Will they be repainted and refitted to standard layout or will they just be used on daytime services in the current formation?

 

[overthewater]

There going on to a NEW Citylink gold service G90: Edinburgh - Inverness, that will require at least two coaches.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There going on to a NEW Citylink gold service G90: Edinburgh - Inverness, that will require at least two coaches.

In their existing layout? While they are 2+1 the seated layout isn't exactly optimal.

 

[overthewater]

In their existing layout? While they are 2+1 the seated layout isn't exactly optimal.

Its a brand new route, so there most likley testing the waters to see if it works. and if it does well, there can always convert the seats.