Megabus Experiences: Is Cheaper Better?

by Josh Lew on

High airfares and high gas prices have had many people feeling like they are stuck in a corner. Or at least stuck at home. For me, a Twin Cities resident with friends and family in Chicago, the $100 round trips of the past (AirTran and NW) made it easy to call The Windy City a second home. Likewise, my Cubs-loving acquaintances were only an hour or two away from watching a team that has actually won the world series in the past 100 years.

But, rising fares have recently made the two neighboring cities seem farther away than in the past. A drive is still doable, if you have a car that gets good mileage. But there is an even cheaper alternative: Megabus. A ride between MSP and Chicago averages around $25, depending on when you buy your ticket. That’s cheaper than one tank of gas. But is it worth it?

Most college students and budget travelers had a certain reverence for the bus line, which is owned by Coach USA. You can’t beat the price. But there were a few negatives:
1. The buses arrived later than scheduled. Every. Single. Time.
2. They offered free wi-fi but it often didn’t work.
3. If you don’t have headphones, you’re in for a noisy ride.
4. The drop off point in Minneapolis is a bit dodgy, especially late at night. Basically, it’s under a bridge, next to a vacant lot.

And, to be fair, the good:

1. Price
2. Dropped off in central locations
3. Price
4. Reasonably comfortable
5. Price

Could Budget Airlines Unite?

by Josh Lew on

A recent post on Ben Mutsabaugh’s Today in the Sky blog focused on statements made by Frontier Airlines CEO Sean Menke. Menke told a Denver newspaper: “I have been very vocal about (low-cost carriers) having to be aligned through some form or fashion…and not necessarily through mergers.” That’s not a surprising statement from a Frontier exec because of his airline’s buddy-buddy relationship with fellow budget carrier AirTran. The two help each other with ticketing, destinations served and promotions.

But the current economy and gas prices may make Frontier’s approach to the budget game a model for other LCCs. While some airlines, like Southwest, have the clout to challenge the big boys on their own, most carriers are finding their low-cost business model in jeapordy. Alliances could help when it comes to ticket sales and frequent flier programs, but also with the costs of using airports. A band of small carriers could agree to make a LCC hub at all major airports, sharing gates, ticketing counters, even employees. Helping each other a little could keep them all in the game longer.

Race across Europe with nothing but Redbull

by Grant Martin on


You know those television shows where they drop teams off in the middle of nowhere and they have to race across the world with nothing but their wits and trickery to get them by? Well Red Bull might give you the chance to live that dream using your wits, trickery and…. Red Bull to get you across Europe.

Later this month, the German Austrian company is sponsoring an event where 250 teams of three students will race across Western Europe starting in various destinations and headed towards Paris. Teams will be stripped of cash, credit cards and cell phones and instead will be given, you guessed it, Red Bull as currency. Along the way they can stop at various checkpoints to pick up more of the energy drink with which to barter, and in the end all teams will be judged not on time, but on creativity and adventure incurred on the trip.

The first question that comes to my mind is how much Red Bull a team can carry to trade for anything of value. I imagine any serious transaction would require at least a case. Are there also trucks of Red Bull following these students around?

Either way, the journey sounds incredible. Unfortunately, Redbull is no longer taking any American teams. If you can finagle your way onto a foreign team or convince Redbull to let you in though, give it a shot. I wish I could do it. Check out the contest page at redbullcanyoumakeit.com.

WiFi? Yes. Free breakfast? Not so much: What else are hotels offering these days?

by Jamie Rhein on

If you’re a person who likes a free breakfast when you go to a hotel–the donuts and Fruit Loops call out your name the moment you open your eyes in the morning, you might be missing out.

According to a survey conducted for the American Hotel and Lodging Association, of the 10,000 hotels out of 45,000 that participated, they’re providing wireless Internet more often, but cutting out the free breakfast. You can get the free breakfast at many– but don’t assume.

Here is a summary of the survey findings to help you compare what you’ll be getting for your dollars before you make that reservation.

  • 91% offer Internet (15% hotels charge for it, and of those, 75% to 91% of them fit into the luxury to up upscale category)
  • 75% have a computer in the lobby for guest use
  • 47% have indoor swimming pools.
  • 58% have outdoor swimming pools
  • 82% have refrigerator in the room
  • 40% have only non-smoking rooms
  • 25% have allergy-free rooms
  • 67% have weekend specials
  • 56% allow pets, and of those, 67% charge extra for your four-legged family member.
  • 43% have flat-screen TVs
  • 48% offer vegan meals
  • 66% offer healthy meals
  • 70% offer a free newspaper

And about that free breakfast? 59% offer it, but that’s down 9% from two years ago, the last time the survey was conducted.

For more details, read the MSNBC article. You’ll notice how the changes reflect societal trends and habits.

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Why not everyone should become a travel writer

by Anna Brones on

There are some great travel writers out there; big names like Rolf Potts and Paul Theroux come to mind. There are even online communities like the Matador Network that promote up and coming travel writers, aspiring to a profession where they actually get paid to travel. But despite lugging around a journal and a camera, not everyone is destined to pursue such career.

For the 10th anniversary issues, the editors over at Budget Travel decided to enlist readers to do the writing and photography. Although as Editor in Chief Erik Torkells put it, “I hesitate to make fun of any of our readers, but…a few of the pitches we got were kind of funny.”

So here is a sampling of the stories that weren’t assigned:

“China. Most challenging restroom facilities. Especially for women. Title: Bathrooms I have Known.”

“My dream trip to Tahiti turned out to be a disaster. I vomited on the French man beside me.”

“I always thought it would be really cool to make a coffee table book about toilets around the world. Everyone needs them, uses them and they are such a cultural thing… I’ve heard of the places that are just a hole you stand over. And, since this could be a monumental project… but you would pay the tab… I say we choose a venue that would over a lot of toilets, yet not be a round the world trip. Toilets of the Orient Express. I think it has a nice ring to it…”

“Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, and Belgium: The best destinations for your final days. A story about death tourism, or the practice of some persons choosing to die in a country other than their own, would certainly grab the attention of readers.”

For more un-assigned pitches, go here.