Busbud Avatar
October 19, 2022

5 Reasons Why It’s Smarter To Travel By Bus This Thanksgiving

 

 

Thanksgiving travel is officially in full swing! Thanksgiving Day traditionally kicks off the holiday season in the United States. In fact, more people in the US celebrate Thanksgiving than Christmas.

Airport horror stories are as much a staple of Thanksgiving dinner as turkey and stuffing. With millions of people taking this time to go home and enjoy the time off with their families, airports are often overpacked and tend to be blunt; AWFUL. But it’s not too late to consider an alternative.

Thanksgiving
Holiday Travelers Brave Thanksgiving Exodus. Travelers line up at a ticket counter at LAX on the eve before Thanksgiving, traditionally the busiest travel day of the year.

If you thought having all these people in the airport was bad, imagine all these same people being absolutely furious! More than 40% of flights were delayed during Thanksgiving week over the last three years, according to an analysis from AirHelp. 

mw-dz827_worst__20151123095517_zh

 

So why put yourself through all of that? Instead, here’s an alternative way to travel for your Thanksgiving Holiday. This one won’t give you a headache.

For short trips, taking the bus is the smarter way to travel. Here are 5 reasons why:

    1. The most affordable travel option. Thanksgiving can be a costly holiday. AAA noted a 20% increase in airfare and a 2-5% rise in rail travel fares. Fuel is also up 50 cents per gallon compared to 2010. In contrast, discount bus carriers offer round-trip tickets for often a third of the price of the plane or train. Bus travel is definitely your most wallet-friendly option!
    2. Safety comes first. Driving can be exhausting, especially with the additional traffic on the roads for the holiday. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 12.5 percent of crashes leading to hospitalization are caused by fatigued drivers. Also, Thanksgiving is the number one holiday for drunk driving-related fatalities ahead of New Year’s Eve.
    3. More seats are made available. Hoping for a spot to clear up on the last-minute flight? That might be wishful thinking! The Air Transport Association (ATA) warned travelers to expect full flights during Thanksgiving due to a reduced number of seats available. On the other hand, bus operators are adding close to 780 additional motorcoaches, especially to better serve the northeast routes. That’s about 42,900 extra seats!
    4. Green is a jolly color. Traveling by bus is the most efficient way to travel in the US. Inter-city buses can get a whopping 125 passenger miles per gallon (pMPG). At the same time, Amtrak trains only get 45 pMPG and an average plane’s efficiency is around 22.6 pMPG. Buses, which can often carry 50+ passengers at a time, also reduce the number of cars on the road. That results in a lot less traffic, and a lot less fuel consumption!
    5. Increased comfort. Recently, bus operators have undergone massive changes, making the bus more appealing to users. Coupled with modern conveniences and updates like WiFi accessibility, bus travel is a comfortable and customer-friendly option for your travels.

So this holiday season— kick back, relax and take the bus.

Visit Busbud to learn more about how you can save money by traveling by bus.