EmailKid

tcook052 already addressed that.

Thread about that in UA forum, possibly others.

IIRC it's GG EXTRASEAT for agents.

chgoeditor

When you think about it, transportation companies should appreciate passengers who want to buy two tickets for one individual. The passenger and his or her luggage are still likely to weigh less than two passengers and two sets of luggage, so the transportation provider has lower fuel costs. And arguably, there is some small amount of risk potential attached to each customer. One less customer equals one unit of reduced risk.

Bakpapier

I don't think the extra passenger's weight matter at all on a BUS.
And although transporting one less needy passenger is good, what if there are people who cannot fit on the bus simply because someone bought an entire row for himself? They will cause much more disruption than an extra normal passenger if you don't let them board. Ergo, if you are the bus driver you let them board. It's as simple as that.

I think most long distance bus companies still allow on-board ticketing. At least Flixbus does, looking at their website, which is a major bus company in Europe. It's of course different if a company wouldn't allow it.

On an airplane, yes the extra passenger's weight does matter a bit more. And you can't just exactly walk through security, walk onto the tarmac, up the stairs then buy your plane ticket. Ergo: you will never be able to see if there were free spaces or not if you never fly.

EmailKid

While I don't know this for a fact, I'm willing to bet that Megabus and Greyhound will NOT sell you a ticket on the bus (and I'm not a betting man).

Au contraire, Flight status and information page at United.com will give EXCELLENT info of just which seat is available about an hour or two before departure (not as accurate before that). And even better AFTER departure for about 24 hours. Don't fly AA enough to know how accurate their seatmap is, and don't fly Delta at all.

Decided to Google, and I can confirm you CANNOT buy Megabus tickets on the bus.

Bakpapier

Yes of course, but I was talking about people buying themselves 2 seats for whatever reason. If you would chec k the seat map online that extra seat would be shown as 'occupied'.

While if you enter a bus and ask for a ticket, , you can look in the bus and see there's one emptyt spot, and if the bus driver then tells you 'sorry we're full' you can say 'but cant i sit right over there' and then the bus driver would have to say ' no because he bought himself two seats' and an argument would start.

So most bus drivers would just let that person sit on that seat.
Well then you can probably buy yourself two seats on that company and not be bothered by people filling up your seat.

Kagehitokiri

do many bus operators have rows with single seats, and or reserved seats?

do any without reserved seats have better policies re buying extra seats?

cbn42

The only one I have ever seen is California Shuttle Bus, which allows you to block off the seat next to you for a small fee. But their seats are all reserved.

launcher

I am curious, what the OP would say if he boarded the bus and every seat had single occupancy remaining (because people dont volunteer to sit together by choice). Would he ask for volunteers to move to sit together?

Bolt bus IS allowed to resell the seat for no shows. It is part of the pricing model, their tickets start at $12. If they had to reserve seats for every ticket sold, there would be fewer tickets sold and undoubtedly the ticket price would imcrease as a result. For those that dont like this pricing model you are more than welcome to rent a taxi or private van or start your own bus company.

Megabus has a policy of allowing people to buy 2 reservations in order to bring a second stowed bag. The policy doesnt state whether it comes with extra seating so I would imagine this gets left to everyone's self interpretation.

If I were the driver I wouldnt give special treatment to someone who paid double. Id make sure more people boarded. Customer service in that industry should be about making more satisfied customers rather than about appealing to the select few disposable income types that are going to have the option to leave anyway the first time something with the bus doesnt confirm to their higher expectations.

Deafchick

I didn't know you could buy two seats on Bolt. BoltBus in DC has become expensive lately so I usually opt for Megabus. I think I will try the 2 seat thing next time I'm visiting NYC.

RustyC

I started doing the 2-seat thing in Thailand when they said I had to put a carry-on item in the baggage hold, and the "bin" space on the bus itself was so narrow that only something like a purse would fit up there.

EmailKid

OOOOH, do tell (details).

Coming back in three weeks, and it never occurred to me that this would be possible.

Remember that on buses that I took you were assigned seat numbers, and you can obviously BUY two seats, but on many popular routes there are people waiting for the next bus when current one is full.

OTOH, since seats are pre assigned, this should be doable, but would appreciate first hand experience.

FlyWithKaeMarie

Good strategy. I'm the same, I do not like to sit next to strangers, also I have a bad back injury - and especially for a long period of time I can't stand sitting next to someone. It's why I actually spend extra to fly in business class. I do this a lot on trains and public transport in general - kinda put my bag on the seat. I cannot stand when there's available seats and someone decides they wanna sit next to me.

RustyC

I should add the caveat that I usually go on the well-traveled short routes where they can add buses at peak periods. Sometimes rather than having a bus number (e.g. 48-15) it just reads "spare." That takes some of the pressure off.

I always put my carry-on bag next to me...it's a zippered duffel-type roughly the size the airlines allow and more malleable. The bins aren't usually wide enough to hold it and it's too fragile (and often too "valuable' in that some stuff could be stolen) to put in the hold. I've also had a time or two where the bus hit a rainstorm and water got into the hold.

Never any problems at the ticket counter...if you say 2 they assume it'll be together in the same row or they'll bump you down to the next bus. It sometimes confuses the conductor (who thinks a passenger is missing), though I put both tickets on the bag so she'll see.

It's also much better to do with the non-stop routes...the orange ones that pick up people along the way don't work well with that.

Have also seen some VIP buses on the Isaan intercity routes where it isn't necessary (i.e. you get the wide seat and 3 to a row). I once bought 2 when I didn't have to on one of those and ended up with the front 2 on the top level of a VIP double-decker bus (Khon Kaen to Khorat, IIRC)

EmailKid

You are right, there is virtually no room up above. Never saw spare, and for whatever reason I tend to look at these numbers.

I don't trust things in hold to be there when I get off, so usually end up with lager backpack in the floor (in the aisle if I have that seat) and the smaller one in my lap.

Leaving in two weeks for my positioning flight, and will take one of these after I arrive, hopefully early enough to catch ARL from BKK.

Jesperss

so what do you do if there are no seats left and people are standing?