Originally Posted by jlm4dg

I agree that it's worth waiting to see whether Megabus sinks or swims. They're following a model very similar to the low-cost airlines, at least the ones that stay solvent in the long term: provide no-frills, low-cost service that just barely turns a profit after maintenance, gas, and the bus driver's salary. The sketchy Chinatown buses that run NYC-Washington DC have been offering similar deals for years with great success. And almost every single Megabus is near to, or is, a college town, so they have an instant clientele.

Amtrak and Greyhound are still going to attract a lot of folks who fit in these non-savvy travel categories:

1. People who are unwilling to commute to the Megabus bus stop. For example, people in Ann Arbor are already grumbling about the 50-minute drive to the Detroit Megabus stop.

2. People who think Megabus will attract a "worse crowd" than Amtrak and Greyhound. I don't think that's so, but non-savvy travelers think these sorts of things.

3. People who think it's too good to be true and would rather pay more for an established service.