Back on track

Luxury bus operator Vonlane hits the road again from Fort Worth

Vonlane is resuming service from Fort Worth on July 1.

Courtesy photo

Vonlane buses are revving their engines again. After weeks without service due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Dallas-based luxury bus operator will restart all routes serving Texas on July 1, including those from Fort Worth.

In a June 9 message to customers, Vonlane said daily departures resuming July 1 would include:

Fort Worth-Austin
Fort Worth-Houston
Dallas-Austin
Dallas-Houston
Dallas-Oklahoma City
Austin-Houston
Houston-San Antonio

Coming soon are routes to Nashville and Atlanta, with details to be announced, the company says.

As the coronavirus started to cripple travel in March, Vonlane temporarily eliminated four routes serving Texas, including two from Fort Worth. “While we are significantly impacted by the circumstances of the day,” Vonlane founder and CEO Alex Danza said then. “Our goal is to be a solution for your urgent personal travel.”

But by April 15, when most of Texas was sheltering in place, Vonlane suspended operations due to lack of demand. Limited routes between Dallas, Austin, and Houston resumed May 29.

Like many businesses, Vonlane also pivoted its operation in new directions during the shutdown.

On Memorial Day, the company announced it was expanding its services to include out-of-state charters. It now offers bespoke charter service to popular destinations across the continental U.S. like Colorado, Florida, and New Orleans, as an alternative to flying.

Passengers who book a private charter have access to up to 22 seats, can leave from a specific departure point of their choice, and travel to any destination, the company says.

Vonlane also rolled out a parcel shipping service in Texas. “Need to get something to a loved one, friend, or business associate in Austin, Dallas, or Houston today?” Danza said in the announcement. “Send it aboard the next Vonlane departure for a flat fee.” More details on the service are outlined here.

In putting its luxury buses back on the road, Vonlane is adopting a number of measures designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus, such as limiting the passenger count to 13 by blocking all aisle seats through June 30; requiring passengers and employees to wear face coverings; and checking passengers’ temperatures before boarding.

“As one of our core values, the safety of our passengers, crew, and fellow over-the-road travelers is our top priority,” Danza said in a May 26 release announcing the charters. “In light of the current coronavirus situation, Vonlane is maximizing our efforts to make sure the Vonlane experience is as responsible, safe, and comfortable as our passengers have come to expect.”

Vonlane launched its high-end bus service in 2014 with the Dallas-to-Austin route. Each bus, which holds fewer than two dozen passengers, features amenities like WiFi, satellite TV and radio, and leather seats.

Reservations can be booked online, and may be canceled and fully refunded up to 24 hours before departure.

---

Writer John Egan contributed to this story.

transportation health

Holiday News

American Airlines anticipates record-setting Thanksgiving 2024 travel

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

undefined

The holidays are looming and American Airlines is ramping up. Over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, the Fort Worth-based airline expects to welcome nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights.

According to a statement from American's COO David Seymour, the airline is having a good fall season and canceled fewer flights than its peers during October.

“Thanks to the hard work of our 130,000 team members, we canceled fewer flights than any of our major competitors this October and beat our own records for on-time departures and arrivals,” Seymour says.

This is encouraging news. One hates to rain on their parade, but in June 2024, the one flight I scheduled this year, my flight was canceled less than 24 hours before it was scheduled to take off. I had made hotel reservations, scheduled a pet sitter, planned events, and arranged for a friend to pick me up at the destination airport. One employee speculated that it may have been "insufficient crew." Their only option offered was: Feel free to reschedule your flight.

Thanksgiving facts and figures
American’s travel period runs from November 21 to December 3, and the airline expects to carry more than 500,000 more customers than it did last year.

The most-traveled day will be Sunday, December 1. The second most-traveled day will be Monday, December 2.

1,500 mainline and regional aircraft will travel nearly 65 million miles between November 21 and December 3.

The peak of peak: 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute at 10:45 am on Sunday, December 1 — the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.

The airline expects to serve more than 6.8 million Biscoff cookies on board from November 21 to December 3.

Travel tips
Download the American Airlines app and check in for your flight, noting added any bags to your trip. This will save you time at the airport.

If traveling internationally, download the Mobile Passport Control app, which can speed up your entry into the U.S. Global Entry members can download the Global Entry app, which allows you to submit your entry and go straight to the officer.

Upon arrival at the airport lobby, scan your mobile boarding pass to print bag tags quickly at a kiosk. If you’re not checking bags, go straight to TSA security with your mobile boarding pass.

holidays