Greyhound ridership is surging after the shuttering of Spirit Airlines, but the experience remains grueling for most passengers. According to the Wall Street Journal, search activity for Greyhound rose 20% from the previous year after Spirit closed, and routes overlapping with former Spirit flights saw a 30% increase in passengers. Researchers predict bus ridership could grow 4% this year, outpacing airline forecasts.
The Current State of Greyhound
Miles Taylor, a 26-year-old bus enthusiast who runs a popular YouTube channel documenting his bus trips, describes riding Greyhound as a “grueling experience.” He says passengers are often yelled at, left uninformed, and subjected to delays. Taylor has traveled cross-country by Greyhound twice, including a 104-hour Boston to Seattle route. He calls Greyhound “kind of a last resort for folks.”
For most Americans, riding a bus means abandoning expectations of basic dignity. Passengers endure delays, wait at dilapidated stations, and face broken toilets. The US lags behind most developed nations in public transit infrastructure, making intercity bus travel one of the only affordable ways to get around without a car.
Why Ridership Is Increasing
Kate Thompson, vice-president at travel search platform Wanderu, says the biggest driver is economics. “The price of flights has increased year-to-date roughly 27%, whereas bus and train tickets have only increased around 4%,” she said. The average bus ticket price is $53 versus $500 for a plane ticket. Additionally, the number of licensed 16-year-olds has dropped 27% since 2000, according to the Department of Transportation.
Thompson noted that many ask, “How can we make buses cool again?” She said it comes down to comfort: “You need to be as comfortable as you would be on a flight.” Some bus lines offer “white glove” service with onboard attendants and amenities, but Greyhound is not one of them.
Efforts to Improve
Fred Ferguson, president of the American Bus Association, highlights a “new trend” in coach design called two-and-one, where one side has two seats and the other has one, giving solo travelers more space. “That’s been a hugely popular change,” he said.
Greyhound has retired older vehicles and introduced new buses, cutting the average age of its fleet in half. Kai Boysan, CEO of Flix North America, Greyhound’s parent company, said in a statement that the company has “invested significantly in modernizing the bus travel experience,” adding “hundreds” of new buses with free wifi, power outlets, real-time trip tracking, free luggage allowance, and spacious seating.
However, online reviews suggest these changes are slow to take effect. Greyhound has a 1.3 out of five-star rating on both TripAdvisor and Yelp. One user wrote of a bus breaking down in 90°F heat with little ventilation; another was left “in the middle of nowhere.”
Historical Context and Incidents
Greyhound began in 1914 as a seven-passenger car service for Minnesota miners. Bus travel was once romanticized, as in Frank Capra’s 1934 film It Happened One Night, and was a symbol of the civil rights movement. But as plane travel became cheaper, service declined. Greyhound filed for bankruptcy twice in the early 2000s and is now owned by German brand Flix.
High-profile incidents have also hurt Greyhound’s image. In 2001, a man slashed a driver’s throat, commandeered a bus, and killed seven people. In 2008, a man with schizophrenia beheaded a fellow passenger on a Canadian route. More recently, a worker at New York’s Port Authority was stabbed after an argument.
Future Prospects
Some luxury bus services like Napaway and The Jet have tried offering high-end amenities but failed to sustain operations. Taylor doubts a luxury bus model works in the US because “folks who have the option to take something luxury just won’t take a bus.”
Taylor sees bus advocacy as a progressive issue, citing Zohran Mamdani’s campaign promise to make New York City buses fast and free. Cities are also investing: Chicago’s city council is considering purchasing and restoring its Greyhound station, and Philadelphia’s Parking Authority spent $4 million renovating its terminal, which reopened in May.
Despite the challenges, Taylor notes a unique perk of Greyhound: camaraderie among passengers born out of shared misery. “Even if you’re never going to see the other people on the bus again, you just develop a kinship with each other over your mutual misery,” he said.
