Sunday, October 14, 2018

I rode on a Flixbus...



I used Flixbus.  Before you do, here is my experience…


The best feature of using Flixbus, is the cost:  for the trip I booked, it was about ten dollars for
a ride from Tucson (Arizona) to Las Vegas (Nevada).  About twenty dollars from Las Vegas to
Tucson.


I also wanted to ride a Flixbus...because it called to my geeky and nerdy nature.  More
relating to that within my review...

If you can, before you book your trip, plan to be able to print the ticket.  Otherwise,
use their app to present your authorization to the driver. You will need to have one or the
other before you are allowed to board the bus.


(Also, they offer printable luggage tags for your bags...but...you will need to have a stapler
available so you can affix them to your luggage.)


September 27, I left from Tucson, and...at the time...the location I needed to be at was the
backside of a Denny’s restaurant.  At 5:45 a.m.


The bus which arrived was a standard tour-type bus...it was not one belonging to Flixbus.  It
did not have any Wi-Fi service, and AC power outlets. This bus took us to Phoenix…


We arrived at a transportation service yard, where other vehicles were parked.  We were
instructed to get off of the bus we were on...then had to get our luggage from under the bus...
wait for our driver to prepare the new bus, which was a Flixbus...put our luggage on the
Flixbus, and then get onto the Flixbus.




“...FlixBus gives you a chance to enjoy free Wi-Fi, extra legroom, private outlets and lots of
room for your baggage.


“...you will be able to avoid boredom thanks to free Wi-Fi on board. You can spend your
journey surfing the internet, chatting with friends, catching up on social media or checking
your emails!


“FlixBus also provides seats with extra legroom. Buses are equipped with comfortable seats
and plenty of space. All seats have adjustable backrests and are comfortable even on longer
trips.


“...There is a toilet on board all FlixBuses.


“...look out for the...many outlets in FlixBuses.


“Our FlixBuses offer you enough space for your baggage...All details about can be found in
the baggage policy.”


Their baggage POLICY limited me to one “hand luggage (25 lbs.) and 1 luggage (50 lbs.) per
person for free”…







For me, this was/is a VERY restrictive policy: I also wanted to have with me on-board some
books and notepads, but could not bring them along with my notebook computer (without
violating their policy).

It appeared to me many were allowed to violate that policy...


I was unsatisfied that the seats are narrow.  Too narrow for me to be able to comfortably
use my Google Chromebook.


I sat near the rear of the bus(es)...and was lucky to find some seats in that area which had
more legroom.


A woman behind me found she did not have any AC power outlets available to her…


The Wi-Fi service which gives access to the internet...was VERY SLOW:  download speeds
never exceeded 1 Mbps…


And, my entire allotment for the trip was a total of 300 MB worth of “data volume per day &
device”.  Also, Flixbus states : “Quality/speed may vary regionally”.


If you are hoping to watch video during your trip, consider the standard quality stream of a
YouTube video can be 1 MB of data per minute...and you could consume about five hours of
content before you reach the limit.


You can consider passing the time, with no restrictions, with Flixbus content.  IF the portal
webpage loads ( https://flixbusmedia-us.on.icomera.com )...and there were times when it did
not.  During my trip I had access to twenty-four movies, some television shows, portions of
some audiobooks, and some games.  Magazines were to be accessible, but I was
unsuccessful in being able to browse any.


Initially when I booked my trip, my information indicated I could disembark in Las Vegas at
“East Helen Street and Fremont Avenue”.  However, after attempting to research this
location...it appears it does not exist. “Freemont Street” and “Helen Avenue” exist...but I was
never able to locate them intersecting each other…


My trip ended near the Bonneville Transit Terminal (at 101 East Bonneville Avenue).  My
return trip (to Tucson) boarded from this same location.


Tickets are cheap.  But don’t expect more than that as a benefit of using their service.