Bolt Bus is the most comfortable way to travel by bus between Boston and New York. From the clean, simple online booking interface to the mobile phone boarding passes and on-board Wi-Fi, power outlets, and leather seats, Bolt Bus ensures your comfort throughout the travel process. The "Bolt for a Buck" program offers $1 fares, but most seats are available starting at $10 or $15 dollars as of 2010, depending on your desired departure time. Most importantly, your ticket reserves a seat at your departure time, and the bus line does not oversell.
The original Chinatown bus, Fung Wah has provided bus service between Boston and New York since the 1990s. The bus line is known for trying to fit in as many passengers as possible, and customer service is strained, particularly during the boarding process. Passengers line up on the sidewalk hours in advance, but the bus line oversells seats. Although some tickets can be used on any bus, passengers with a confirmation for a bus at a certain time are able to cut in line ahead of those who have been waiting.
To remain competitive in the broadening bus market, in the fall of 2010 Greyhound expanded its fleet to include buses with new amenities on six routes, include Boston to New York City. The new buses are very similar to Bolt Bus, featuring more leg room, Wi-Fi Internet access, and power outlets in every seat. They have also added optional seat belts for extra safety. As of fall 2010, advance purchase and web-only fares cost $14 and $18 respectively, but the standard fare remains high, as it has been historically, at $35.
Although it operates on a similar model to Fung Wah, Lucky Star aims a little higher in terms of service and amenities, including free Wi-Fi on its buses as of late 2010. Lucky Star tickets, like Greyhound, can be used any time during a 30-day period, so you need to arrive very early for buses at peak times such as holidays, Friday evenings, and Sunday evenings.
Although it was a new entrant in the Northeast travel market in 2008, MegaBus is a multinational corporation that also operates in the United Kingdom and Canada. Double-decker buses offer somewhat spotty Wi-Fi; the company makes a point of issuing a warning that no refunds will be issued if the service is unavailable. MegaBus is similar to BoltBus in many of its amenities; however, seats are not guaranteed in the same fashion. The bus line oversells its seats and brings in additional buses as necessary, so it is best to queue up early if you need to leave on time.
