MegaBus joins Hub road show
Latest entrant into low-cost bus service to New York rolls out
MegaBus yesterday charged into the ultracheap bus wars with an offer hard to beat - a free ride to the Big Apple.
Like BoltBus, which rolled out service last month, MegaBus offers at least one seat per bus on its Boston-to-New York route for $1. Other seats cost up to $14 each way. Chinatown rival Lucky Star matched the fares.
But through Tuesday, MegaBus is offering all seats for free, with a small booking fee. Many people, including a Globe reporter, took advantage of the offer, joining the first trip out of Boston at 6:30 yesterday morning.
MegaBus's new motor coach was clean and comfortable, and there was ample legroom.
But the company's ballyhooed benefit of free Wi-Fi was not available yesterday, so passengers couldn't use laptops to access the Internet during the trip.
Chief operating officer Dale Moser said Wi-Fi has been postponed until June 9 so parental blocks for inappropriate websites can be added.
The bus arrived at Pennsylvania Station an hour late, at 11:45 a.m., in part because of a construction accident in New York City, but also because the driver needed directions. No map in hand, he looked at a one-page photocopy of handwritten directions.
New York native Paul Pikman, 21, leaned forward from his seat behind the driver and politely said, "Sir, you need to make a right, not a left. Seventh Avenue is on your right. So just make a right whenever you can."
Later, the driver flashed his newfound navigator a thumbs up.
Nicole C. Wong can be reached at nwong@globe.com. 