Lucky Star jumps into Boston's $1 bus fare fray
In Boston's bus wars, the old guard is firing back.
Lucky Star, a five-year incumbent on the ultracompetitive Boston-to-New York route, yesterday began offering one seat per bus for $1. The bargain matches offers revealed last month by newcomers BoltBus and MegaBus.
Lucky Star, part of the family-owned Chinatown bus company Lucky River Transportation Inc., said it isn't sure how long it will be able to maintain this price war - especially with the rising cost of gas - but it's trying to hang on to customers. The bus operator is caving under new competition from
"How do we all survive?" asked Fu Mei Cheung, vice president of operations at Lucky Star, which runs 22 buses a day between the Hub and Manhattan. "It will be interesting to see how we are going to make it. How long are we going to last?"
Lucky Star was already matching pioneering competitor Fung Wah Bus Transportation Inc. in pricing each seat on its 57-passenger buses at $15 one-way, so low that it's "very hard to maintain the company," Cheung said.
Now, one-way tickets purchased online at luckystarbus.com will start at $1 on most buses and rise to $15, plus a 50-cent transaction fee. The walk-up fare will remain $15 on most buses and $25 on the 2 a.m. departure.
By comparison, MegaBus's maximum fare will be $14, and BoltBus's will be $20. Each will charge a 50-cent booking fee.
But Lucky Star's new competitors offer more perks. Their biggest selling point is that both MegaBus and BoltBus offer free onboard wireless Internet access. BoltBus also has onboard power outlets.
And MegaBus, which will run this route 22 times a day, and BoltBus, which will have 12 daily departures, both will have guaranteed seats. In contrast, when the demand is high, Lucky Star oversells its buses - meaning passengers could get bumped to the next bus pulling out an hour or so later.
"We understand that this is a very competitive market," said Greyhound spokesman Dustin Clark.
MegaBus's president Dale Moser said the true winner will be passengers because they're "able to get this kind of economical travel offered to them by so many different carriers."
Facing the growing competition, Lucky Star for the past two months has flashed 15-second ads at Lowes theaters as part of its first advertising campaign. And since the fall, it has been advertising in the free daily newspaper BostonNOW and in student discount books available at local universities. Restaurant window posters are on the way.
Lucky Star hopes the new fares will help it fill each bus beyond the 30 passengers who typically board on weekdays. Weekend buses, particularly ones departing between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Fridays, sometimes sell out.
The company said it will cope with lower profits - and potentially even losses - to attract customers.
"This is a long-term business for" the owner Edward Leung, Cheung said. "Taking a loss to gain market share is something he expects."
Nicole C. Wong can be reached at nwong@globe.com. 