Megabus Offers 100,000 Free Seats, No Airline Matches

Megabus announced today it would offer 100,000 free seats for travel between Jan. 6 to March 20, 2010. It's not the first bargain blitz for the Chicago-based subsidiary of Coach USA. Previously the buses, which feature reclining seats, air-conditioning and WiFi, also offered $1 fares. Most of these buses operate in the Midwest and Northeast, likely due to the shorter distances (I wouldn't anticipate such bargains in the West where an average trip, such as San Francisco to Los Angeles, is around 400 miles.)

While the rise of the bargain bus corresponds with the recession, no such luck with airlines. I wish there would be even 1,000 free seats, or even $1 or $10 seats at a carrier near you -- but perhaps no airline wants to take such a loss or wants a media explosion. The closest airlines have come has been a buy one fare, get one free which comes with so many caveats you might as well as a lawyer to sort them out.

In the past, airlines have offered an incredibly short sale, such as British Airways' 72-hour sale last May where one could buy two business-class fares from London to New York for £1,666 or London to Miami for £1,959.(Not really that much of a bargain, but nice try, BA -- although still better than AirTran Airways which only offers BOGO on inflight WiFi. What cheapskates!) One of the closest to the BOGO model is Allegiant Air, which offers one free fare to Las Vegas if someone buys a flight/hotel package.

Why are airlines so reluctant to offer customer service or sales? Is it a surprise that Southwest Airlines gained so much of its success by offering better customer service and low prices? Is it a surprise it garnered such passionate customer loyalty? (Full disclosure: I am a member of its Rapid Rewards program, which is sadly not what it used to be.)

Until airlines begin to treat the customer with some measure of consideration and customer service, the recession will bring other modes of travel that will continue to chip away at its market share. After all, time is what carriers initially offered to their customers. But now with fewer daily flights, two-hour security lines, flight delays and securing airport transportation -- perhaps a four- or five-hour bus or train ride isn't such an imposition on the consumer anymore.