11/06/2010

• Daily coach services in and out of Philadelphia expanded to nine cities
• 10,000 free seats to and from second Northeast United States hub
• Tourism bosses in Philadelphia welcome new routes and services

Stagecoach Group’s market-leading budget coach operator megabus.com is expanding its Philadelphia service in North America to cover nine cities in the United States and Canada.

megabus.com offers daily, express coach travel for as low as £1 in the UK and from $1 in North America.

The expansion of its Philadelphia hub from 21 July will mean city residents can travel to Atlantic City, N.J.; Baltimore; Boston; Buffalo, N.Y.; Harrisburg, Penn.; Pittsburgh; State College, Penn.; Syracuse, N.Y.; and Toronto.

Five more trips have been added to the existing Philadelphia to Washington route, increasing departures to approximately every two hours.

megabus.com will offer 29 daily departures from its arrival and departure location on the south side of John F. Kennedy Boulevard, near North 30th Street and the west entrance to the 30th Street Station.

Customers can book travel now at www.megabus.com for departures on 21 July and beyond.

To celebrate the expanded services, megabus.com is offering 10,000 free seats for travel on July 21 and beyond. The free seats are available on megabus.com departures to and from the nine Philadelphia hub destinations as well as Washington. Customers should use the promotional code LUVPHL when booking their tickets via www.megabus.com (subject to availability on select dates, routes).

Dale Moser, President and COO of megabus.com in the United States, said: “Our budget coach services are becoming increasingly popular as consumers search for low-cost products and great quality of service.

“The great travel deals offered by megabus.com provide a real opportunity for Philadelphia residents to travel frequently and do more at their final destinations, whether it’s catching a game, visiting friends and family, taking an inexpensive working business trip or planning weekend getaways."

Jack Ferguson, Executive Vice President, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, said: “These new routes will definitely be of interest to travellers who have been looking for easy and cost-effective ways to explore this part of the United States. Philadelphia will become a hub-and-spoke city for travellers to start and end their vacations while exploring the Northeast.

Meryl Levitz, President and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, added: “Greater Philadelphia is within a five-hour ride for 25% of the U.S. population and the expanded megabus.com service makes the region even more accessible.

“The affordability of megabus.com makes it a popular mode of transportation, especially for young, tech-savvy travellers, and the central pick-up and drop-off points in downtown Philadelphia mean people have easy access to other transportation systems.”

More than 5 million customers have travelled with megabus.com in North America since the launch in April 2006 and it now covers 33 locations in the United States and Canada. megabus.com’s fleet of 81-seat double-decker buses offer free Wi-Fi, power outlets and restrooms. They provide excellent fuel economy and environmental performance, and are “Green Coach Certified”.

Visit www.megabus.com for additional information about service, schedules, arrival and departure times and fares.

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact: Stagecoach Group Communications on 01738 442111 or email media@stagecoachgroup.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs 30,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.

www.megabus.com
megabus.com carries more than 2 million passengers a year in the UK, covering around 40 locations. In North America, megabus.com links 33 cities across the Midwest and Northeast of the United States and in Canada.

Cities served in North America include: Albany, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Harrisburg, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Rochester, State College, Syracuse, Washington D.C., Ann Arbor, Bloomington-Normal, Chicago, Champaign, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbia, Columbus, Des Moines, Detroit, Indianapolis, Iowa City, Kansas City, Madison, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Toledo and Toronto. Visit www.megabus.com for additional service routes to and from the listed cities.

megabus.com content for download:
Video footage - http://www.hanser.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/ne-dd-broll.wmv and http://www.hanser.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/title01.wmv

Still images - http://www.hanser.com/2009/news/northeast-photos/ and http://www.hanser.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/bus2.jpg