The Jet on a cold January morning.Brittany Chang/Insider
I took luxury bus startup the Jet from New York to Washington, DC for $99.The plush motion-canceling seats and snacks made for the most comfortable travel experience I’ve ever had.These are the bus service’s eight coolest features and the three things I disliked the most.In early January, I tried the Jet, a luxury bus service that operates between New York City and Washington, DC starting at $99.The Jet on a cold January morning.Brittany Chang/Insider
I’ve had my fair share of miserable intercity bus rides, but the Jet dispelled some of the things I believed long-haul bus rides had to include.A view out the windows while we were still in Manhattan.Brittany Chang/Insider
The Jet has plenty of features and services that make a simple bus ride feel more like a spacious private jet ride.The seats in October 2021.Brittany Chang/Insider
Here are the eight coolest features of the Jet, like its motion-canceling seats and selection of snacks … Snacks on the Jet.Brittany Chang/Insider
… and three standout reasons why I may reconsider taking it again.The seats in October 2021.Brittany Chang/Insider
1.
The Jet has the most comfortable passenger seats I’ve ever sat on.Inside the Jet.Brittany Chang/Insider
Compared to planes, trains, and other intercity buses I’ve been on, the Jet has plush seats that feel like sitting on clouds.
The seats.Brittany Chang/Insider
The passenger seats are lined with gel and memory foam padding, which means no more sore bums after sitting still in traffic for hours on end.The seats in October 2021.Brittany Chang/Insider
The 45-degree reclinable seats also have footrests and adjustable seat backs that make them more ergonomic.Buttons to adjust the seating.Brittany Chang/Insider
And the seats are 22-inches wide, which made me feel like I was being enveloped by the plush padding.The seats in October 2021.Brittany Chang/Insider
In full recline, it felt like I was sitting on an expensive couch, and I could have easily fallen asleep if I wasn’t working.My messy seat.Brittany Chang/Insider
2.
The comfortable seats have a hidden secret: They’re also motion-canceling.The back of the bus in October 2021.Brittany Chang/Insider
The Jet’s pièce de résistance is its motion-canceling “hoverseats,” which use Bose-developed suspension technology to block 90% of the road’s bumps and movements.A reclined seat in October 2021.Brittany Chang/Insider
Source: Insider
The technology is more commonly used in the long-haul trucking industry, and the Jet says its passenger buses are the “world’s first” to use this motion-canceling tech.
The seats in October 2021.Brittany Chang/Insider
Source: The Jet
While it doesn’t block the swaying motion of the bus, it does facilitate a smoother ride on an otherwise bumpy freeway.The seats in October 2021.Brittany Chang/Insider
3.
The Jet’s coaches use the same WiFi available on Google and Facebook’s employee shuttles, Chad Scarborough, the Jet’s founder and CEO, previously told Insider.Working on the Jet.Brittany Chang/Insider
Source: Insider
I’ve grown used to slow or nonexistent WiFi on different modes of transportation.The WiFi on an Amtrak.Brittany Chang/Insider
The free WiFi on some airlines and trains can often be lackluster.An Amtrak train pulls out of Union Station on Wednesday, April 7, 2021.Photo By Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
But I can’t say the same for the Jet’s WiFi: It was the fastest and strongest connection I’ve ever had on mass transit and rivaled the WiFi I have back home.
Working on the Jet.Brittany Chang/Insider
It was strong enough for me to stream videos and music, scroll through social media, and use Slack, all without any metaphorical bumps in the road.Inside the Jet.Brittany Chang/Insider
Almost all other passengers were also on their devices, but the WiFi never lagged.The galley.Brittany Chang/Insider
4.My seat had plenty of outlets.
A reclined seat.Brittany Chang/Insider
There are few feelings worse than boarding a plane with a close-to-dying phone and realizing there are no outlets at your seat.A power outlet in an airplane lavatory.Thomas Pallini/Insider
Luckily, the Jet’s seats have outlets with USB ports to keep all your devices fully charged during the ride.
The seats.Brittany Chang/Insider
5.There’s ample room between the rows of seats.The interior of one of the Jet’s buses.Brittany Chang/Insider
In accordance to COVID-19 safety guidelines, the rows of passenger seats are six feet apart, providing plenty of legroom and space for bags.The seats in October 2021.Brittany Chang/Insider
I felt amply distanced from the row behind me when my seat was fully reclined, and I still had plenty of floor space for my backpack and duffle bag.My messy seat.Brittany Chang/Insider
6.
There are only 14 passenger seats on the Jet’s coaches.
The Jet on a cold January morning.Brittany Chang/Insider
Besides me, there were only nine other people aboard the bus including the driver and attendant.And everyone was wearing a mask unless they were eating or drinking.The seats at the front of the bus in October 2021.Brittany Chang/Insider
“We’ve had some people tell us [this] feels safer than taking a train or a plane because there’s so few people,” Scarborough told Insider last year.The Jet on a cold January morning.Brittany Chang/Insider
7.The bus attendant was friendly and accommodating.The bathroom.Brittany Chang/Insider
The Jet’s attendant operates like that of a flight attendant: she confirmed my seat on the bus and checked on the passengers throughout the ride.
The Jet on a cold January morning.Brittany Chang/Insider
She was also quick to make accommodations whenever a passenger was feeling too warm or cold by offering blankets or adjusting the bus’ interior temperature.The galley at the rear of the bus.Brittany Chang/Insider
7.Booking and boarding the Jet is easier than a plane trip.The Jet.Brittany Chang/Insider
The Jet only operates two departure times between New York and Washington DC, making trip selections straightforward.The Jet on a cold January morning.Brittany Chang/Insider
When you book your ticket, you also get to select your seat, simplifying the check-in process.The seats at the front of the bus in October 2021.Brittany Chang/Insider
And the Jet doesn’t depart from any complicated or busy bus terminal.
The Jet on a cold January morning.Brittany Chang/Insider
Instead, it operates outdoor curbside pickup and dropoff at Metro Center in Washington DC and Hudson Yards in Manhattan, making the boarding process feel safe and seamless.The Jet on a cold January morning.Brittany Chang/Insider
8.The ticket price includes snacks and drinks.The galley at the rear of the bus.Brittany Chang/Insider
Throughout the bus ride, the attendant offered passengers snacks, water, wine, beer, coffee, and sodas.It’s like a cheap flight but with free booze and better snacks.Snacks on the Jet.Brittany Chang/Insider
And while I didn’t drink, I appreciated having the option to do so.
The galley at the rear of the bus.Brittany Chang/Insider
There are obviously plenty of amenities that made me love my ride aboard the Jet, but I still have three ( small) gripes: my motion sickness, the bathroom, and the pricing.The galley at the rear of the bus.Brittany Chang/Insider
1.
The motion canceling seats did a great job of dulling the bumpy road, but it didn’t prevent any swaying motions.The back of the bus in October 2021.Brittany Chang/Insider
I’ve never felt nauseous from a long bus ride, but this time, I felt all the classic symptoms of carsickness.The galley at the rear of the bus.Brittany Chang/Insider
But this was probably my fault.I spent most of my time on the Jet working on my laptop.And the more I stared at the screen, the more carsick I felt.Inside the Jet.Brittany Chang/Insider
2.The bathroom at the rear of the bus next to the attendant’s galley was clean and modern, but it was out of commission for the first half of the roughly five-hour bus ride.
The bathroom.Brittany Chang/Insider
The bathroom aboard the Jet is like that of any mass transit bathroom.There’s a toilet, sink, mirror, and hand sanitizer.The bathroom in October 2021.Brittany Chang/Insider
But because it was freezing in New York the night before my journey, the bathroom pipes were frozen, putting it out of use for the first few hours.
A view out the windows while we were still in Manhattan.Brittany Chang/Insider
The driver detoured for the passengers to take a quick restroom break halfway through our ride.And shortly after, the coach’s bathroom was working again.The Jet on a cold January morning during out bathroom stop.Brittany Chang/Insider
The temporarily defunct bathroom wasn’t a problem for me, but if I had an “emergency,” paying for a bathroom I couldn’t use would’ve been annoying … The bathroom.Brittany Chang/Insider
… although both the attendant and Scarborough were very apologetic.The bathroom.Brittany Chang/Insider
3.Finally, I took an Amtrak from Washington DC back to New York, and it was both less expensive and faster than my Jet trip.My Amtrak train back to New York.Brittany Chang/Insider
The Jet — which ranges from $99 to $149 — says its pricing is “comparable” to Amtrak’s regional route, and often less expensive than Acela.
My Amtrak train back to New York.Brittany Chang/Insider
However, my Amtrak ticket on the regional route was $49, about half the price of my $99 Jet ticket.It’s worth noting that January is often a slow month for travel and transportation-related companies, which could explain the less expensive Amtrak ticket.My Amtrak back to New York.Brittany Chang/Insider
But my Amtrak journey back to New York was almost three-and-a-half hours, while my bus ride to Washington DC was about five hours.The seats at the front of the bus in October 2021.Brittany Chang/Insider
If I had been prioritizing speed and price over comfort and luxury, Amtrak would’ve been the best choice for my early January journey to and from Washington, DC.The seats.Brittany Chang/Insider
But the comfortable seats, selection of snacks, friendly attendant, and fast WiFi makes the Jet my winning choice, and I’ve since recommended the service to many of my friends.The seats in October 2021.Brittany Chang/Insider
Read the original article on Business Insider .
