You know the drill.
You’ve got a flight out of Detroit Metro Airport (DTW), and that means getting there two hours early after white-knuckling through traffic, dealing with parking and is it the McNamara Terminal or that other one, the North (oops, it’s now called the Evans) Terminal?
The process of getting in and out of a major American airport has never been easy and is getting seemingly harder all the time — especially if you’re traveling to Detroit from the Lansing area or points in between.
Public transit options have long been limited in Michigan, as the state hasn’t kept pace with more developed public transit options in other parts of the country — and given the state’s place as the nation’s leading auto manufacturer.
Enter Indian Trails, the Owosso-based motorcoach company. Through its subsidiary, Michigan Flyer, the company’s goal is nothing short of getting Michiganders out of their cars and into luxury motorcoaches that’ll get them conveniently to and from DTW.
No driving. No parking. No hassles. That’s the idea.
“In many ways, the Lansing area is the perfect market for this kind of intercity service,” Indian Trails President Chad Cushman said. “The airport is a good hour and a half away — and with the weather and everything else, it can be a real challenge to get there.
“The pain points for travelers are real, and we offer a stress-free solution. We think this type of service is the future of intercity motorcoach travel.”
Innovations in routing and services, like Michigan Flyer, have begun to transform intercity bus services around the country. City-to-city motorcoach travel has been surging over the last decade and is now perennially among the fastest-growing modes of intercity transportation in the United States, outpacing rail and even air travel.
And the sweet spot appears to be travel distances considered too short for airline trips but long for driving — or in the case of airports, plenty of hassles and expenses for motorists to endure.
The innovations are coming at a dizzying pace. There are now even “co-share” arrangements in which the motorcoach company partners with an airline to take air travelers to or from a small regional airport to the airline’s hub in a metro area. The cost of the shuttle service is included in the ticket purchase.
In the Lansing area, for example, the Michigan Flyer picks up and drops off travelers at a centrally accessible location, the Marriott Hotel in East Lansing. In doing so, the company is at once providing passengers with an easily accessible location while keeping some of the amenities of a traditional bus terminal, including shelter from the elements, food and restrooms. The Michigan Flyer even has offices at the hotel.
Other key factors driving the growth in recent years, according to the research, have been the rise in gas prices and overall environmental concerns. Given that, Indian Trails hasn’t been shy about touting the impact the Michigan Flyer has had on both counts: 2.5 million cars off the road that otherwise would have clogged Michigan highways and some 11 million gallons of fuel saved in the process.
One other factor appears to be playing a role in the sector’s growth and rebranding the intercity bus experience of generations past — luxury. Companies have invested heavily in amenities that make the trip in a motorcoach comfortable and even luxurious. The Michigan Flyer boasts such things as leather seats, charging outlets, free Wi-Fi and restrooms on each of its buses.
The company has also built a sophisticated online ticketing system and a bus tracker app that’ll tell you exactly where the bus is on its route and when it will arrive. They’ve even secured a discounted price on covered ramp parking in East Lansing across the street from the Marriott. At $2.50 a day, it’s a fraction of the $20 to $28 per day it would cost to park at or around the airport.
“We’re looking to empower the customer with information and as seamless an experience as possible,” said Ody Norkin, vice president of Michigan Flyer. “It’s been remarkable how much the world of bus transportation has changed in the last 15 years. There is so much innovation and a lot of it is right here in Michigan. This is definitely not your grandmother’s bus company.”
