Traveling around Texas

RedCoach luxury bus service fires up flash sale with $1.50 fares from Dallas

Ride to Austin for $3.

Courtesy of RedCoach

Luxury bus operator RedCoach, already known for its affordable $15 fares, is slashing tickets to rock-bottom prices for a limited time.

From February 24 to March 8, RedCoach is offering a 90 percent discount to the Dallas market for university students and the general population, according to a release.

That makes a $15 ride to Austin or Houston just $1.50 one-way or $3 round-trip. Less than a gallon of gas, the company notes.

"Travel and gas prices continue to rise, which is putting a damper on travel plans," the release says. "RedCoach is offering this promotion as part of its commitment to providing luxury travel at an affordable rate, for everyone."

The discount is available for all routes to and from both Dallas-area departure points — in downtown Dallas and a newly opened stop in Richardson (five minutes from University of Texas at Dallas).

Eligible routes are:

Dallas to Houston / Houston to Dallas
Dallas to Waco / Waco to Dallas
Dallas to Austin / Austin to Dallas
Richardson to Houston / Houston to Richardson
Richardson to Waco / Waco to Richardson
Richardson to Austin / Austin to Richardson

The only route that is not eligible for the promotion is College Station.

Travelers to and from Dallas and Richardson can use the following discount codes when booking online to get the discount:

UTD90 – University of Texas at Dallas students
UTA90 – University of Texas at Arlington students
SMU90 – Southern Methodist University students
DALLAS90 – All Dallas travelers

RedCoach, which launched in Texas in 2021, bills itself as an affordable option for luxury transportation and offers first class (27 seats), business class (38 seats), and economy class (56 seats). Perks for first and business class include extra legroom (always a plus) and the ability to recline seats up to 140 degrees.

Amenities include free Wi-Fi, power outlets, onboard entertainment, complimentary snacks and water, and no baggage fees.

RedCoach competes against Dallas-based Vonlane, which serves Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. RedCoach bills itself as an affordable option for luxury transportation.

Everyday prices start as low as $15 for one-way trips (Houston to Dallas and Houston to Austin, for example). A RedRider program allows users to rack up travel points and earn free tickets.

RedCoach’s current pickup and drop-off points in Texas are:

Dallas — Curbside adjacent to Café Herrera and Omni Dallas Hotel entrance, 593 S. Lamar St.
Richardson — 170 W. Campbell Rd.
Austin — Embassy Suites by Hilton, 300 S. Congress Ave.
College Station — Texas A&M University’s Wisenbaker Engineering Building, 188 Bizzell St.
Waco — 249 Daughtrey Ave. (new address)
Houston — Residence Inn Houston Downtown/Convention Center, 904 Dallas St.
Katy — Buc-ee's, 27700 Katy Fwy.

transportation

Holiday News

American Airlines expects record-setting travel on Thanksgiving 2024

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

American Airlines ready for takeoff.

The holidays are looming and American Airlines is ramping up. Over the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, the Fort Worth-based airline expects to process nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights.

According to a statement from American's COO David Seymour, the airline is having a good fall season and canceled fewer flights than its peers during October.

“Thanks to the hard work of our 130,000 team members, we canceled fewer flights than any of our major competitors this October and beat our own records for on-time departures and arrivals,” Seymour says.

That's surely good news. One hates to rain on their parade, but in June 2024, the only flight I booked this year, my flight was canceled less than 24 hours before take-off. I had made hotel reservations, scheduled a pet sitter, planned events, and arranged for a friend to pick me up at the destination airport. One employee speculated that it may have been "insufficient crew." Their only solution offered was: Feel free to reschedule your flight.

Thanksgiving facts and figures
The travel window runs from November 21 to December 3, and the airline expects to carry more than 500,000 more customers than it did last year.

The most-traveled day will be Sunday, December 1. The second most-traveled day will be Monday, December 2.

The peak of peak: 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft will be enroute at 10:45 am on Sunday, December 1 — the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.

The airline expects to serve more than 6.8 million Biscoff cookies on board from November 21 to December 3.

Travel tips
Download the American Airlines app and check in for your flight, noting added any bags to your trip. This will save you time at the airport.

If traveling internationally, download the Mobile Passport Control app, which can speed up your entry into the U.S. Global Entry members can download the Global Entry app, which allows you to submit your entry and go straight to the officer.

Upon arrival at the airport lobby, scan your mobile boarding pass to print bag tags quickly at a kiosk. If you’re not checking bags, go straight to TSA security with your mobile boarding pass.

holidays