Flixbus Discussion

[Flying Snail]

The front seats are definitely bookable by passengers. From experience though some drivers are a bit bad for blocking them off.

I recently traveled on a service which was an earlier departure to the one I was booked on and upon boarding was specifically told not to sit in the front seats despite them being empty. However two other passengers already on board then came and plonked themselves there and the driver allowed them to stay sitting there.

The crux of the issue is the disconnect between Flixbus (the website who purport to run bus services but are really just a third party sales platform and marketing entity) and the motley crew of operators and their poorly trained staff who more often than not are or act wilfully ignorant of the terms that passengers have purchased from Flixbus.

I's be very tempted if I had paid for the front seats and or second seats and was told not to sit there or to move by staff my response would be to insist on the repayment, in cash of those extra charges before I would comply, knowing how unlikely it would be to get those charges back from Flixbus.

 

[Stan Drews]

The crux of the issue is the disconnect between Flixbus (the website who purport to run bus services but are really just a third party sales platform and marketing entity)

You mean like Scottish Citylink, National Express, Megabus etc?
It’s been the main basis of the major Express coach service networks in the UK for decades!

 

[Deerfold]

You mean like Scottish Citylink, National Express, Megabus etc?
It’s been the main basis of the major Express coach service networks in the UK for decades!

NX contractors get paid for running the coaches.
Flixbus get their percentage of the fare paid.

 

[londonteacher]

unlikely it would be to get those charges back from Flixbus.

It’s very easy to get refunds from FlixBus. I’ve never had an issue after using the chat function on and refunds have always been prompt.

 

[Stan Drews]

NX contractors get paid for running the coaches.
Flixbus get their percentage of the fare paid.

FlixBus contractors get paid for running the coaches too, based on mileage operated.
If ’lines’ do particularly well they will also get a percentage of revenue, so a bit of an additional incentive.

 

[Eyersey468]

FlixBus contractors get paid for running the coaches too, based on mileage operated.
If ’lines’ do particularly well they will also get a percentage of revenue, so a bit of an additional incentive.

I thought the operators got the fare revenue with Flixbus taking a percentage

 

[Stan Drews]

I thought the operators got the fare revenue with Flixbus taking a percentage

No, operators don’t take the fare revenue.

 

[Mwanesh]

You mean like Scottish Citylink, National Express, Megabus etc?
It’s been the main basis of the major Express coach service networks in the UK for decades!

But those you have mentioned actually run their own coaches.Flixbus dont run any coach.Dont know who will be the o licence holder if Whippets leave the network

 

[DJames]

But those you have mentioned actually run their own coaches.Flixbus dont run any coach.Dont know who will be the o licence holder if Whippets leave the network

A good chunk of NX is ran by contractors, although they do run some of it in-house. Megabus/CityLink is pretty much all ran by contractors.

 

[Stan Drews]

A good chunk of NX is ran by contractors, although they do run some of it in-house. Megabus/CityLink is pretty much all ran by contractors.

Exactly. I think a few people need to do a bit more research. They might be amazed by what they’d find out.
Megabus, like FlixBus, do not have an operators licence, and Citylink whilst having an O licence, do not actually own a coach. Their legal lettering and disc simply adorns one Stagecoach West Scotland bus, as a paper exercise.

 

[Cesarcollie]

Exactly. I think a few people need to do a bit more research. They might be amazed by what they’d find out.
Megabus, like FlixBus, do not have an operators licence, and Citylink whilst having an O licence, do not actually own a coach. Their legal lettering and disc simply adorns one Stagecoach West Scotland bus, as a paper exercise.

I think the only reason NX and Citylink have an O licence in their own right (unless they run some coaches of their own, which NX now do, but at one time were Travel WM) is to enable them to register and claim BSOG for those sections of route which run as local bus services. Flixbus, who don’t have any such routes/sections, have no need.

 

[Teds]

I think the difference between NX and Flixbus is that the operators get paid a fixed amount per diagram irrespective of whether it is full or empty. Flixbus used to work entirely on paying a percentage of the revenue for the journey and now seems to work on paying for mileage with an additional amount based on revenue. I suspect that the mileage rate is quite low and the operator is effectively taking a bet that they will receive additional payments from the revenue. The problem that the operators have is that Flixbus controls the fares and the frequencies so how much the operator receives is out of their control. Flix drove at least two significant German operators to bankrupcy. It would also partly explain the churn in operators when they discover exactly how much they receive for the work.

 

[dmncf]

I think the difference between NX and Flixbus is that the operators get paid a fixed amount per diagram irrespective of whether it is full or empty. Flixbus used to work entirely on paying a percentage of the revenue for the journey and now seems to work on paying for mileage with an additional amount based on revenue. I suspect that the mileage rate is quite low and the operator is effectively taking a bet that they will receive additional payments from the revenue. The problem that the operators have is that Flixbus controls the fares and the frequencies so how much the operator receives is out of their control. Flix drove at least two significant German operators to bankrupcy. It would also partly explain the churn in operators when they discover exactly how much they receive for the work.

If Flixbus pay operators an additional amount based on revenue, it would be interesting to know what the contract says around Flixbus' freedom to introduce additional operators onto a route (e.g. London - Birmingham) or an overlapping route (e.g. London - Birmingham - Manchester). Flixbus might be keen to add more capacity to a busy route, whereas I presume the operator would rather have its coaches remain full with ticket prices being driven upwards.

 

[Mikw]

Can i add myself as someone who isn't a fan of Flixbus' seat reservations?
If you board a coach mid-journey (like at Leicester Fosse Park), there's always someone in your allocated seat pretending to be asleep......It's most akward.
Much prefer the National Express free for all, less hassle.

 

[DJames]

Can i add myself as someone who isn't a fan of Flixbus' seat reservations?
If you board a coach mid-journey (like at Leicester Fosse Park), there's always someone in your allocated seat pretending to be asleep......It's most akward.
Much prefer the National Express free for all, less hassle.

Don't National Express also have seat reservations?

 

[Stan Drews]

I think the difference between NX and Flixbus is that the operators get paid a fixed amount per diagram irrespective of whether it is full or empty. Flixbus used to work entirely on paying a percentage of the revenue for the journey and now seems to work on paying for mileage with an additional amount based on revenue. I suspect that the mileage rate is quite low and the operator is effectively taking a bet that they will receive additional payments from the revenue. The problem that the operators have is that Flixbus controls the fares and the frequencies so how much the operator receives is out of their control. Flix drove at least two significant German operators to bankrupcy. It would also partly explain the churn in operators when they discover exactly how much they receive for the work.

As I’ve said before FlixBus operators also get paid a fixed amount per mile operated, and that has always been the case with their UK partners. There have been many NX/Citylink operators that have complained about their low rates, so again Flixbus haven’t created some new, unheard of scenario. Where lines are profitable, then the operators can share some of that, which is the only significant difference in how Flix partner with operators.

 

[nick291]

Don't National Express also have seat reservations?

Yes but it's usually the front 3 or 4 rows of seats. Anything after that is fair game!

 

[route101]

Can i add myself as someone who isn't a fan of Flixbus' seat reservations?
If you board a coach mid-journey (like at Leicester Fosse Park), there's always someone in your allocated seat pretending to be asleep......It's most akward.
Much prefer the National Express free for all, less hassle.

Not a fan either, at origin I just prefer to be one of the first to board to select a seat, one that I hope no one sits next to you ! I was on a 079 Flixbus and everyone was seated and bunched together at the back of the coach, no one moved to spread out.

The buy the seat to you is good if it works on overnight services but quite often someone will just plonk themselves down when who has gotten on at one of the intermediate stops and its up to you to argue your case with them. The uptake of buying the seat next to you is poor.

 

[WestCoast]

Not a fan either, at origin I just prefer to be one of the first to board to select a seat, one that I hope no one sits next to you ! I was on a 079 Flixbus and everyone was seated and bunched together at the back of the coach, no one moved to spread out.

The buy the seat to you is good if it works on overnight services but quite often someone will just plonk themselves down when who has gotten on at one of the intermediate stops and its up to you to argue your case with them. The uptake of buying the seat next to you is poor.

Pretty much every journey I’ve ever done with them across multiple countries has involved some sort of seating issue which you’re on your own to sort out. People sitting (or sleeping) in your seat when you join mid-journey or even right from the origin in one case, people sitting in the seat next to you that you’ve booked for yourself, drivers attempting to block the front seat you‘ve booked etc. The only exceptions have been a couple of the Scottish runs with excellent McGill’s drivers being proactive about it. NX and Megabus have it right IMO, just a couple of rows you could reserve at the front which can be enforced easily by the driver.

 

[Jam381]

How accurate is the coach tracker on the website? I've been periodically checking the punctuality on the Flixbus website of the London to Paris route as I'll be using it in a few weeks.

Most days it arrives into Paris around five minutes early, but tonight's service is meant to arrive more than a few hours early!

Is the website accurate or has possibly the coach got onto an earlier Ferry crossing. I don't mind extending my stay by a few hours but I don't think I'd like to be in Bercy at such an early time.

 

[londonteacher]

How accurate is the coach tracker on the website? I've been periodically checking the punctuality on the Flixbus website of the London to Paris route as I'll be using it in a few weeks.

Most days it arrives into Paris around five minutes early, but tonight's service is meant to arrive more than a few hours early!

Is the website accurate or has possibly the coach got onto an earlier Ferry crossing. I don't mind extending my stay by a few hours but I don't think I'd like to be in Bercy at such an early time.View attachment 179579

It can be early that early as they build a lot of time into the schedule to accommodate for the border in Dover. Most of the times it is needed and you can be waiting upto 90 minutes in Dover for the next ferry. I've done the journey twice a month for the last two years and it is quite possible that they were able to board an earlier ferry from Dover if the french border point in Dover was quiet. I have also been so early that they stopped for an hour at a service station in the north of France. It just depends on the driver to be honest, as this service is set down only, so they can drop off early and not have to wait.

Best service I ever had was a N1700 from Victoria to Disneyland Paris - no delays to Dover, quick at security (only 15 people on the coach) and got through in time for a service 90 minutes early. Ended up arriving into Bercy at about 04:30 (scheduled for 6:15) and arrived at Disneyland Paris at 05:15 (scheduled for 07:00). When it works, it is great. When there are delays it can be significant.

Worst delays was on a service via the Eurotunnel where we boarded the shuttle, departed Folkestone and broke down in the Tunnel. Was stuck in the tunnel for hours and arrived into Paris over 6 hours delayed. Not Flixbus' fault and they promptly gave a full refund.

 

[Mwanesh]

As I’ve said before FlixBus operators also get paid a fixed amount per mile operated, and that has always been the case with their UK partners. There have been many NX/Citylink operators that have complained about their low rates, so again Flixbus haven’t created some new, unheard of scenario. Where lines are profitable, then the operators can share some of that, which is the only significant difference in how Flix partner with operators.

Now that you have mentioned it i have always wondered about the long term NX partners.Contractors stay for years and the big 3 on the NX network Edwards ,Go Ahead and Selwyn must be making a few pounds

 

[DJames]

Yes but it's usually the front 3 or 4 rows of seats. Anything after that is fair game!

Ah right, I rarely use them so I wasn't aware. Thanks for the clarification!

 

[WelshBluebird]

Had an odd situation this morning where two people getting on the same coach as me had seat reservations that didn't exist.

This was a proper flix branded bus too so wasn't a case of a random spare being used. I assume it's still likely that the original coach planned go be use got swapped though.

In the end the coach wasn't quite full so they just sat elsewhere, but not exactly a great look!

(For those interested they had seats 10C and 10D which according to the coach seat plan in the app should have been right by the toilet in the middle of the coach, but they didn't exist. There was a 10A and 10B on the side next to the toilets but the toilet and steps were where you'd expect 10C and 10D to be, and the next row was 11).

 

[route101]

Was looking at Glasgow to Edinburgh Airport on service 090 for a price. It appears that the Edinburgh Airport call is already dropped.

 

[markymark2000]

Was looking at Glasgow to Edinburgh Airport on service 090 for a price. It appears that the Edinburgh Airport call is already dropped.

They never ended up adding it to the 090. It was announced on the internal social media but then never happened.

 

[t rex]

Yutong Yh25ezs 27005 first West of England on 047 to London Victoria

 

[GregSRHST]

I was wondering if bus companies like Flixbus or even Citylink etc. put on extra buses when they see demand for it?

Next Saturday Aberdeen play in the Scottish Cup final in Glasgow and I notice most of the service buses (Flix and Citylink) are basically fully booked on this route. Would they ever try to pull other buses in to potentially increase the number of seats they have available for events like this...or is this near impossible if there are simply no other buses available?

 

[Volvodart]

I was wondering if bus companies like Flixbus or even Citylink etc. put on extra buses when they see demand for it?

Next Saturday Aberdeen play in the Scottish Cup final in Glasgow and I notice most of the service buses (Flix and Citylink) are basically fully booked on this route. Would they ever try to pull other buses in to potentially increase the number of seats they have available for events like this...or is this near impossible if there are simply no other buses available?

Rennies used to do duplicates from Aberdeen, but I rarely have seen duplicates since the half hourly weekend services from Aberdeen to Edinburgh and Glasgow started. Not sure how or when the booking for them appeared on Megabus/Citylink websites. I would imagine that the local Aberdeen area companies that did do duplicates in the past would be fully booked up going to Glasgow for themselves.

It is a bit unlikely that Flixbus would be doing duplicates.

 

[redreni]

Last time I went any significant distance on Flixbus I paid the supplement to get a double seat to myself. I was allocated a double seat towards the back, on the penultimate row according to the seating plan. I can't remember the exact details but it was something like seats 17C and 17D on a seating plan that had 18 rows. When the coach arrived it had no seat or row numbers. The driver advised us the rows were numbered sequentially (so count from the front row, starting from 1) with seats A&B to the left of the aisle (facing forward) and C&D to the right of the aisle.

But the coach only had 17 rows of seats, not 18 as per the plan. The people with reservations on the back row all sat on the back row, which was supposed to be have been row 18 but was actually row 17, and the seats I had booked were therefore occupied. And the driver just shrugged and said "what can I do".

Not impressive! This seems like fairly basic stuff.