IS LUXURY THE ANSWER?

摘要

It is a familiar statement of intent. When companies launch new services, they often promise to tap into a new market rather than slice off business from other operators. Especially express coach operators. Megabus claimed to be winning new converts to long distance travel rather than simply poaching those using National Express on this side of the Atlantic or First's Greyhound on the other. Greyhound, when it had a bash at establishing a presence in Britain, pursued fresh customers rather than NatEx's or Megabus's. The story they spun - and could back up to a degree - was that they reached people who might not otherwise travel or could be persuaded that it was less expensive or stressful than driving a car. In North America, they offered an alternative to domestic aviation. Until the price of driving or flying fell. We hear a similar story from Flixbus, the fast-growing European market leader already operating in the United States and recently established in the UK. Its wizardry with online technology enables it to communicate with tech savvy newcomers to coach travel who will ride Flixbus without considering any other brand. What all of them have in common is that they sell on the price of their service. Theirs may not be a race to the bottom - all use modern vehicles offering a level of comfort -but their biggest proposition is the cheapness of the fare.