Flixbus Discussion

[buscontroller]

All tickets are given a seat but drivers don't care who sits in what seat. Apart from the Mcgills routes from London to Scotland and coaches on euro lines, ( Flixbus don't run routes but run Lines ) they do ask people to sit in their numbered seats. UK coach market is not used to having pre-planned seating even on Megabus often even with the seat covers have people who have to be told to move to the back of the bus. Megabus will add the fee for better seats even when no free seats are left.

 

[JonathanH]

Megabus will add the fee for better seats even when no free seats are left.

Yes, and it is interesting to see that the free seats on Megabus always sell out first.

Flixbus have started allocating 'free seats' from the back, rather than the front.

While some people like reservations, I agree that the UK coach market isn't used to reservations. It is quite rare to see seats reserved on National Express coaches, even though a limited facility exists to do so.

Ultimately, in the Megabus case it seems to be about increased revenue on a full coach. Flixbus to a slightly lower extent.

 

[route101]

Everyone is allocated a seat. If there are no unreserved seats left a ticket can’t be bought. If there are spare spaces though there’s nothing stopping you moving seats

I see, on the 3 Flixbus trips I have been on there has been people who must not be aware of the seat allocations and just plonk themselves whereever.

All tickets are given a seat but drivers don't care who sits in what seat. Apart from the Mcgills routes from London to Scotland and coaches on euro lines, ( Flixbus don't run routes but run Lines ) they do ask people to sit in their numbered seats. UK coach market is not used to having pre-planned seating even on Megabus often even with the seat covers have people who have to be told to move to the back of the bus. Megabus will add the fee for better seats even when no free seats are left.

When I took the Glasgow to London 030 service few months ago, they had taken out 2 rows of seats to accommodate a disabled passenger who never turned up. This meant some passengers had no seats!

I have never reserved a seat on Megabus or National Express. What is a the difference between a route and a line?

 

[markymark2000]

When I took the Glasgow to London 030 service few months ago, they had taken out 2 rows of seats to accommodate a disabled passenger who never turned up. This meant some passengers had no seats!

That's the issue on Flixbus UK, our PSVAR rules so really, for ease, they should have the wheelchair space seats permanently taken out and 100% shouldn't sell the seats. Yes, wheelchair passengers are uncommon but firstly, if seats are out, it takes away a good 5 min delay if a wheelchair pax wishes to board but most importantly, if a wheelchair pax gets on unannounced (as they legally can do), pax don't get kicked off half way into their journey which is similarly unfair on them.

Flix don't think of things like that though as they are used to European rules. NatEx is probably the best operator for wheelchairs right now (in terms of wheelchairs should always be able to board without any passenger having to be kicked off the bus. Moved seats perhaps but not removed from the bus.)

 

[Eyersey468]

That's the issue on Flixbus UK, our PSVAR rules so really, for ease, they should have the wheelchair space seats permanently taken out and 100% shouldn't sell the seats. Yes, wheelchair passengers are uncommon but firstly, if seats are out, it takes away a good 5 min delay if a wheelchair pax wishes to board but most importantly, if a wheelchair pax gets on unannounced (as they legally can do), pax don't get kicked off half way into their journey which is similarly unfair on them.

Flix don't think of things like that though as they are used to European rules. NatEx is probably the best operator for wheelchairs right now (in terms of wheelchairs should always be able to board without any passenger having to be kicked off the bus. Moved seats perhaps but not removed from the bus.)

It's unlikely that a passenger would have to move seats on NX as the coaches are permanently set to wheelchair mode and once the coaches have 53 on then it's full.

I have never reserved a seat on Megabus or National Express. What is a the difference between a route and a line?

I think it's just Flixbuses name for a route

 

[MCR247]

It's unlikely that a passenger would have to move seats on NX as the coaches are permanently set to wheelchair mode and once the coaches have 53 on then it's full.

Anyone can sit in the single seat at the front though can’t they? If a passenger in a wheelchair or with other mobility requirements then boards they’d have to vacate it. Though, as you say, there would then be another seat elsewhere on the coach

 

[markymark2000]

Anyone can sit in the single seat at the front though can’t they? If a passenger in a wheelchair or with other mobility requirements then boards they’d have to vacate it. Though, as you say, there would then be another seat elsewhere on the coach

This is the situation as I understand it so no one would have their journey cut short but they may have to move seats.

 

[buscontroller]

They use lots of terms not used in UK . Like bn for ticket number and line for route. And LVC for VCS it a German company so use there terms. With the control room in Croatia.

 

[route101]

They use lots of terms not used in UK . Like bn for ticket number and line for route. And LVC for VCS it a German company so use there terms. With the control room in Croatia.

Not noticed them but I over heard one of the drivers ( Second one not driving) calling the support centre. Sounded like it was somewhere in Europe.

 

[buscontroller]

Not noticed them but I over heard one of the drivers ( Second one not driving) calling the support centre. Sounded like it was somewhere in Europe.

Yes, it is in Zagreb, Croatia.

 

[dan5324]

Anyone can sit in the single seat at the front though can’t they? If a passenger in a wheelchair or with other mobility requirements then boards they’d have to vacate it. Though, as you say, there would then be another seat elsewhere on the coach

As of last year, the front seat is assisted travel only and must only be used if assisted travel is booked, as stated on the headrest. I doubt many drivers are that draconian though to prevent passengers sitting there.

 

[Eyersey468]

As of last year, the front seat is assisted travel only and must only be used if assisted travel is booked, as stated on the headrest. I doubt many drivers are that draconian though to prevent passengers sitting there.

I will let people sit there but tell them if an assisted travel passenger needs the seat then they will need to move seats

 

[Martin1988]

I sat in that seat back in February when I did a National Express trip from Bristol to Birmingham. I had on that occasion reserved the two double front seats (behind the driver) but upon boarding was told those two seats were not available so I was being seated in the second row. In the end the driver offered me the single seat in the front row. Incidentally after reaching Birmingham that day I then caught a Flixbus to Chester and I'd booked a front seat for that journey too. My preferred choices of seats are either the very front or the very back. Seem to recall that when I booked the journey the back row seats were unavailable and by the morning of my trip the coach the service was totally full. However upon boarding, the front seats had passengers sitting in them but the back of the coach was empty. The driver told me to "sit anywhere" so I ended up sitting on the back row for the ride to Chester instead.

I've twice had that situation in reverse where I've reserved the rear seats for a Flixbus journey and upon boarding there have been passengers sitting there and the drivers have told me there are no fixed seats and to sit anywhere.

Have booked a few Flixbus journeys this year (on the 070 service from Birmingham to Bristol) where there's not been an option to reserve a seat at the time of booking however a short while later Flixbus have emailed me to tell me I've been allocated a seat. Anyone else had that?

I've caught several Megabus journeys recently where the driver has instructed me and the majority of passengers to sit in the back half of the coach due having not reserved a seat. However, upon departing Bristol I've then moved further down the front due to there being more space. Probably shouldn't really do that but nobody has ever told me off for it so far.

 

[route101]

When I used the McGills Flixbus services they insist you sit in your allocat ed seat. I tend to sit two thirds of way down on the right on coaches (Good view of opposing carriageway and down the coach).

 

[Flange Squeal]

According to a post that Jordan Ridley has posted on the ‘Coach Operators Corner’ Facebook group, he is taking his coaches (Ridley’s Coaches) off of what is clearly the Flixbus network.

Word of warning for anybody being approached by The company that offers intercity services that are green in colour.


Tonight I've had to pull four coaches off the network after receiving two very threatening phone calls from head office. Long story short I have lost 10's of thousands of pounds on broken promises. They sold us a dream and now the reality has turned into a nightmare.


We served them notice last week and said via phone then email that we could no longer afford to operate the services due to the loss we were making, and that we would not be operating after 30th September. Radio silence until last night when we received a threatening phone call last night from one of their team. This resulted in me emailing them today saying that due to the phone call we would only operate until Friday evening. This evening I received a phone call from the Managing Director of the 'green in colour coaches' UK. It was a barrage of insults, abuse and threats. I instantly rang my drivers and cancelled all services. Something I have never done before but after what he said, it was my only option.


I've no doubt they won't pay us for the work carried out this month but to be honest I'm just glad I'm out of it. It's the best decision I've made in all my years of business. We're lucky as we can manage to cover the losses and carry on, but some people may not be so lucky.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Some people simply cannot treat freelancers or subcontractors properly and this this would seem to be the case regardless of whether you are a small one man band or a coach company employing staff. Not so good

 

[Eyersey468]

According to a post that Jordan Ridley has posted on the ‘Coach Operators Corner’ Facebook group, he is taking his coaches (Ridley’s Coaches) off of what is clearly the Flixbus network.

I've heard that as well

 

[markymark2000]

I've heard that as well

Proof is on the Flixbus website where all Ridleys trips are cancelled.

Can't really quote the source as per rules but here is the link. Put in the stop and it shows cancelled trips. Ridley's ran the 020, 021 and 023.

https://www.flixbus.co.uk/track/

 

[Mwanesh]

Can't really fault Ridley. They can't subsidise a giant like Flixbus. The amount of contractors who come and go is concerning. They should keep them long term

 

[M803UYA]

Can't really fault Ridley. They can't subsidise a giant like Flixbus. The amount of contractors who come and go is concerning. They should keep them long term

Unless Flixbus intends to grow by acquisition they'll find that the pool of operators will shrink fairly fast. I notice that Ridleys posted that facebook post to a coach operators group, so one can only surmise the audience of the post. No doubt some current operators will read that and draw conclusions.
Flixbus' operating model is to find operators who stand the operating costs of the services they want to operate. That model works elsewhere, but if they cannot find operators to run their services in the UK they'll either have to alter it, or operate coaches themselves. That's not something they have done. In this expansion phase they're in they seem to have a lot of unhappy customers on trustpilot.

 

[Eyersey468]

Unless Flixbus intends to grow by acquisition they'll find that the pool of operators will shrink fairly fast. I notice that Ridleys posted that facebook post to a coach operators group, so one can only surmise the audience of the post. No doubt some current operators will read that and draw conclusions.
Flixbus' operating model is to find operators who stand the operating costs of the services they want to operate. That model works elsewhere, but if they cannot find operators to run their services in the UK they'll either have to alter it, or operate coaches themselves. That's not something they have done. In this expansion phase they're in they seem to have a lot of unhappy customers on trustpilot.

I've just been reading some of their trustpilot reviews, they make interesting reading.

 

[embers25]

On 0110 from Exeter today and at 0125 I msged them as there was no coach and it wasnt tracking. They didnt respond to my msg but did them send an email and text saying it would be 79 mins late. Better than nothing but far from ideal.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Stop the recent postings in this thread make for very depressing reading indeed. With the ongoing carnage on the rail network, every bus and coach operator that travels any significant distance be it and X numbered stage carriage service that connects regional destinations or or long-distance operators like NX MB and flex they could really corner a sizeable chunk of the market particularly the leisure market if we continue to see strikes over the weekend and result and chaos picking themself up after strikes and engineering works thrown into the mix as well. But it just doesn't seem to be happening.

 

[route101]

On 0110 from Exeter today and at 0125 I msged them as there was no coach and it wasnt tracking. They didnt respond to my msg but did them send an email and text saying it would be 79 mins late. Better than nothing but far from ideal.

I wonder if they have a UK based customer service team. I thought it was centralised. Flixbus is just a brand really.

 

[markymark2000]

I wonder if they have a UK based customer service team. I thought it was centralised. Flixbus is just a brand really.

It's all centralised abroad, nothing in the UK. Not sure if they took on but there was a UK network planner role based either in the UK or Brussels. How can someone in Brussels plan a UK bus network?

 

[Flying Snail]

They are essentially just a website.

Very much the "tech disruptor" level of business, the coach equivalent of Uber, cream off as much profit as possible in the middleman role while providing non-existent quality control or customer support.

 

[johncrossley]

They have phone numbers in several countries.

FlixBus General Conditions of Carriage

On this page you can familiarise yourself with the FlixBus general conditions of carriage. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!

www.flixbus.co.uk

• Calls from Germany and Switzerland (German landline): +49 30 300 137 300
• Calls from Austria (Austrian landline): +43 820 910 340
• Calls from Italy (Italian landline): +39 (02) 947 59 208
• Calls from France (French landline): +33 (0)1 76 36 04 12
• Calls from Great Britain (British landline): +44 1491 502156
• Calls from Croatia (Croatian landline): +385 1 300 0803
• Calls from Denmark (Danish landline): +45 35 15 40 55
• Calls from Sweden (Swedish landline): +46812411600
• Calls from Poland (Polish landline): +48 22 307 93 34
• Calls from Hungary (Hungarian landline): +36 1 701 04 78
• Calls from Romania (Romanian landline): +4 0373 808 000
• Calls from Ukraine (Ukrainian landline): +38 044 228 1473*

So, unless they don't speak anything other than English or German, it would be surprising if they don't have some physical presence in at least a few of those countries.

 

[embers25]

They have phone numbers in several countries.

FlixBus General Conditions of Carriage

On this page you can familiarise yourself with the FlixBus general conditions of carriage. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!

www.flixbus.co.uk

So, unless they don't speak anything other than English or German, it would be surprising if they don't have some physical presence in at least a few of those countries.

I use their online messaging and within 1 minute at 0130 I got a hello from Irena asking how can I help. I posted my question and got no answer at all. Then 5 mins later I got an email confirming the delay but still no reply on the chat.
In the end it left Plymouth 96 mins late but after missing Reading and Hammersmith we only arrived only 38 mins late. Apparently the inbound service got delayed 3 hours in the planned M4 closure between Reading and Theale. Although both National Express coaches around the same time only got delayed an hour.

 

[MotCO]

Calls from Great Britain (British landline): +44 1491 502156

This apparently is Henley on Thames, unless it is an auto divert to the European central call centre.

 

[anthony263]

Can't see flixbus managing much longer in the UK at this rate.