Greyhound: can I ensure I get a seat on the bus I want to use?
Some bad fortune has required me to change my Thanksgiving travel plans at the last minute. I canceled my train ticket and bought a Greyhound bus ticket instead. I'm concerned by this language on the ticket:
Seating is first-come, first-served. In case of insufficient seating capacity, passengers will be placed on succeeding schedules that have available seats.
I intentionally bought a late departure (overnight trip) ticket. Now I'm worried that was a mistake, if there will be a cascade of travelers bumped from earlier buses competing for seats. Is there anything I can do to ensure I get a seat on the bus I intended to?
Best Answer
Mark's answer is good. Here's my personal experience with Greyhound.
Just to be clear, the time on the ticket is completely meaningless. You show up, find out which gate your route boards from, get in that line. When the bus comes they let however many people they have room for on, if there isn't room for you that means you wait for the next bus on that route.
I've done Greyhound on the day before Thanksgiving a couple of times. It was pretty much complete anarchy as you probably imagine. I think I waited about 3 hours to board. The most frustrating part was there were (empty) buses at the gates, but I guess they didn't have drivers for them.
Check online to see how often the route you are using leaves. Arrive a few hours before a bus you'd like to make. Accept beforehand you may be waiting 4 hours or more. Bring entertainment for the line.
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Can you choose seats on Greyhound?
No problem \u2013 with our Seat Selection feature, you can reserve your favourite seat on the bus when you book your travel!Where is the best seat on a Greyhound bus?
You'll have a better chance of having two seats all to yourself, since everyone else will, undoubtedly, be heading towards the back of the bus. Personally, I prefer the front because it makes me feel more safe to be closer to the driver.What does economy extra mean on Greyhound?
Economy Extra. Flexible. Always the cheapest fare but still gives you all the onboard perks like free Wi-Fi, power sockets and lots of leg room. Be first in line to board and choose your seat. You can even hop on an earlier bus if there's room on the day.How to Get A Seat by Yourself on the Greyhound Bus
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Answer 2
According to the latest policy i got (ottawa - toronto and back):
It doesn't matter when you arrive anymore. It all depends on this number you have on the ticket. That number will determine your position in the lineup.
So no point if you show up 1 hour head, if your ticket number says "50", then you have to lineup as the 50th person. The announcer will call the posistions "#1 to #10 please line up for boarding".
I guess they want to be special and adopt this system instead of assigning seats like trains and planes...
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