FlixBus is planning to expand its long-distance bus service to the United States in 2018, with its first base set to be in Los Angeles. Its main competitors in the region will be Greyhound and Megabus.
There’s a noticeable change happening in the American transport market right now. Public transportation and sustainable travel are becoming more important. FlixBus emerged as a major player on European long-distance routes after Germany made inter-city bus services more accessible in 2013.
The company managed to survive a tough price war among new competitors, eventually capturing over 90 percent of the market share in Germany. This made its bright green buses a common sight on German highways. Interestingly, FlixBus doesn’t own any buses; instead, it collaborates with local and regional partners.
In the U.S., FlixBus will be up against companies like Megabus, which is operated by Britain’s Stagecoach Group and has been in the U.S. since 2006, as well as the established Greyhound bus line.
FlixBus mentioned that it has already sent a small team to Los Angeles to start setting up the base for its U.S. operations. However, it’s still unclear when and on which routes the bus service will start.