SkyBus gone up again [Up to $23.90 one way]

[Aussie_flyer]

I bought my first Skybus 10 trip ticket since January.

The bad news is that it now costs $150. Up yet another $10. I remember when it was $110.

The good news is that Amex is still accepted without surcharge and that its now valid for 18 months not 12.

Yeah they ditched amex for a while but brought it back pretty quick. Madness not to accept it I thought

 

[marki]

Yeah they ditched amex for a while but brought it back pretty quick. Madness not to accept it I thought

I bought my first Skybus 10 trip ticket since January.

The bad news is that it now costs $150. Up yet another $10. I remember when it was $110.

The good news is that Amex is still accepted without surcharge and that it's now valid for 18 months not 12.

Totally agree ......but the bus is much newer lots are double decker with lots of room and the timetable is more frequent from when it was $110. I hardly wait nowadays ....

And don't forget at the other end you still get taken to your hotels in new minibuses

They do give value for money as opposed to just increasing the fare with value adding.

I am in no way affiliated with Skybus except for purchasing 10 ticket stump for 150 AUD

 

[moa999]

Yet another fare increase on 23 March -- going up to $19

 

[Buzzard]

At this rate a Cab to the CBD will soon be more convenient.

 

[aussiel]

Time to start Cab-pooling!

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Really disgusting for what is usually overcrowded and uncomfortable

 

[serfty]

Yet another fare increase on 23 March -- going up to $19

Thanks for the heads up - just finished the last of a $150 ten tripper on Monday. I was working out whether to buy today or wait until Wednesday when I need it.

That has crystallized my thoughts (Only use Skybus when time sensitive or late eveing, otherwise it's the 901) one way.

How much will the 10 tripper rise to?

 

[moa999]

How much will the 10 tripper rise to?

I'll check tonight. Just pre purchased this morning before boarding tram to F1

 

[Blackswan]

Really disgusting for what is usually overcrowded and uncomfortable

Agree. A lot of the trips I take that orginate from Southern Cross require me to stand for the duration of the trip, because there's no seats left. I know I could wait for the next service, but I'm normally in a hurry.

I'm going to start looking at the 901 option.

 

[serfty]

I just had an online chat (popped up while checking current prices) and was able to confirm only a "$1 price rise" - no further information was available about changes to price of 'return' or 10-trip version.

When pressed all I received was come back and ask again "in a few days"; by which time the changes would be known and in force anyway.

 

[Mattg]

Yet another fare increase on 23 March -- going up to $19

They can't be serious. The price is already an absolute joke!

I seriously doubt I will ever use the Sky Bus again. The bus/train combination via Broadmeadows works well enough.

 

[moa999]

I did that way from.. Only problem is that every odd bus is scheduled to arrive at the same time as train. Miss it and 20min wait. I sprinted yesterday and made it through half open doors

 

[Melburnian1]

This is more than a five per cent rise in the one way fare when inflation is at about two per cent per annum.

 

[opusman]

I always do the 901 by myself these days unless it's late at night. If things go smoothly I can be in the QP in just over an hour from the city (although the walk from T4 now adds about 10 minutes, grrr). Not that much less convenient than the bus considering I usually have no one next to me on the train or bus and don't get stuck waiting for people to collect their luggage when getting off.

When travelling with mrsOpusman it's a taxi both ways now. Skybus must be creaming it off tourists who know no better but I bet they have lost a lot of their regulars in the past couple of years.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

This is more than a five per cent rise in the one way fare when inflation is at about two per cent per annum.

Consider a return was $30 about 2 yrs ago... will now be $38

 

[whatmeworry]

Meanwhile a Myki zone 1+2, 2 hour ticket remains the same.

 

[travelislife]

I don't get why we have a private company run the airport-southern cross service? Why isn't it through PTV, it could even be a 'premium' route at $10 each way and they would turn a good profit. In Europe most of the airports had public buses. Berlin was the best, something like 2 euros to the centre of town.

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

Yet another fare increase on 23 March -- going up to $19

Absolute disgrace.

Is this the world's most expensive bus trip $ paid Versus distance travelled ?

What is the Andrews Govt Response?

 

[Himeno]

I don't get why we have a private company run the airport-southern cross service? Why isn't it through PTV, it could even be a 'premium' route at $10 each way and they would turn a good profit. In Europe most of the airports had public buses. Berlin was the best, something like 2 euros to the centre of town.

Same with CBR. The airport bus in Canberra runs from the CBD bus interchange to the airport via a few stops. This route used to be operated by the Queanbeyan public transport buses. It's now run by a private company with $12 oneway, $20 return.
Meanwhile, the local Canberra public transport buses are not allowed to service the CBR terminal, while they do service Brindabella Park and Majura Park, the Business and Retail zones adjacent to the airfield. The buses have to go past the terminal to get between Brindabella Park and Majura Park. There are people who get the public bus to Brindabella Park, then walk 5 minutes to the terminal for ~$4 rather then take the airport bus.

 

[G00r]

As someone who has driven public buses (not for TransDev) the old saying goes, "there are a 1001 reasons for running late, there are no excuses for running early".
Meaning it was perfectly acceptable to stop for a coffee and be 5 minutes late, but if you were reported as running more than 90 seconds early one too many times, that was the end of your employment.

I'm surprised to hear that so many smart buses are running early, especially as the 'smart bus' system constantly tracks their adherence to the schedule... On their Smart route console (rectangular one between myki terminal and speedo) it shows +1 minute or -5 minute (position in relation to timetable).
Ventura/Transdev routes have the more priority systems on their route than any other operator (slip lanes, traffic light priority, traffic signal holds etc) and at non peak times, they shouldn't need to be getting 'time up their sleeve' by leaving checkpoints early.

My advice is to start reporting early running buses to transdev on their website, you should start to notice improvements pretty quickly, else contact PTV and tell them that Transdev haven't done anything about it.
As a on-call contractor at Southern Cross (standing around waiting for things to go wrong), I see a lot of private rides being offered to Skybus passengers, which seems to enjoy a pretty high success rate, especially when directed at groups of 3-4.
Reading about another price hike makes me want to use my (paid) spare time at SCS to hand out 'did you know you can....' type flyers in the coach terminal.

Travelling to MEL from Geelong is not much better, $32 to travel in a Toyota Coasta or Mitsubishi Rosa.. For a few dollars more I can rent a Hertz, drive myself, earn points, leave when I want to and get as equally as close to the terminal.