BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Trans-Bridge Lines is launching the final piece in its transition to allowing passengers to make reservations for all trips.
Beginning Dec. 18, all trips offer passengers a confirmed bus for the travel date and time booked, the company announced Friday.
Routes to Newark Airport, along with the Allentown/Clinton routes, have been added as the final piece in the transition to a reservation-based system rather than a first-come, first-served basis.
“This is our final transition in being a fully reservation-based company and it is the first time in our history that we will function completely with reservations,” Executive Vice President and Treasurer Jim JeBran, said in a release.
Trans-Bridge introduced the new reservation-based system back in spring, beginning with the Doylestown/Flemington routes.
Wall Street bus runs, the second to see an application of the new system, began in October.
The company initially anticipated one to two months for the introduction of the reservation-based system on each schedule but said the timetable wasn’t definitive.
The company, which has run with a first-come, first-served model since 1941, will now provide passengers with the security of knowing that a seat on the bus is saved for them. Customers will no longer need to arrive extra early to secure their place in line for boarding, they said.
“We now have the tools to better plan for heavier used routes and holiday travel.”Mark Ertel, vice president of operations, Trans-Bridge Lines
When a bus run reaches full capacity, sales for that route will no longer be open for booking or another bus may be added to accommodate more passengers, dependent upon motor coach drivers and bus availability.
“With this move, we are better able to track and predict travel trends,” said Mark Ertel, vice president of Operations.
“We now have the tools to better plan for heavier used routes and holiday travel,” he said.
Under the new system, passengers booked for any run should arrive about 15 minutes early and within five minutes of departure, or risk losing their seat to a standby passenger.
Passengers who can’t make their scheduled run are expected to reschedule their ticket, or it becomes null and void after the original run date.
Commuters will have 16 hours to reschedule boarding passes. After that, they’ll be null and void and the customer will not be refunded.
Trans-Bridge Lines encourages passengers to create online accounts in order to manage their own travel experiences in purchasing and rescheduling tickets, using credits, and storing payment methods.
Passengers will also still have the choice to buy tickets online or visit any of the company’s authorized ticket agent locations.
For more information on Trans-Bridge Lines and full details regarding reservations, visit the company’s website.
