Budget travel just got sexy with a touch of luxury.
As a part of its upgrading in recent years, Greyhound continues to enter the 21st century with the addition of BLUE, an onboard entertainment system developed in cooperation with Lufthansa Systems.
Greyhound is the first and only intercity bus carrier to offer a personalized onboard entertainment experience provided by Lufthansa Systems.
The entertainment system, Bus Line Universal Entertainment powered by Lufthansa Systems Velimo platform, allows passengers to hook up their personal electronic Wi-Fi enabled devices to watch movies, listen to music, surf the Web and play games from the comfort of their seats, according to the Greyhound July 9 news release.
Greyhound is the largest provider of intercity bus transportation in the U.S.
“As a transportation leader, we constantly provide ways to offer a more fun, comfortable ride and introduce customers to a wholly new travel experience,” says Dave Leach, president and CEO, Greyhound. “With BLUE, we are adding an exclusive, top-of-the-line onboard entertainment system at the touch of our customers’ fingertips, further complementing our current family of premium amenities such as free Wi-Fi, power outlets, extra legroom and leather seats.”
The system will be tested on Greyhound Express service between Dallas and Houston and BoltBus, in the Pacific Northwest, as a part of an exclusive six-month pilot program.
BoltBus, which operates in the Atlantic Northeast and Pacific Northwest, is a sister company under the Greyhound umbrella.
Broader roll-out of BLUE is planned for later this year.
The state-of-the-art technology developed by Lufthansa Systems has Hollywood Studios stamp of approval. The system is the first in the market to deliver a turnkey video solution over Wi-Fi on a bus with secure digital rights management encryption and a compliant content supply chain, according to the release.
The budget way to travel, Greyhound didn’t cut corners when developing the system both companies took to leading edge technology and expertise from German IT specialist in providing trend setting infotainment solutions for mobile platforms like aircraft and cruise ships.
When developing the solution both companies benefited from the leading edge technology from Lufthansa Systems and from the extensive experience of the German IT specialist in providing trend setting infotainment solutions for mobile platforms like aircraft and cruise ships.
Once onboard, customers can enjoy BLUE via their Wi-Fi enabled personal devices including laptops, tablets or smartphones, with access to more than 25 movies, 15 hours of television shows, 100 music albums and five games. Customers can also surf the Web, read digital news publications, check their trip maps and review destination guides.
“Greyhound will be a global first BYOD experience in the bus industry and we are proud to make that happen,” says Bernd Appel, SVP industry solutions at Lufthansa Systems. “This new entertainment solution again shows the mobility and agility of our technology.”
“We are proud that it helps Greyhound to provide its passengers with a truly unique travel experience, which will further strengthen its position as a leader in this field of transportation,” he adds.
Working to catch up with airlines and other transportation industry leaders, Greyhound has been moving quickly to introduce a number of advancements to improve the on-the-ground travel experience.
Greyhound recently installed self-service ticketing kiosks at more than 20 major terminals, allowing customers to purchase a ticket using cash or credit card, weigh their bag and receive a destination bag tag all in one transaction. The company also expanded its wireless network to include nearly 95 Wi-Fi enabled terminals, introduced its book on-line/pay with cash feature on Greyhound.com, and launched The Hound, Greyhound’s official blog featuring the company’s latest news, travel deals, and regularly featured destinations and attractions.
“We’re not just providing customers with a trip from Point A to Point B,” adds Leach. “By enhancing their experience from the moment they buy their ticket to the time they step off one of our modern buses, we are ensuring our customers choose Greyhound time and again when it comes to travel.”
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