Between the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the United States’ 250th anniversary, travelers across the country will flock to major cities this summer to join the festivities, and bus company Greyhound is positioning itself as a premier choice for intercity travel.
Greyhound is building on several years of customer experience improvements, according to Kai Boysan, CEO of Flix North America. Flix, a global travel technology company, acquired Greyhound in 2021, and has since led the bus company in a widespread transformation effort that elevated its net promoter score.
Now, as an extremely busy season approaches, Greyhound is working to maintain the high standard it has set for the customer experience.
“It is a period of extra pressure, and it's really important for us to deliver the same level of experience,” Boysan told CX Dive. “At Flix, we've handled similar scale demand peaks across the globe, and in the U.S., we're fairly confident that we can deliver on it.”
Reliable, on-time service has been essential to Greyhound’s turnaround, alongside cleaner terminals and more comfortable rides. The effort is backed by investments in technology and culture, including collecting customer feedback and ensuring it’s put to proper use.
Rising fuel prices and airlines’ focus on premiumization are creating opportunities for travel companies outside of airlines to win new customers, according to Katy Nastro, a travel expert at Going. Cost-conscious and leisure travelers, in particular, may be more willing to consider bus travel.
“Specifically this year, travelers are more open to all options, all modes of transportation, especially with the price of airfare up so much year over year,” Nastro told CX Dive.
Timeliness is of the essence
Improving on-time performance was a priority for Flix after it acquired Greyhound, according to Boysan.
“On-time performance is really critical,” Boysan said. “We know it's the No. 1 expectation from us, and when we're on time departing and we arrive on time, we get a positive net promoter score.”
The company tackled the challenge by working on departure and arrival times separately, according to Boysan. Departures were the easy part — Greyhound was able to reach overall on-time departures in the greater than 90% range within a few months.
Today the average on-time departure rate is about 97%, and some regions have achieved a 100% rate, according to Boysan. That enables a better on-time arrival rate, and Greyhound has been able to achieve approximately 85% to 90% of buses arriving on time depending on the region.
Strong on-time rates are vital to a good travel experience, but buses in particular are at the mercy of outside forces, according to Nastro. Unfortunately for buses, customers are no less forgiving when something goes wrong.
“A lot of us remember, especially if we were taking buses on a Friday or during rush hour, getting stuck in traffic and not making it to our destinations until much later in the evening,” Nastro said. “That really can sour your experience.”
Technology is key to achieving high on-time rates for departures and arrivals, according to Boysan. Greyhound is integrated with the Flix tech stack, which tracks buses in real time and uses AI-based scheduling to forecast demand for a smoother experience.
Drivers play a part, too. Greyhound fosters “internal, productive competition” with rewards for drivers who lead in on-time rates, Boysan said. They serve as an example for other drivers while keeping customers happy by delivering them to their destinations on-time.
Comfort and connections improve travel
Customers want a comfortable trip from start to finish, on the bus and while they wait, according to Boysan.
Any trip both starts and ends in a bus terminal, so the experience has to be great at either end, Boysan said. Bus terminals can be isolated, and Greyhound has worked to connect its buses with trains, airport shuttles and public transport to simplify transfers.
“We need to make sure that where they board the bus, and where they deboard the bus, is ultimately a better location for them,” Boysan said. “We are making Greyhound an integral part of the transportation system.”
Greyhound has also been buying buses to reduce the average age of its fleet and improve comfort, according to Boysan. The company acquired 185 new vehicles in the past two years and plans to purchase another 80.
“For us, it's part of our ongoing business,” Boysan said. “We need to keep the fleet at a certain age and a certain level. So that's our philosophy at Greyhound — to make sure that we keep it so the comfort level always stays at the highest level possible.”
Greyhound offers premium options as well. Options range from Landscape seats near the front of the bus for a better view of the journey to discount fares for customers who want to purchase two side-by-side seats for extra space.
Collecting feedback for improved satisfaction
No CX overhaul happens in a vacuum, and Greyhound has worked to stay in touch with its customers to keep on top of their needs.
“The way we see it is that a happy customer is the biggest investment we can make,” Boysan said. “That happy customer is, in the vast majority of cases, a repeat customer. And on top of that, we would like to get their recommendation to his or her friends.”
Flix’s tech stack lets Greyhound communicate with customers on an ongoing basis, according to Boysan. That includes during the boarding process as well as the deboarding process, which is when the company asks them for feedback.
The company takes feedback on topics from cleanliness to the driver and compares it by region, Boysan said. Once a course of action becomes clear, Greyhound uses A/B testing to examine alternatives to see which has the biggest impact on customer satisfaction metrics.
Employee feedback is essential, too. Greyhound now tracks the conversations between drivers and their supervisors to ensure their voice is being heard as well.
“We wanted to increase that touchpoint, because that actually increases the feedback that we get from the customers about the drivers, because when drivers feel good, customers feel good,” Boysan said.
As the summer rush starts, Greyhound will need to put its feedback to use to keep its experience at its peak.
The combination of domestic events and high air fairs will bring new customers to alternative travel options, but it will also create more potential for slowdowns, according to Nastro. Travel brands need to ensure their trips go over without a hitch or risk alienating anxious riders.
“With more people, there’s always another level of frustration,” Nastro said. “Whenever there’s a big, massive travel disruption, and it interrupts a lot of people’s travel plans, the general consensus is not exactly understanding.”
Greyhound is prepared for the summer rush, according to Boysan. The company is putting spare buses in place, placing a blackout on certain kinds of time off, monitoring where it needs to adjust bus schedules, and working with public transportation authorities to keep up with demand.
“Since we take these passengers from city centers to city centers, they're probably going to choose us more than other modes of transport,” Boysan said. “So we're well prepared for that, and working with all the stakeholders to make sure it's a smooth experience for all the fans enjoying the World Cup.”
