FlixBus makes moves to conquer United States

After European success, German coach distruptor aims for over 1,000 daily connections for the States

European intercity coach operator, FlixBus, is bringing its business model to the United States.

Five years after its first European routes, FlixBus is to run services between US cities including LA, San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Tucson on 31 May. It is aiming to have over 1,000 daily connections in the US by the end of 2018. For the first phase of the US launch, 180 FlixBus connections will be operated by six regional bus partners.

In addition to the US launch, FlixMobility plans to extend its European portfolio by 30% in 2018 to 350,000 connections per day. Besides expanding its domestic networks in emerging markets such as Croatia, Poland and Czech Republic, the company will focus on cross-border services between major tourist destinations in western and eastern Europe. It operates services in the UK, providing a service to Paris.

FlixBus was launched in Germany in 2013 with a business model in which the operator manages the technology, ticketing, customer service, network planning, marketing and sales, while its local SME partners are responsible for the daily operation of buses. FlixBus currently has 300 bus partners throughout Europe. FlixMobility, with its brands FlixBus and FlixTrain, is the brainchild of Jochen Engert, Daniel Krauss and André Schwämmlein, who wanted to develop a completely new means of travel that was a blend of tech-start-up, e-commerce and traditional transportation.

André Schwämmlein said: “Our business model has revolutionised the way people view and utilise buses in Europe, and we are excited to offer this fresh take on bus travel to people in the United States. Travel can and should be simple and accessible to everyone. We harness technology to create a better experience for travellers, with the goal of providing smart and green mobility to experience the world.”