Luxe bus service to run between OKC and Dallas


Vonlane, the popular luxury bus line that has been running routes between key Texas cities, will add service between downtown Oklahoma City and Dallas starting in January.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/vonlane1.jpg


The move will coincide with the decision by Southwest Airlines to drop non-stop service between the two cities.

“When Southwest announced that they were ending non-stop service between Dallas and Oklahoma City, we knew that we needed to fill the void as quickly as possible. Adding this route was always in our plans, but when we realized that travelers would be left without a direct option, we kicked into high gear to ensure service was in place on January 6.” said Alex Danza, Founder & CEO of Vonlane in a press release.

Vonlane refers to itself as a 'private jet on wheels', with leather seats, on-demand digital media, free Wi-fi and snacks and on-board crew service.

Fares will be $99 one-way or $198 roundtrip. Terminals will be the OKC's Downtown Sheraton at 1 N. Broadway and the Doubletree Hotel across from Love Field in Dallas. They do not charge for baggage.

The schedule features 21 departures weekly from each city:

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Dallas and Oklahoma City at 6:15am, 10:15am, 2:15pm and 6:15pm
Tuesday: Dallas at 6:15am and 2:15pm; Oklahoma City at 10:15am and 6:15pm
Saturday: Dallas at 9:00am; Oklahoma City at 1:00pm
Sunday: Dallas and Oklahoma City at 1:00pm and 5:00pm

Vonlane was launched in 2014 and markets itself to leisure travelers and business people who want to use their travel time productively. It currently serves Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio.



http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/vonlane5.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/vonlane2.png

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/vonlane3.png

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/vonlane4.png

i'm trying to make sense of this... why would i spend more to ride a bus to love field when i can just fly into dfw?

i'm trying to make sense of this... why would i spend more to ride a bus to love field when i can just fly into dfw?

Time, convenience & comfort. Other than those three, I can't think of a reason.

i'm trying to make sense of this... why would i spend more to ride a bus to love field when i can just fly into dfw?

If your meeting/stay is in downtown Dallas, you cut your local drive or transit time in half, minimum? And how is $198 round trip more expensive than the direct AA flights to DFW? Doing a random search (Dec 10-11, 2019), a Main Cabin round trip is $188 (incl. taxes). You don't get the level of snacks or free food that you'd get on Vonlane... Your local transportation would also cost you less from Love.

There is also a DART station at Love Field.

I will be using this a ton. More than likely I will no longer use Amtrak Heartland Flyer. This is a much better option.

That's the nicest commercial Bus I've ever seen. The fact that SWA has stopped non stops between OKC and Dal surprises me. I was an original employee for SWA in 1980. OKC-Dal was our Bread and Butter then. We started with 7 flts. 4 to-from Dal and 3 to-from Hou.

There is also a DART station at Love Field.

Same line that ends at DFW.

I know people who use this all the time because they have to commute from Dallas to Houston all the time for work. They live close to the downtown area so they can just go there, take it to Houston, and then go to their meetings in the downtown area there. They like it because it's comfortable, convenient, and they don't have to fuss with getting to the airport and dealing with security.

There is a cabin map showing if a seat has limited recline or legroom (think SeatGuru). Near the back there is a four-passenger club seating arrangement with table.

Southwest created this opportunity, and Vonlane stepped right into it.

At $99/ticket & 22 seats max, I wonder what load factor they'll need to be profitable on this route?

This is awesome, but is that a typo on the roundtrip or is it literally just the same amount as two one-ways..?

I have a friend who takes this from Austin to Dallas and LOVES IT. Kicks back, does work, reading, etc. She can't say enough good things about it!

This is awesome, but is that a typo on the roundtrip or is it literally just the same amount as two one-ways..?

Not a typo.

This will used by my elderly family to visit us in OK. They just dont/cant fly and this offers them a safer way than driving. I am all for it.

Plus, you don't have to deal with airport security and all that baggage hassle and expense.

Most appealing to me is you can use all that time; free wifi without interruption, etc.

It looks like they provide mixers. Is it BYOB?

It looks like they provide mixers. Is it BYOB?

No, they serve drinks on the buses for a fee (at least on the Texas routes). You can bring on non-alcoholic drinks.

Time, convenience & comfort. Other than those three, I can't think of a reason.i get the comfort aspect... but in my mind, time and convenience are on the side of a forty minute flight.

And how is $198 round trip more expensive than the direct AA flights to DFW? Doing a random search (Dec 10-11, 2019), a Main Cabin round trip is $188 (incl. taxes). You don't get the level of snacks or free food that you'd get on Vonlane... Your local transportation would also cost you less from Love.i looked earlier on expedia during january and came up with something around $150 for a round trip ticket.i'm sure the amenities are way better, but i'm not going to miss that too much of that on a forty minute flight.

Plus, you don't have to deal with airport security and all that baggage hassle and expense.Most appealing to me is you can use all that time; free wifi without interruption, etc.okc airport security has never been a hassle for me. i would think the main target would be commuters/business travelers and so luggage wouldn't be a big deal, either... however, i do wonder if a person with large amounts or bulky luggage would have a better time with this bus.in-flight wi-fi does, indeed, suck... but i can live with that reality during a forty minute flight.

But the 40-minute flight, plus getting there an hour early, plus delays at airports, plus all the jacking around with getting on and off the plane, etc. etc.

I bet this wouldn't take any longer and be way more comfortable and less hassle.

Not to mention airfare tickets fluctuate in price a bit and I’m assuming these ticket prices for the buses are fixed?

I prefer the train, but for grins I will probably try this at least once.

And if you look at the bus configuration, you have way, way more space... Airplanes now are incredibly claustrophobic and half the time you either can't get up or you are pinned in by other passengers.

I've really grown to detest flying.

I prefer the train, but for grins I will probably try this at least once.

They need to look at certain realignment options(if any), track straightening, double/triple tracking(2 entire length 3 in certain areas if needed), and upgraded trains with PTE. They should shave 2 hours off of the trip. I’ve grown to love the train but it is highly impractical, IMO, other than simple leisure or having basically no other option than Greyhound. I will not ever take another Greyhound again less I’m left with no other option.

This will used by my elderly family to visit us in OK. They just dont/cant fly and this offers them a safer way than driving. I am all for it.


I thought the same thing. My wife's Grandma lives not far from love field. Told my wife and she said she doesn't think her Grandma will go for it. We'll see.

Good looking coach. But I'm obviously not their target market. I see these things and go "but I can get right into my car (no buying tickets, showing up early, worrying about kids on board or annoying passengers) and be there in 3 hours and less than a tank of gas and drive straight to where I actually want to be (which isn't Love Field).

That said, I could see the elderly or frequent business related passengers liking it. If I had to travel from OKC to Love Field and couldn't drive - I would consider this over a plane as I loath flying.

I might consider it because I hate driving in Dallas, can’t imagine I would ever elect to drive to Love Field. That said, the pick up spot in OKC is about as inconvenient to me as it could be.

It would be nice to see the bus pick riders up at Santa Fe Station. This would further the connections a single station offers and simultaneously increase the activity in and around the station which is good.

but its only 2 blocks away, not necessarily a deal breaker. And most importantly, this provides OPTIONS for people which is the point of going to/living in a big city. I also very much love that the timing sets up nicely for Dallas into OKC for business (which usually is the case for the bigger city).OKC now has the following options to DFW: flights from WRWA-DFW, Amtrak, Volane, FlixBus, Greyhound, personal driving - that's a very nice slate of options I"d expect to see between two of the largest cities in that region (and both important business cities). I hope it's used well along with some of the other options that have some feed from Tulsa.Now what I don't understand is why the bus doesn't go to downtown Dallas .. I think the routing should be: Sheraton downtown OKC - WRWA - Love Field - Omni downtown Dallas. This provides EVEN more options and even better cators to the business audience.

as for WN-Southwest, I suspect that they will reintroduce DAL-OKC after the 737-Max issue is settled and/or they decide on refreshing their fleet. It doesn't make sense not to have two flights per day in the city pair but I can see how they'd pull the route given the MAX issue and the fact that there are other more profitable/necessary routes that today might need the plane vs OKC. Hopefully DAL-OKC on WN is not reintroduced until the other transportation options announced mature a bit (maybe 2 years) - that's the key to me to the cities having great transportation options that last. ...

Hotrod, I hear you but I still think the Santa Fe Hub should have most of the transit options directly adjacent to it.

My personal ambitions are the a new massive parking garage and bus depot built directly East of the viaduct, Santa Fe garage demolished, EK Gaylord slightly shifted to the west and narrowed to 1 lane NB and 2 lanes SB, and a skyscraper built atop of the transit HUB area with a pedestrian plaza expanded and the viaduct widened with sidewalks built on both sides of EK Gaylord.

I'm probably not their target audience either, but I guess if you hate flying, this is reasonable option although it only shaves one hour off the train time and unless it has it's own lane, I -35 construction will affect the timetable just like any passenger car. I could see people using it maybe for OU-TX weekend.
I tend to think of these bus services more to places without cheap air service i.e. Long Island, Hamptons, Hudson from NYC, or to Napa from SFO or Oakland.

Statistically speaking, I am more likely to be killed in a bus accident than a plane. If that factors into such decisions.

It looks cool actually, they should do that for planes too...

Same line that ends at DFW.

Huh?

To clarify, there isn’t a DART station at Love Field. You have to take a 10 minute bus to get to the DART stop.

They need to look at certain realignment options(if any), track straightening, double/triple tracking(2 entire length 3 in certain areas if needed), and upgraded trains with PTE. They should shave 2 hours off of the trip. I’ve grown to love the train but it is highly impractical, IMO, other than simple leisure or having basically no other option than Greyhound. I will not ever take another Greyhound again less I’m left with no other option.

What is PTE? When I Google it, I get Passenger Transport Executives

I will be using this a ton. More than likely I will no longer use Amtrak Heartland Flyer. This is a much better option.

I came to the opposite conclusion. I will use this none because the Amtrak Heartland Flyer is a much better option all things considered (e.g., $30 to $100).

Plus when you get off, you can grab the TRE train at the same station and get over to Dallas or DFW. Not as posh, sure. A bit slower, sure. But if I'm in a rush then I'm flying.

I came to the opposite conclusion. I will use this none because the Amtrak Heartland Flyer is a much better option all things considered (e.g., $30 to $100).

Money wise sure but amenities can’t be beat. We need the same trains the new Acela service has.

I give it maybe a year before it folds like all the other short-run bus options that have come and gone.

I give it maybe a year before it folds like all the other short-run bus options that have come and gone.

Vonlane was founded in 2014.

I came to the opposite conclusion. I will use this none because the Amtrak Heartland Flyer is a much better option all things considered (e.g., $30 to $100).

Is the train really only $30? I went to the website and it is completely awful and doesn't even list pricing. Because 60 bucks round trip versus 200 is a major perk for the train.

I ran a quick search and found 1 for $40 one way. Took an hour longer and involved a transfer/layover too.

$31 from OKC to Ft. Worth. There are limitations on refunding though.

Heartland Flyer is a fantastic deal. It stops a handful of times, and takes about 3h 45min total to downtown ft worth. its fairly consistent and you dont have to arrive super early like the airport. Around $30 one way to FTW. Make it $42 if you want to connect to Downtown Dallas on the Texas Eagle.

Heartland Flyer is a fantastic deal. It stops a handful of times, and takes about 3h 45min total to downtown ft worth. its fairly consistent and you dont have to arrive super early like the airport. Around $30 one way to FTW. Make it $42 if you want to connect to Downtown Dallas on the Texas Eagle.huh... i would've guessed you were more of an airplane and parachute type of person. : )

The bus does look like a nice, comfortable, non-stressed ride. But am I missing something, it looks to me like Southwest flies a couple direct routes between Dallas Love Field and OKC daily (?)

The bus does look like a nice, comfortable, non-stressed ride. But am I missing something, it looks to me like Southwest flies a couple direct routes between Dallas Love Field and OKC daily (?)

Not in 2020

huh... i would've guessed you were more of an airplane and parachute type of person. : )

Brilliant. I wonder how many will get it.

I ran a quick search and found 1 for $40 one way. Took an hour longer and involved a transfer/layover too.

I’ve never paid $40. It’s always a little less than that. There are no transfers or layovers. There are stops, but the longest one is like 3 minutes in Ardmore.

I’ve loved it riding it. You can arrive just a few minutes before and hop on. The snack and food options are limited, but they’re fine. I enjoyed a couple elderly women who scarfed down Coronas and hot dogs once food service opened on a Monday morning ride earlier this year. They were living their best life.

Vonlane was founded in 2014.

But they are new here....wont last here.

I rode this yesterday, OKC-Dallas-OKC. It’s a true luxury transport option, very comfortable, convenient and within five minutes of scheduled arrival both ways. It was five minutes from the Sheraton parking garage to the bus (compared with 1-2 hours recommended before airline departure). A cabin attendant provides no-cost drinks, snacks & lunch (I had a chicken Caesar salad) and alcohol is available at a charge. The bathroom was larger than what you’ll find in most airplanes. The experience is more like a large private jet than airline first class. The bus felt brand-new. Sound was 80-85 dB according to an app I use, and the ride was comfortable (I-35 is smoother in OK than TX). At your seat is a drink holder, AC outlet, USB port, audio jack & controls for the A/V system with overhead TV screens. Also overhead is a reading light & air vent. Windows have see-through shades. The 22 seats are comfortable with deep recline, foot rests & tray tables, and four seats are in a “club seating” configuration around a small conference table, excellent for reading & work. The economics favor one person traveling alone (two or more would be better sharing driving expenses), or a small team wanting to spread out & work during the drive.

^

Thanks very much for the review.

When you were dropped in Dallas, how did you get from there to where you wanted to go?

also is the cost 99 bucks one way or 99 for the round trip??

also is the cost 99 bucks one way or 99 for the round trip??

It's $99 each way. Compared to the cost of car travel (using the 2020 IRS reimbursement rate of $0.575/mile), your car would cost $116.15 for that trip, versus $99.00 for Vonlane. YMMV.

Pete, I never left the Doubletree. I took an armload of reading, research and other work.

It's $99 each way. Compared to the cost of car travel (using the 2020 IRS reimbursement rate of $0.575/mile), your car would cost $116.15 for that trip, versus $99.00 for Vonlane. YMMV.



this seems to make driving a no brainer if you are paying for the travel and can deduct the milage ..

actually gas cost to drive (at 20mpg) is around 42 dollars round trip with a write off of 232.3

not sure this is competive unless someone else is paying for it

this seems to make driving a no brainer if you are paying for the travel and can deduct the milage ..

actually gas cost to drive (at 20mpg) is around 42 dollars round trip with a write off of 232.3

not sure this is competive unless someone else is paying for it

Unfortunately those are my thoughts exactly.

This is great for those without cars and the elderly. Otherwise I consider it too expensive. Also why I'd never consider a plane or train just to get to DFW.

I work with people who bill by the hour and this would absolutely be the way to go. You can work all the down and all the way back.

Why not a train? It's $30 Amtrak from Fort Worth to OKC. That's what I do. My only complaint with Amtrak is that it's only once a day. Even two times a day would make a big difference. But it's super comfortable with big chairs, outlets, food, and drinks.

Why not a train? It's $30 Amtrak from Fort Worth to OKC. That's what I do. My only complaint with Amtrak is that it's only once a day. Even two times a day would make a big difference. But it's super comfortable with big chairs, outlets, food, and drinks.

Well, I've gotta get back, so, actually $62. I'm always going to be traveling with at least my wife = $124. I wanna come and go on my own schedule. Then I've gotta pay for transportation once I get there and I'm not going to arrive at where I actually want to end up.

Makes more sense to drive.