Noember 9, 2021
A bus trip from New York City to Washington, D.C., doesn’t exactly scream luxury, but one travel startup is hoping to change that, according to the Robb Report.
The Jet, based in Arlington Virginia—with stops at Manhattan’s Hudson Yards (at 565 West 33 Street) and in Washington D.C.’s Metro Center (at 555 13th Street NW at F Street)—just launched a new upscale bus service between the two cities that it claims will bring travelers all the comforts of a private jet without the sky-high price tag.
Founder and CEO Chad Scarborough said the idea arose while he was doing the intercity jaunt years ago. “I’ve done this trip hundreds of times and often thought there had to be a better way from both a comfort and cost perspective,” the native New Yorker explains. “At $99, it’s a first-class experience most of us couldn’t otherwise afford.”
The Jet’s fleet will comprise four custom 45-foot motorcoaches featuring a full suite of amenities and personalized service. Each coach comes complete with just 14 seats (a typical bus would have closer to 50), a spacious restroom and a galley with an attendant to cater to your every whim.
The company claims that, while onboard, you’ll have access to lightning-quick WiFi that keeps the world at your fingertips. There also will be all the appropriate COVID-19 safety measures in place, including high-tech UV filtration and a vaccination requirement for all crew.
The real pièce de résistance, though, will actually be the thing you’re sitting on. Billed as “the world’s first motion-canceling passenger seats,” the new HoverSeats make for the “smoothest ride on the planet,” according to Scarborough. Two years in the making, the innovative design actually takes cues from Bose’s noise-canceling technology. Much like the tech titan’s headphones block out background sound, the active-suspension seats supposedly read and then cancel out 90% of all bumps and vibration from the road.
“It’s unlike any experience you’ve had in travel,” Scarborough tells Robb Report. “A comfort so unique you have to experience it to fully appreciate it.”
The seat itself features a gel-foam base and a memory foam back with lumbar support to keep you nicely cocooned. You can recline a full 70 degrees and make use of a built-in tray table. You’ll also enjoy ample legroom and a pneumatic leg rest.
The Jet says it will run multiple daily trips and round trips—but book quickly because the 14 seats will fill up fast.
Research contact: @RobbReport
