By Dave Millhouser

The Flxible VL100 pulled into the mall parking lot, and was greeted by 46 happy travelers headed to a youth camp.

The joy was diminished, however, when they discovered the bus only had 41 seats, and it evaporated completely when they learned there was no lavatory. The shopping center was in Pennsylvania and the camp in Colorado, so these things mattered.

We had three "classes" of service back in the day: 46-passenger, lavatory-equipped Eagles and Scenicruisers, 38-passenger GMs, also with lavs, and the aforementioned 41-seat Flxs with no potty.

We were crafty rascals and charged more for the BIG buses, and the lavatory-equipped ones.

Our customers cleverly figured out that MOST of the fleet was 40-foot coaches, and they could book, and pay for, small buses, while filling large ones. This time they paid the price in discomfort, with at least five people standing for 1,500 miles, maintaining a watch for rest areas.

As long as there have been motorcoaches, there have been attempts at providing upscale services for a premium price.

Beginning around 1930, with Pickwicks double-deck "sleeper" buses, operators have made efforts to distinguish themselves from the competition with the buses in their fleet, and provide extra value in return for extra margin.

Some of these attempts have been successful and some have fallen by the wayside.

If youre considering offering different classes of service, the FIRST thing to consider is how to avoid the trap we fell into -- allowing customers to game the system.

Have a plan, and make sure you have enough equipment, properly configured, to meet each specific market you are chasing. This can take the form of removable galleys and lounges that are only on the bus when theyre being paid for -- all the way to specific brands and models of coach.

In situations where youre forced to send an upscale coach, make SURE the customer is apprised of his or her luck, and made aware that they can have this every time if they will pay.

Coach manufacturers currently offer a stunning variety of options and features that you can package into a class of service: Two-plus-one seating, Wi-Fi, high-end entertainment systems, leather seats, individual headsets, seat-side electric outlets, galleys, even glass roofs are just some of the hardware available. In addition, you can offer amenities like escorts, food service and extra legroom.

Three of the northeast companies I respect the most offer upgraded amenities, at a premium price. One is a line carrier, the other two provide a mixed bag of services including charter and tour. One reconfigures older coaches, one buys a specific brand for luxury class, and the third uses different configurations of the same brand.

One thing they have in common is that they thought the "class" thing through before taking the plunge. Some of the impetus came from their customers, including tour brokers. They are willing to spend money configuring luxury-class coaches in return for a guaranteed volume. None of them bought the coaches and hoped to get the business.

Each has established a clear distinction for each class of service, and a price structure. Customers know exactly what theyre getting, and what it will cost.

If youre tempted to vary your offerings, there are a couple of keys to success, or minimizing risk.

Poll your customers. It would be great to have the business before you have the coach, but thats not always possible. See what your customers would like AND be willing to pay for. Configure a package that fits.

Try and use as much flexibility as possible. A removable galley or lounge may be a hit. If not, youre only out the cost of the hardware. If you go with normal two-plus-two seating, and spread it out for additional legroom, you can always add a few more seats when its time to sell the coach (beware the reading light spacing).

Two-plus-one seating, and some options like it, are more difficult to deal with if the service does not sell (or when youre trading in the coach).

Each part of an upscale package has three aspects: how much revenue it attracts, what it costs, and how it affects your ability to resell the coach. As youre assembling things, keep each in mind. Remember your customers. Line passengers have different desires than charter folk.

You can also offer a lower class. Some companies use Spartan older equipment when cost is the customers only criteria, and offering nicer equipment only at profitable prices.

One curbside carrier, briefly, passed out folding chairs for folks who wanted to sit in the aisle. Im pretty sure they didnt charge extra, but that still didnt (pardon the pun) "sit well" with safety folks. Thats the wrong way to add a different level of service.

Dave Millhouser is a bus industry marketing consultant and freelance writer. Contact him at dave_millhouser@hotmail.com.