Pullman Pilot - Boxcar + Napaway
Boxcar is excited to announce a pilot partnership with Napaway, a new kind of premium coach service that combines the comfort and privacy of first-class airline suites with the convenience and flexibility of bus travel. I first encountered Napaway’s product on my trip to Orlando for a bus convention and was struck by the way they used space on a motor coach in an efficient and incredibly luxurious way.
The product immediately reminded me of the Pullman sleeping car, which was an upscale coach that transformed the rail passenger experience in the nineteenth century. The Pullman coaches were revolutionary, providing unprecedented comfort and luxury, and were a status symbol of their time. Our partnership with Napaway aims to recreate that luxurious experience for our modern commuters. If Boxcar is typically your business-class commute, this offers a first class experience.
Here’s a quick video walkthrough I made during my first time on the coach and you can visit Napaway’s Instagram for some more photos.
From June 13th until June 27th, Napaway will operate commuter routes on Boxcar’s Morris Meteor.
- From June 13th-20th, this coach will depart Convent Station at 6:15 am.
- From June 21st-27th, this coach will depart Convent Station at 7:05 am.
- The entire duration, Napaway’s Bergdorf departure will be 5:25 pm.
Modifying the schedule like this should provide as many of our customers the opportunity to ride this offering while it is in town.
In an effort to provide an even more premium commuting experience, we'll be transforming some of the Napaway seats into suites. Napaway coaches offer premium seating that can be converted into personal suites (complete with lie-flat beds), giving you 13 square feet of space and offering unparalleled comfort and privacy during your commute.
In our initial rollout, we're making these premium options available first to our longest-tenured members and the customers who have booked the most rides over the years. We’ll also be sending out a coupon code to this cohort so they can book at least one trip for the same price as a normal ride. This is our way of saying thanks to those of you who helped us get through the pandemic. Whether it was keeping your memberships active or buying groceries, pools, and drive-in movie tickets, we couldn’t have made it through without you.
Here's the pricing you can expect for this pilot:
- Suites: $39.99 Member / $59.99 Non-Member
- Seats: $26.65 Member / $39.99 Non-Member
We want to be clear: this pilot is not about profit in the short-term, but I’m pricing these seats and suites in line with what would likely need to be charged in order to make this a breakeven endeavor long-term, so that we can learn not just whether people prefer it but whether this cost is worth the value that is delivered.
This pilot is about learning, evolving, and continuously finding ways to enhance your commuting experience. We're curious to see how our members will receive this offering. If you love it, we'll certainly consider making it a full-time offering.
We are incredibly grateful for your continued support and are excited to bring you this unique, elevated commuting experience.
Thanks for joining us,
Joe Colangelo - CEO Boxcar
