Before you charter a bus, be familiar with terms, conditions and these slang terms and abbreviations.
Qty. Quantity of this type of bus the company owns.
Seats. The number of seats available for your group.
BusType. There are 8 types of buses. Visit the Bus Types section of BusRates.com for descriptions and approximate rates.
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Year. The year of the bus model, frequently displayed as a range from oldest to newest.
OTR. Is the company willing to take this bus “Over The Road” which is usually defined by traveling long distances out of state and overnight.
Rstrm. Restroom on board.
VCR. There are usually 5 to 6 TV monitors on board full-sized deluxe motor coaches with a VCR. Most buses do not receive any channels unless equipped with satellite, which is uncommon.
DVD. There are usually 5 to 6 TV monitors on board full-sized deluxe motor coaches with a DVD player. Most buses do not receive any channels unless equipped with satellite, which is uncommon.
CD. CD player on board.
PA. Public address system on board to help make announcements to the group.
Alch. Alcohol is allowed on board.
Trnsfr. Any pick-up and drop-off typically from a hotel to an airport around 15 miles of travel (excluding 10% gratuity).
5 hrs. 5 hour rates posted on BusRates.com are based on 5 hours of local use, low miles (excluding 10% gratuity). Bus companies most commonly have a 5 hour minimum of use with the exception of transfers.
Day. Day rates posted on BusRates.com are based on 10 hours of local use, low miles (excluding 10% gratuity.)
Mile. The rate per mile of travel. Quotes are calculated per mile or per day whichever is greater. Trips averaging over 300 miles per day are usually priced per mile and not per day.
Hours of use: Local travel is most commonly based on hours of use. The national average rate per hour for a full size deluxe motor coach in 2004 was $83.08.* Almost all companies have a 3, 4, 5, or 6-hour minimum charge-5-hours being the most common across the
Gratuity: The standard bus operator gratuity for chartering a bus is 10%. About a third of operator’s pay comes from the gratuity as an incentive to provide good service. The average wage earned by bus operators in 2004 was $11.25 per hour*.
Sales Tax: There is no sales tax when chartering a bus in most states.
Over the Road Charters
Mileage: buses traveling out of the local area and overnight are quoted based on miles. The average charge per mile across the nation in 2004 was $2.66 with the company’s day rate as a minimum charge per day*.
Day Rate: The minimum charge per day if the per-mile charge is not more than the combined day rates. The average day rate in 2004 was $769*.
Driver Change: for every 10 hours of driving, or 15 hours of stand-by time, law requires 10 consecutive hours of rest. If you plan on driving over 10 hours, an operater change has to be made. Bus Operator changes range from $200 to $900 depending on how far from the departure city the change has to be made.
Local Travel: The amount of local mileage allowed per day once the bus reaches the destination city.
Driver Hotel: Usually the customer books and pays for the driver’s hotel room, but most hotels will comp the operator’s room at no charge when you book several rooms for your group. Ask for someone in group sales at the hotel to ensure the operator’s room is complimentary.
Gratuity: The standard gratuity for trips over the road is 10%.
Sales Tax: There is no sales tax when chartering a bus in most states
Courtesy of www.BusRates.com
