‘Liner’ notes

A self-proclaimed Scottish-Canadian, Fergus McCann, found himself wondering why that was. In 2002, shortly after a five-year run as managing director of the Scottish Premier League’s Celtic Football Club, where the club’s comeback from the brink of financial disaster was attributed to him, McCann decided to try his hand at the previously non-lucrative business of American bus travel — and with his own twist.
A native of Sterling, McCann had extensive business experience before his work with Celtic. He immigrated to Canada in 1960s, where he worked on the business end of fashion and tour operation companies. It was during one of his many trips that he started to wonder why Americans were so slow to embrace bus travel, which is more widely used outside of the U.S.
In late 2002, McCann began work with consulting firms to develop his idea for a new kind of bus travel — or, as McCann himself likes to put it, “liner” travel. And so the LimoLiner was born.
McCann has not shied away from new ventures in the past. At Celtic from 1994-99, he spearheaded the controversial “BHOYS Against Bigotry” program to quell tension between the fans and residents of Glasgow. While the idea was met with mixed reviews, the same could not be said for his financial success with the club. He sold his majority share in 1999 and increased the value of the club so much that it was able to offer shares on the London Stock Exchange.
With its inaugural trip in October 2003, and currently running only between its home base of Boston and New York City, LimoLiner is not what you might expect in road travel, and that is what McCann had hoped to achieve.
He decided to start with service between Boston and New York, metropolitan areas where there was a large enough market for a business-class service. He had two $550,000 custom-made charter buses built, each outfitted each with 28 leather reclining seats, about half of what you would find in a normal charter bus. All boast more legroom than other forms of travel, and there is also an attendant on board who does much of what a flight attendant would do (but without the emergency instructions).
The driver also has the option to reroute the bus to avoid traffic jams, which is important to LimoLiner’s promise of a four-hour trip each way.
The driving force behind the service was simple, according to McCann. “I had two goals: to take away the grind of business travel, and to add an element of comfort,” he said last week. He tries to achieve this by keeping the business end swift, with a “respectful” security check and having baggage loaded and unloaded for you.
The buses promise both Ethernet and wireless Internet access, clear cell phone reception throughout the trip, electrical outlets at every seat, and a conference center built in the back of the bus. McCann said that this is so travelers can use what is usually lost travel time as productive time.
In the case a traveler who needs the time to relax, McCann said there is something for them as well. Seats “recline comfortably, and the attendant sees that each rider gets a light meal.” TVs positioned at every few seats usually show current movies or, more predictably, a financial news network.
McCann has been able to keep the LimoLiner fare at $69 each way, and said he hopes to for as long as possible. The company has expanded by starting a rewards program, and perhaps their most important alliance is with Hilton Hotels.
McCann went to the chain when the project was in its infancy and pitched the mutual benefits of a partnership. The current plan has the LimoLiner going from the Hilton Back Bay in Boston to the Hilton New York in Midtown Manhattan.
“Being a hotel that caters to upscale business travelers, we saw it as a natural progression. And we take the passengers right to their door instead of someone else’s. It gives them a leg up on other properties,” McCann said. He noted that both companies cross-reference the other on their respective websites.
He does acknowledge that it might be hard to change old habits. “It is an American habit to live in your car,” he said. “We are looking to change that habit, and we are convinced that those who do try us are very happy and will return.”
It is the convenience that drew Rick Burnham, a first-time roundtrip customer from outside Boston. “Flying is really a pain these days,” he said as he waited for the LimoLiner to arrive outside the Hilton New York last week. “And you can get work done. For me it was simple.” He added that he would most likely use the service again.
Perhaps feeling out a new demand for the service, McCann recently allowed the buses to be chartered privately. CBS Sports transported its cast and crew back to New York after last December’s playoff game in Boston between the Patriots and the Colts via LimoLiner. The big draw, he said with a smile, was that they could travel home without missing the following playoff game on the bus’ satellite TVs. He said while there are no plans to offer the LimoLiner for private charters more often, he will continue to field private inquiries as they come.
McCann has hopes to expand, but will be interested to see how the LimoLiner does in its first year. Changing the landscape worked for him at Celtic, and now he is trying for the same success in the brave new world of luxury “liner” travel.