Lucky Star Bus

Both drivers talked on their Bluetooth headset during the entire drive (NYC to Boston and Boston to NYC) which is extremely dangerous; extremely annoying, and extremely irresponsible!

The way the employees does things in Boston are much better than the way things are done in New York.
Just one of the many examples, I had a round trip ticket purchased online and arrived 2 hours earlier for both the trip to NY and the trip back. I was told that I could hop on if there was space from the Boston location, there wasn’t much people so I was able to board. On the way back I asked if I could board, if there was space and was answered with a no from a rude employee from the counter that seemed like she had a stick up her… but then again who would blame her after what she had to do next. It would be additional cost if I boarded early, my friends and I weren’t in any rush so we waited. It was a full bus when my boarding arrived, they had to reject a few people. Had my friends and I boarded earlier they wouldn’t have to turn people away and piss them off.
Another example is the way they deal with customer disruptions, it does not exists. The bus drivers let the customer do what they want. Pretty much you can do what you want and Lucky Star won’t even do anything about it.

I’ve been taking Lucky Star buses a couple times a month for the past year.
Pros:
— Lots of daily buses to and from NYC/​Boston to choose from. You can usually buy a tix at the window for the next bus although I book online for an extra $.50 surcharge. No need to print a physical tix as you can show your phone with confirmation number.
— Fairly reasonable tix prices.
— Drivers move on the road quickly.
— Power outlets under the seats. Wifi usually works with decent speed.
— Helpful service at South Station, Boston. Quite nice there with plenty of food/​snack options.
Cons:
— Bathroom is sometimes completely locked and out of service which can make a lengthy road trip very uncomfortable. You’ll have to hold it in until the 15 minute rest stop right outside of Hartford.
— NYC Chinatown employees are not friendly.
— The ticketing booth is located inside a shared storefront and there is no waiting area so you’re left outside to wait for your bus.
— Depending on their mood, employees may or may not help you with your stowaway luggage.
— Some drivers will talk on their bluetooth headset during the entire drive which is illegal and irresponsible.
Summary: You get what you pay for. It’s pretty affordable and convenient. Use the bathroom before you board. T Stop at South Station. B/​D or F Subway stations are both a 7-​minute walk away. Taxis are also easy to get.
Lucky Star Bus, improve your customer service and driver safety issues and I’d gladly pay a little bit more because of the convenience.

It took more than 6 hours from Boston to New York while other buses usually take around 4 hours. The driver must slept on the bus! Not sure if this is the worst service ever but definitely the slowest bus I ever had between Boston and NYC. Won’t take it again for sure.

3.5 stars.
I’ve been riding the Lucky Star Bus since 2008. I’ve probably made around 50 round trips, give or take. I’ve also taken most other major companies (go, bolt, mega, fung wah, as well as Amtrak) The Lucky Star experience has more or less always been the same:
* It’s a discount bus service. You’re getting what you pay for generally, in terms of comfort (minimal but not sadistic) and service (bare bones)
* Wifi usually works, at least for an hour before everyone else logs on and their routers slow to a crawl. This is the case on almost every bus WIFI I’ve used. 20 – 30 people on a satellite or 4g connection just isn’t gonna cut it. I generally tether on my phone anyways.
* Travel time with no major traffic, I usually count 4.5 hours. Expect up to 6. This is not abnormal, traffic happens. Fastest I’ve ever traveled was over night, 3.5 hours, we were the fastest vehicle on the road (not my preference but hey)
* Book in advance for holidays.
* You will almost certainly make a rest stop at a restaurant. In the past it’s been McDonalds, Arbys, and now, last few times I took, a Chinese buffet.
That’s all for now. In summary, its a cheap bus. If you want something nicer, you’ll need to put out money for something else (Mega is a decent option, or amtrak).

Is it glamourous? No. Is it the best bus ride you’ll ever take? No. Is it a life changing or otherwise earth shattering experience? No.
BUT. It is reliable, affordable, and almost always available at the last minute. Every time I’ve needed to get from Boston to NYC and vice versa, Luck Star Bus has been there for me. I stay in Brooklyn when I’m in NYC so it’s more convenient than a curb on 38^th and 11^th. Also, they have a waiting room that sells a respectable selection of affordably priced bus friendly snacks. Time permitting, there’s a midway pit stop at a chinese buffet in CT (Which me thinks is owned by Lucky Star. That’s just smart.) or a Burger King which, hell, might also be owned by Lucky Star. Either way, it’s a well oiled, reliable machine and well worth the $ 20. Oh, and the buses are reasonably clean.

My ride with LuckyStar this Friday was a ride from Hell. Let me preface this with saying, I’ve taken the bus from Boston to NYC many times and I understand buses aren’t usually the most glamorous form of transportation. However, my experience with LuckyStar was something else. First of all the bus smelled awful and there was no functioning wifi. A man on our bus got arrested after we had to pull over because he wouldn’t stop yelling at everyone in Spanish. The bus driver decided he was going to «avoid traffic“and refused to get on a highway for the first 3 and a half hours of our ride. I had the Waze application open and he wasn’t making any of the right turns. Other riders on the bus realized this and two times someone tried to ask him why were were taking this route and he just yelled at them to sit down and said he knew what he was doing. It took us over 6 HOURS to get to NYC. I got on the bus at 4pm and we didn’t get there until around 10:30pm. Also, even though we were SO FAR behind schedule, he decided we should stop at a Asian buffet for an extra 20 minutes. NEVER take LuckyStar if you want to keep your sanity. I’ve never been so frustrated.

Let me start off by saying that if I had it my way I wouldn’t have given any stars but I had to in order to post this review… Absolute WORST bus service & I highly would NOT recommend it! Waited over half an hour in line to go to Boston for Labor Day weekend after speaking with an employee who let us know that our service dog was ok on the bus. Come to find out last minute, as we’re literally walking onto the bus, they tell us that our dog isn’t allowed on the bus. Keep in mind we were already informed by 2 different employees that our service dog was ok to ride… As I try to talk to other employees who know absolutely nothing yet alone don’t know how to speak fucking English, I finally talk to the supervisor who claims the employees who informed us don’t work for Lucky Star!!! Mind you, they were both wearing Lucky Star uniforms… After arguing for about ten minutes regarding a refund, I finally get it & as I’m leaving the employees are saying outlandish vulgar remarks to us women! Wow! Thank you Lucky Star for ruining our simple Labor Day weekend plans, as we head back to our apartment in Manhattan. I will NEVER refer you guys to absolutely ANYONE & will continue to shame your business for exceptionally poor customer service, common curtesy, & just basic common fucking sense… I seriously can’t believe this is a business in New York City, absolutely pathetic. Your business will never grow/​expand with the shitty employees you hire & complete ignorant «supervisors» Good luck.
–Symon

Pros: The WiFi actually worked some of the time, which I rarely see on long-​distance buses.
Cons: The little restroom stall in the back of the bus, while not dirty, smelled awful. We also arrived in Boston over an hour and a half behind expected arrival, which wasn’t great.
The upshot: Take this if you’re looking for a cheap way to get to Boston, and aren’t too bothered by the lack of punctuality. I personally probably won’t take this again, as I found the incredible slowness irritating.

The worst experience ever, lucky star employee force me purchase a ticket for my kid when we were getting on the bus. And there s a long line behind us. PS: he s two years old. And the guy told me that people who over 2 years old have to buy ticket, and it is by NY LAW. I would like to know why they don’t charge me when I was purchasing ticket at the counter? he told me cash only, and didn’t give me any receipt or proof. I understand that they wanna make more money, but don’t need to tell me that it is by law. and should tell me earlier when I m buying ticket at the counter.

I’m a fan of this bus!
For $ 25, it got me and my suitcases safely to Boston! Half-​way through the ride, we were taken to Misako Japanese Buffet for a 15 min bathroom/​food break. We were able to purchase food from the buffet in order to eat on the bus.
Compared to another bus I took in New York (L&L), Lucky Star was great! I would recommend this bus to everyone that wants to travel from NYC-​BOS!

Absolutely terrible service. I’ve taken it a couple of times due to the convenience of being dropped off at Chinatown. Not once was it on time, always drops us off midway at a terrible Chinese restaurant. I asked one time if I could get on an earlier bus as I arrived earlier and the staff yelled at me saying «yeah if you give money.» Given the option, stay away from this.

Can’t beat the price and convenience. Can pretty much buy a ticket and board; unlike megabus or bolt where you wait on standby. Service is better by far.
Leaving fr nyc, the attendant helped load bags. Bolt and Megabus drivers won’t! They’ll have you wait in the street until right before you leave. LS now has a waiting area with a bathroom (which was actually clean), free wifi and plugs as well as a place that sells drinks and snacks.
Improvement from old loading area.

I caught the NYC-​BOS 7am round trip with my dad for $ 92 which is decent considering it was last minute booking on a Friday.
PROS
— The Lucky Star bus was clean, smelt like flowers and had plastic bags for each person to dispose rubbish. It was also very prompt, so get to 125 Canal St at least 20 minutes beforehand to avoid Chinese wrath.
— The customer service is great! Both the Canal St and phone receptionists were polite, helpful and efficient. Their ticket policy is very clear so read it carefully.
CONS
— The bus vibrates a lot. Not fun vibrations, but jaw-​chattering :/​
— Power outlets are spotty. Might need to move once or twice before you find an operating point.

Cheapest NYC-​BOS in town.
$ 12 on non peak hours,
$ 20 Monday — Thurs,
$ 25 Friday — Sunday,
$ 25+ Holidays.
One Way prices (Rough numbers)
Gone are the days of Fung Wah’s $ 15 flat days *sigh*. Lucky star has since increased their prices. I think it’s for the best though, their busses don’t break down randomly like they used to so it’s money well spent (on both the consumer and business owners ends).
I’ve taken all the NYC-​BOS busses countless times; Lucky Star, Fung Wah (RIP), Bolt, Megabus, Greyhound/​Peter Pan, etc., I can honestly say that I’ve been satisfied with every trip, even the crazy broken down Fung Wah ones. You get what you pay for. And your getting a lot for your money with Lucky Star.
Be prepared to sit next to some interesting characters though. These Chinatown busses attract the strangest and smelliest of people.
Lucky Star was always the less profitable, younger, and less ambitious sister of Fung Wah, LOL. But they won in the end cause they’re still in business! They’re busses haven’t spontaneously combusted on me yet, so fingers crossed.
Huge tip: Buy your Thanksgiving and holiday tickets early!!! They sell out QUICK

If you’re thinking about taking Lucky Star Bus, make sure that you base your decision on recent reviews (written after November 2013). The U.S. Dept. of Transportation shut down this bus line in June ’13, citing tons of vehicle maintenance issues, traffic violations, and unmonitored drivers. In response, Lucky Star spent millions of dollars bringing their equipment up to the standards of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and reopened 5 months later. And yes, I just knew all of that off the top of my head.
I took Lucky Star Bus for the first time last week, and I have to say — I almost feel like I’ve missed out on a longstanding rite of passage. It was my understanding that a white-​knuckled intercity Chinatown bus ride was an integral component of the broke twenty-something’s NYC living experience. Well — not any more, friends. I am sorry to report that the new-​and-​improved 2014 Chinatown bus ride no longer packages complimentary roaches, human-​sized holes in the floor, or near-​death experiences in your $ 25 journey.
That being said, Lucky Star still offers a bit of that Chinatown Bus je né sais quoi. It’s a safe bet that your bus won’t have WiFi or outlets (and believe it or not, humans lived this way for years), and your driver will maneuver your bus like a lawless race car. You can still look forward to stopping at the world-​famous Misaki Sushi and Seafood Buffet at a small-​town strip mall halfway between Boston & New York, and you’ll be smelling it for the entire second half of the trip.
Bottom Line: Lucky Star is an excellent bang for your buck. It’s funny that some people complain about the lack of amenities and/​or customer service as though it’d be any better on a train or a flight. The only difference is that you’d be paying roughly 4 — 8x as much. I love that this bus line leaves out of LES/​Chinatown instead of the God-​awful Penn Station/​Port Authority area like all of the other bus lines I’ve taken. And for the record, I’ve taken some truly awful buses — I’m looking at YOU, Peter Pan and Greyhound — so I can appreciate the relative luxury of my Lucky Star experience. My Lucky Star bus was not only clean and well-​maintained, but the passenger base was seemingly normal and not just a bunch of homeless people and ex-​convicts a la Greyhound.
«Lucky Star: The Surprisingly Functional Chariot» — (new slogan suggestion)

The absolute best option for last minute trips. It’s not at all uncommon to find tickets online for $ 12, even on the day of the trip. Tickets at the counter are $ 25.
Not all the buses have wifi or outlets. Other customers are occasionally loud — talking on the phone the entire ride. It’s a gamble — sometimes it’s a quiet bus with wifi and outlets, and sometimes it’s not. Either way, it’s consistently on-​time, and it’s always cheap.

First time using Lucky Star, since Fung Wah shut down.
1. Both buses (Aug 5 BOS-​NY, Aug 12 NY-​BOS) I’ve taken were clean and had good air conditioning.
2. There were outlets to charge your electronics, but hard to see since they were under/​between the seats.
3. $ 12 – 20? Sounds like a good deal, why not?
There is the customer service, which isn’t that great :/​but don’t let that deter you.
So far, I’ve had a good service from Lucky Star but just be aware of what other reviewers have to say from their experiences.

Don’t have outlet on every bus. No wifi. Even if it has wifi, the connection is way more bad than your imagination.
One thing good: dirt cheap.

Time — Bus departs every 30 mins to an hour. Leaves bang on time and has been the most timely among other buses.
Service — Good folks. Can get stuff like water and a snack right outside the ny office. The stop over at the Japanese joint is one of the resons I prefer this bus
Ambience — Bus is generally clean and has the air conditioning at the right temp.
Cost — Discount tickets for $ 12 and max ticket rate at $ 25. Best bet if you wish to purchase a ticket at the counter.