Zingbus Max: In-Flight Services for Bus Journeys

Overview: In-Flight Experience in Bus

Zingbus Max offers an upgraded travel experience using Volvo B8R 9600 buses known for reliability and comfort. It features luxurious seating options, including sleeper and semi-sleeper configurations, ensuring a relaxed journey. Passengers can enjoy onboard entertainment systems during long trips and are served complimentary refreshments, including snacks and beverages. The service prioritizes comfort and convenience for intercity travel.
The service aims to introduce in-flight experience in bus journeys.

User Experience / Review

I traveled on Zingbus Max bus on 31-November-2024. It was an overnight bus from Delhi to Aut. I was delighted by the quality of service although I am skeptic if they can maintain the affordable price of the ticket beyond their launch period forever. I paid Rs. 2360 for two person. The ticket was for a semi-sleeper bus journey with complimentary snacks, dinner and breakfast.

Snacks

The bus departed at 10:30 p.m., and a snacks bag was immediately provided along with a bottle of water. The snacks bag contained a packet of Lays chips (₹10), Britannia Jim Jam biscuits (₹5), a Maaza drink (₹10), a dental kit (toothbrush and toothpaste), and a vomit bag. While the contents of the bag were thoughtfully selected, I felt that using a branded bag to carry everything was slightly excessive.

Dinner

There was no options to customize dinner but the spice level of chola and rice was minimal making it an healthy option for bus journey. It was served immediately after the snacks as it was already late at night.

Post dinner, they also served fruits and dessert which was too much for me as it was already past midnight.

Breakfast

Post dinner, passengers were asked to fill a form to select one food item and one beverage for breakfast. Options for food were aloo paratha, aloo pyaaz paratha, gobi paratha, poha, bread omlette, grilled sandwich. Options for breakfast were milk tea, black tea and green tea. Most people were asleep by the time they asked us to fill this form. Perhaps Zingbus should give this option while booking the bus.

Some people who had chosen grilled sandwich were not happy with the size and quality of the sandwich. We chose gobi paratha and bread omlette. The size of gobi paratha was fulfilling but the bread omlette only had one bread. The beverages were good quality.

Conclusion

The quantity of food served during dinner and breakfast suggested that the ticket price might increase after the introductory period to maintain profitability. Moreover, I compared the prices of other buses on Redbus and the Zingbus app, and they were similar to Zingbus Max. This also raises questions about the sustainability of their current pricing model. While the child in me enjoyed the services and food, the adult in me was concerned about the significant plastic waste generated by the complimentary food service. Additionally, considering the bus timing, I had already eaten a light dinner before arriving at the bus stand, which made me feel guilty about overeating and overconsumption.

Author

Anurag Gupta is a frequent traveller and an advocate of eco-tourism and sustainable living. He helps local businesses in promoting their visibility and accessibility. Anurag Gupta is also an educator and a technology consultant. He is an M.S. graduate in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell University. He also holds an M.Tech degree in Systems and Control Engineering and a B.Tech degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.

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