Money is a pretty set against thing. Religious texts, moral leaders and people without it have long lamented the all pervading power it holds over everybody and having the stuff has become the same as being greedy. Those without want more, those with don't want to give it away. The only thing both sides can agree on is that if there is a way to spend less money on the same thing, then this is a Good Thing.
In recent times this frugal nature of peoples' financial acumen has been manifested in the emergence of the budget internet company. Businesses include budget car rental, budget travel, budget hotels, airfares and even budget groceries. People love a bargain.
The best known and arguably one of the most successful in the UK has to be Easyjet. Formed in the mid 90s and the subject of a much loved documentary based out of Luton Airport, the Easy group came to be the poster child for the budget generation. And the company didn't stop at just aeroplanes, with new companies being launched almost annually. Most recent is the new Easybus service that offers budget travel from London to Stansted, Gatwick and Luton airports.
Stelios Haji-Ioannou is the figurehead and leader of the esteemed company. Casually picking up a fortune estimated in eight figures and a knighthood to boot, one could forgive him for wanting to pack it all in. This however, would be a Bad Thing. Always looking for ways to expand and grow, Stelios has managed to get a good head start on all of his budget rivals. Competition will ultimately emerge, but the fact that he is the first to do something is a massive advantage.
The bus service works exactly like the airline. You pay as much as you would on a normal slow public bus and you can get a Mercedes minibus that travels direct from the centre of London to the three airports mentioned above. Luggage is where they make their money, but if you limit yourself to one carry on and a medium suitcase everything will be fine.
The Easybus will be a massive success, if only due to the simple fact that it will save people money. Airport carparks are no so expensive as to be entirely unfeasible, taxis are unreliable and public busses are a joke. Sure this may take longer, but for a fraction of the price? Bargain.
If the growing environmental movement in the UK is any indicator then this may catch on in a big way. Even the most die hard environmentalist must concede that there is logic in having one bus take thirty people to the airport instead of eight taxis.
At the end of the day the service saves you money. The current climate of financial misery is not one that lends itself to excess and therefore we must take full advantage of what we have, and what we have here is a cheap service helping us to make our money go that little bit further. Who will complain!?
This article is written by Milissa Brusser and inspired by easyBus, the leading low cost airport transfers bus and coach service for all airline travellers. At easybus.co.uk you can buy tickets to and from London Gatwick for just ?2 online.
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