New directions

Luxury bus operator revs up service between San Antonio and this major Texas city

Vonlane's hitting the road between Dallas and San Antonio.

Courtesy photo

Vonlane finally has remembered Alamo City. After years of shuttling travelers among all the other major Texas cities - to and fro - the luxury bus operator will introduce daily, nonstop service between its home base of Dallas and San Antonio on February 10.

In an email announcement to customers, Vonlane says the route has been “long awaited."

“Dallasites will enjoy service to Northwest San Antonio, disembarking on the doorstep to corporate headquarters, shopping, and endless entertainment,” they say. “San Antonians headed to Dallas will arrive minutes from downtown, with easy access to North Texas and Fort Worth.”

The schedule is as follows:

Weekdays will see three departures per day from Dallas to San Antonio and from San Antonio to Dallas (all at 6 am, 11:30 am, and 5 pm).
On Saturdays, departure times will be 9 am only from Dallas and 2:30 pm only from San Antonio.
On Sundays, buses will depart at 9 am and 2:30 pm from both cities.

The ride lasts approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes.

Fares run $139 each way.

In Dallas, buses depart and arrive at the Doubletree Love Field hotel, 3300 W. Mockingbird Ln. In San Antonio, they depart and arrive at the DoubleTree Northwest hotel, 6809 N Loop 1604 W Access Rd.

“Nonstop service between Dallas and San Antonio is consistently our most requested route,” says Alex Danza, founder & CEO of Vonlane, in a statement. "Texans are tired of the long slog between these major metropolitan areas. They’re looking for a way to maximize their work and leisure time without the hassle of driving themselves or making that inevitable stop in Austin along the way. Vonlane just solved the problem.”

Vonlane launched its high-end bus service in 2014 to cater to business travelers. Each bus, which holds fewer than two dozen passengers, features amenities like Wi-Fi, satellite TV and radio, snack and drink service, sleep masks, and leather seats.

The company returned to 95 percent pre-pandemic capacity in summer 2022 and continues to expand its offerings around Texans and beyond, Danza says.

Vonlane also offers daily nonstop service from San Antonio to Houston.

Reservations can be booked online, and may be canceled and fully refunded up to 24 hours before departure.

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Airline News

San Antonio gets nonstop flights to this Washington, DC airport

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

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American Airlines will soon introduce long-awaited nonstop flights between San Antonio (SAT) and Washington, D.C. (DCA). One flight will be scheduled daily, starting in March.

Tickets for the new service will be available on sale starting December 23 through aa.com or American’s mobile app.

The route was tentatively announced in October, but the U.S. Department of Transportation has now formally approved the application by American Airlines.

“This new service will offer convenient nonstop access to our nation’s capital for San Antonians, while helping further connect customers to our comprehensive global network," said Brian Znotins, American’s Senior Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning, in a press release. "American thanks the many elected officials and citizens who supported our application, and we look forward to welcoming customers onboard this new service soon.”

Flight 1718, reflecting the year San Antonio was founded, will depart SAT at 6:35 am and arrive in DCA at 10:41 am. Flight 1947, reflecting the year the U.S. Air Force was established, will depart DCA at 7:45 pm and arrive in SAT at 10:43 pm.

“This long-awaited connection to our nation’s capital is a game changer for our community, opening doors to countless opportunities for travel and economic development,” said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “I’m grateful to those who have championed this effort and for the bipartisan support of our representatives in the Senate and House, whose advocacy was instrumental in making these flights a reality. We look forward to the positive impact this nonstop service will have for years to come."

San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh echoed the sentiments about economic development and pointed out some growth already happening in San Antonio. The release also notes that San Antonio is the largest city in Texas lacking nonstop service to DCA and the largest city in the U.S. with a majority Hispanic population without nonstop service to DCA.

“Serving the fastest-growing city in the country, SAT has achieved record-breaking passenger numbers throughout 2024. This nonstop service to and from DCA addresses a need for our military, business, educational and research communities, among others. It also promotes competition and offers more travel options for passengers flying to and from San Antonio, enhancing connectivity as we continue making progress on the airport Terminal Development Program.”

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