It’s no secret that professional athletes like to travel in style.

Comfortable seats, plenty of legroom and a smooth ride are a given. So are bathrooms and wireless Internet. And there had better be a place on the bus to plug in a phone.

“If they get off the plane and their batteries are dead, it’s my fault,” said Charles Lenzner, president of Lenzner Coach Lines.

A lot has changed in the 75 years since Lenzner’s father and grandfather shuttled schoolchildren and commuters from the North Hills to Downtown Pittsburgh. The Ohio Township company has survived by changing with the times, evolving into new lines of business, investing in technology and responding to changing expectations from riders, who range from Major League Baseball players to local college students.

Managing a 35-vehicle charter fleet that runs throughout the United States and Canada, Lenzner also provides tours, shuttle services across the University of Pittsburgh campus and is an operational hub for the intercity express bus service Megabus, dispatching routes to Harrisburg, State College, Philadelphia, New York City and Washington.

Megabus is owned by Coach USA, which purchased Lenzner in 1997. Even though it has a corporate parent, Lenzner retains operational autonomy to respond to regional marketplace demands, company officials said.

Charter is the largest portion of the business, making up half of its $15 million in annual revenue, with shuttle accounting for 30 percent and the rest coming from tours.

Spreading business across different areas has helped provide stability during seasonal fluctuations, Lenzner said.

However, no matter what line of business Lenzner is managing, one constant in the past five years has been the consumer demand for on-board technology.

Lenzner could be driving Carnegie Mellon students to New York or the Milwaukee Brewers to play the Pirates at PNC Park, but both groups would expect access to free Wi-Fi and, increasingly, electrical outlets in which to plug their mobile phones, tablets and laptops. For an industry in which a quarter of customers are tech-savvy college students, it is simply a cost of doing business.

“Having that Wi-Fi capability, having those 110 outlets, is critically important,” said Victor Parra, president and CEO of the United Motorcoach Association.

Getting riders safely from point A to point B remains the top concern, Lenzner said. But technology has transformed the industry, adding expense but also advantages.

Global positioning systems allow bus companies to track vehicles in real time throughout the United States and respond to breakdowns faster. Meanwhile, consumer demands have changed, too. It’s not enough to offer a movie, industry experts say. Riders want to entertain themselves using their own devices.

That shift during the last five years has put pressure on transportation companies to upgrade their bus fleets. Lenzner spends $20,000 per year to offer free Wi-Fi to its charter riders. It also has installed 110 volt outlets in nine of its 35 charter vehicles, at a cost of $4,000 to retrofit each bus.

Even though those amenities add expense, industry experts say that the enhanced on-board experience has given buses an advantage over cars, the industry’s stiffest competition.

Driving from Pittsburgh to Cleveland may still be the more affordable route for many people. But the addition of Wi-Fi and electrical outlets have tipped the equation in buses favor, particularly for time-crunched riders looking to get work done during their commute.

“As people become more plugged in and concerned about their time, I think the motor coach becomes more viable as a transportation alternative,” said Dan Ronan, a spokesman for the American Bus Association, a trade group in Washington, D.C.

A more wired ridership, however, has also brought a few more headaches, Lenzner said. Mechanical problems become instantly public, as riders post their complaints on Facebook or Twitter even as the company sorts through the issues.

“We’ll see every complaint because every kid has an iPad,” Lenzner said. “Their parents know we have a mechanical problem before we do.”

Even though complaints may be more public now, Lenzner driver Wesley Day said riders tend to be understanding when problems occur.

“They get a little frustrated, worried about their connecting flight,” he said. “As long as you’re keeping them informed, they understand.”

The industry continues to look for new ways to offer customers a luxurious ride. Megabus is experimenting with reserve seating. For $8-$12 more, riders not only get a seat up front, but enjoy a booth akin to those found on a train dining car, with a long table between four seats that face each other. Reserve seating for buses out of Pittsburgh will begin in September.

In the transportation business, change is the only constant.

“It’s a very sophisticated industry now,” Lenzner said.

Chris Fleisher is a staff writerfor Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7854 or cfleisher@tribweb.com.

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