Dan Genson

Review of Airporter Shuttle/Bellair Char...

They charged a processing fee for a bus trip that ...

They charged a processing fee for a bus trip that they themselves cancelled due to COVID-19. Cancellations/delays are totally understandable with the current situation and wanting to keep people healthy, but the processing fee is not.

Update: The business replied and offered a number to call to fix the problem, while also addressing the concern of needing a policy to allow lenience with cancellation fees during this period of time. I know one other person who got charged the same fee, who was caught in the first wave of delays and also chose to cancel. It's my hope that they take a look back at cancellations from mid/late March onward to make sure fees weren't mistakenly charged for anyone else too. Score has been bumped up to 3 stars.

Since I'm updating the review, I'll go ahead and add a bit about the service too. The drivers are friendly and professional, even early morning and late night. The buses are timely, which is a big plus if you're on a tight schedule. I can't recall ever departing late. Make sure to come to a little early though, since they do arrive earlier than scheduled on occasion, and that helps get your choice of seats. I'll also give them credit for taking extra precautions due to COVID-19.

On the downside, it's a bit expensive for Bellingham-Seattle round trips. It's usually cheaper and quicker to just drive if you're not catching a flight, though there's still convenience in taking a bus. There's also at least one much cheaper bus service that runs between Bellingham and Seattle but with limited options. Customer service has been fairly average over the years, with some experiences being positive, and others more mixed.

Bellair has trips throughout the morning, day, and night that take you directly to SeaTac Airport, so there's a lot of scheduling flexibility that's especially convenient for round trip flights, while also saving on overnight parking fees. So if you're flying, they're a good choice. If you're not, then it's worth considering other options.