I have ridden the Lucky Star for more than seven years. They have come a long way from the smelly-used-old-definitely-former-Peter-Pan buses. They still have a bunch of buses with the smelly toilets(it's like playing Poopstink Roulette at this point), but I firmly believe they have recently invested more in their fleet than the counter part that is Fung Wah. I'm a regular rider w/ Lucky Star because I know what I'm getting. Sometimes the stinky toilet, sometimes the window panes have water sloshing back and forth between all the way to NYC, sometimes the heat is too high, the cold is too cold, or the lights don't work. I very rarely feel that the buses will tip over or burst into flames, and there's not much else I can ask for. When it stops at a restaurant, remember the bus number. You could find yourself one the wrong bus while yours is pulling away. I usually keep an eye on my driver. If he's in line for food, I know I have lots of time. They will charge you for extra seat if you have a ton of extra baggage. Other than that, get on the bus, Gus. read more

Positives: -cheaper and quicker than Mega and Bolt -resting stop on the Boston to New York route is a cheap but good sushi place Negatives: -no outlets -unreliable internet read more

My one experience with Lucky Star Bus was the single worst experience with public transportation I have ever had. During my undergraduate years I lived in Boston and Providence, utilizing both city's buses, subways, trains, etc. Occasionally I would have a free weekend to take a bus to NYC and sightsee. Lured in by their promotional advertising of $1 specials, I bought a round-trip ticket in 2009 from Chinatown Boston to Chinatown NYC (note: this $1 special turned out to be a one-time sort of deal and was only in effect 6 years ago, why do they still advertise it?). While waiting to board a midnight bus in Boston I could see the driver siting behind the wheel smoking cigarette after cigarette. Before the passengers entered he decided to throughly coat the bus's interior with a layer of Lysol, perhaps in hopes of covering up the smell. In reality the seats became even more grossly discolored with unknown sticky grime. The trip, which I expected to take 4.5-5 hours, was made in about 3. The driver had apparently no regard for human life and sped wildly the entire time. On the return trip my minimal interaction with the staff at Lucky Star Buses was met with unwarranted hostility. Summary: Extremely poor service, immense lack of safety, and blatant false advertising. read more

I love the idea of the underdog giving it to the man. Greyhound has always been overpriced and taking advantage of us (sorta like the airline companies now with less-than-tolerable service and downgraded meals). Lucky Star and its counterpart Fung Wah are the southwest of airlines or Ryanair of Euro flights. You get the bare minimum, but isn't that all we really need. Get me from Boston to Chinatown in a reasonable amount of time. Done & minus the price gouging? Great, I'm a happy customer. This is what I call 'economic equilibrium.' Check out their website under 'Bonuses - Extras' for discounts off popular clubs and Boston Chinatown restaurants with your electronic receipt http://www.luckystarbus.com/ read more

usually i defend the china bus services i've been taking them since 2002 on a monthly and sometimes bi-monthly basis. Usually i stay loyal to fung wah as their bus drivers speed the best and get me in one piece. Now i've never had any buses catch on fire or breakdown ::knock on wood) but today I was with the option of 4:30 lucky star or 5pm fung wah. I decided to cut 30 minutes and go with lucky star since I have used them before and it was comparable service to fung wah in the past. i'm convinced this bus had 5 extra rows of seats squeezed in.... I'm petite, 5ft tall and usually ttravel with my bookbag and duffel bag under my legs in the seat with me. On this bus, i couldn't even fit myself... i tried putting my bookbag overhead and that was a struggle too. its was 200 degrees on the bus and the seat was literally falling apart. The life of the interior of the bus was long past dead. Id make the switch to megabus but the convenience of chinatown to the D train is too much to give up but I'll definitely wait the 30 minutes for fung wah next time. read more

Lucky Star used to be my first choice when I was going to New York, but the service has gone down somewhat since I first started taking it. My first complaint is that there's nowhere to plug in a computer, so even if I bring DVDs with me I usually can't even finish one movie before it dies. Second, there's usually some sort of strange smell on the bus, akin to a Chinese food restaurant. Not necessarily a BAD smell, but not something I want in my nose for more than half an hour. Thirdly, on more than one occasion I've had a bus that was broken in some way or another. Once the door wouldn't stay closed on it's own, and the bus driver was using 3 bungee cords to hold it shut. These were somewhat effective but a couple of times the door would blow open about half an inch and I would get blasted with the cold wind from outside. Not exactly an enjoyable trip. Another time, we must have had a malfunctioning engine. About 6 times the bus driver pulled over to the shoulder of the highway and drove about 10 MPH for 15 minutes. That trip took close to 7 hours, and there was zero traffic. ANOTHER time (and this was in the dead of winter mind you), the bus was burning hot. I had stripped down to my tank top that was underneath my 4 other layers and attempted to roll up my skinny jeans, although this was not really successful. I was not the only one taking it off either. On top of all this, the bus drivers never speak English, so we were never consoled or comforted about any of these problems. All in all, those couple of trips have sealed my decision to switch to Bolt Bus anytime I need to return to New York. It's worth the extra couple of dollars. read more

Here is a comparison between Fung Wah and Lucky Star. I hope it helps. Friday of labor day weekend 2011 I was planning on taking a Fung Wah bus to NYC. I chose Fung Wah over lucky star because of their yelp scores. -I was in a rush at South Station and saw the lucky star booth first and couldn't spot the Fung Wah station; thus decided to take lucky star. LUCKY STAR -Lucky star buses leave south Station every half hour. they also leave NYC for Boston every half hour. -I took the 3:30 bus, Sat towards the front and didn't have anyone sit next to me; although it was mostly full. -there was hardly any leg room, I'm only 5'8 and my legs were an inch or 2 from the seat in front. -we stopped at an Arbys in CT for 15 min- was a great chance to use the restroom and order some curly q's and a shake! woo hoo -the free WiFi worked but was pretty slow. -there was quite a bit of traffic but we still got in around 8:30pm -In NYC you get dropped off/picked up in Chinatown a few blocks away from the grand st station. -3 1/2 due to lack of leg room. FUNG WAH -On Monday, just before 5. I walked down Canal street towards 55 Chrysite st (the address of lucky star i had on my original ticket) -I ended up seeing a big sign for Fung Wah on a billboard on Canal near Chrystie and decided to check it out for comparison. I was one of the last to jump on the 6 o'clock bus -Buses at Fung Wah, I believe, leave every hour on the hour- not every half hour - the bus was packed, I again chose to sit near the front because I hit sitting near bathrooms in trains,buses, planes, or even in restaurants. -My phone had died so I wasn't able to check the WiFi status (sorry) - there was WAY more leg room on the Fung Wah than the Lucky Star bus. -We also didn't make a stop, driver drove straight from NYC to Boston, got in around 930 pm -I went to the restroom to pee, no sink/ hand wipe. w/e I'm a dude and went #1 but something to consider. -4 stars for Fung Wah, -Leg room gives it a leg up (hah) over Lucky Star but Lucky star runs more frequently thus they might be less crowded. -Overall you can't go wrong with either; I was afraid of the horror stories but my experience was pretty awesome. read more

Ladies: Consider wearing a Sports Bra on this bus. Shocks and suspension on the bus? No, we're going to put "N/A" next to those. No, this bus was bumpier than an old rickety wooden roller coaster at the amusement park your parents brought you to, and you also get whiplash and feel all the jiggly bits on your body jiggle. You will feel the jiggly bits jiggle if you get the particular bus I was graced with. Let's get one thing straight: when I don't pay a lot of money for a service, I really don't expect a whole lot. So I was expecting to maybe not make it to my final destination. It was one of the hottest summers on record, summer of 2010. It was late August, and I wanted to be rando and take the NYPD entrance exam on a Saturday morning, because those are the sorts of things I do. So I opted to take the overnight 2 AM Lucky Star bus from South Station to Chinatown NYC. Now, had I gone a different hour, I'm perfectly okay with my luxurious Amtrak, which I actually much prefer, because I can afford to waste an extra 80 dollars on a far more comfy trip (where I can either drink a beer or stand up and stretch my legs). But due to the need for me to be in NYC at an early hour, this was pretty much the only option. Let's review: 1. The bus driver literally screamed on his phone the entire time in another language. Studies (I'm not making this up) have proven that listening in on a two-way conversation is very mildly annoying. Listening in on a one-way conversation (a phone) is more annoying (due to the fact your brain has to work overtime to try to fill in the pieces of what the other person might be saying. Listening on a one-way conversation in another language is extremely annoying and taxing on the brain, because one has no idea what anyone is saying, they just have to sit there and listen and not make any sense of any of it. So, I was trying to get a little nappy nap in, but couldn't do it due to the screaming. I wanted to cry, totally unncessary.. and who in the SAM HILL ARE YOU TALKING TO AT 3 and 4 and 5 AM!?!?!?!? 2. This bus apparently had no shocks or suspension. See above. It was like being a on a little motor boat in choppy waters where you sort of feel your organs being re-arranged due to the impact, but this isn't fun, because it lasts hours, and you're not on a motor boat, you're on a Lucky Star bus (and of course, I keep singing Madonna's Lucky Star in my head because that was the 2nd cassette tape I owned and played it in my brown Fisher Price tape deck). 3. A/C was on so high on the way back in the heat, I couldn't even move my hands, and I'm not one of those gals that is always cold. 4. Before we departed from Chinatown the next day, some lady was walking around the bus aisle selling candy. I spotted some Oreos (accidentally vegan cookies) and bought some. They were mad-stale yo. I wish I had some sort of self-control. (I don't) 5. Imagine a 99% humid day, you're wearing jeans and a T-shirt and dripping with sweat from walking around Manhattan in that weather. Then because you always have to go to the bathroom, you choose to use the restroom at the Lucky Star storefront, because there is no other option in the area. Please don't use that bathroom. I use all bathrooms, clean and dirty. I'm no princess. I've been known to use the woods on occasion when there are no options. This bathroom______ was the most obscenely filthy, bio-hazard I have ever seen IN MY LIFE. Let's just say this: There were feces all over the wall around the toilet, and it wasn't fresh. Just no one bothered to clean it up. I have also taken Bolt Bus, and while it's a little higher priced, you'll definitely get a better ride, though my experience with them wasn't too impressive since they have breakdowns and don't have extra buses on hand. I'd advise against, unless you are reeeeeeeallly are watching your budget. read more

I had a cheap ($17 for TWO people!) and very successful trip from NYC to Boston on Lucky Star Bus. Our bus was pretty empty, which meant we got to spread out and not feel cramped. The seats were nicer than most buses (*cough* Greyhound), and the toilet on the bus actually flushed! Another plus was the wifi on the bus, although since they had no outlets I couldn't use it to entertain myself the entire trip. I admit I was a little nervous when no one at the company present that day spoke English, but the driver got us safely and as quickly as possible in traffic from NYC to Boston. I do wish we'd had more options on the dinner stop than Burger King, but it wasn't the end of the world to eat chicken strips for one meal. Ultimately, it was a lot cheaper for us to take this bus than fly, and it probably took the same amount of time to get to Boston this way when you account for the much longer public transit rides to and from both airports and having to get to the airport early. read more

I took the Fung Wah TO New York and Lucky Star back to Boston. Of course Fung Wah is pretty much infamous, but I also decided to take Lucky Star to try it out. My godmother convinced me to take it back going to Boston because they have a small waiting area with a restroom available in New York. Much more accomodating than waiting in a line in the streets of New York for the Fung Wah bus to arrive and then walking a couple blocks to meet the bus (last year's experience). My boyfriend mentioned that the seats seemed to have had less leg room than Fung Wah, but I didn't really notice. The driver drove fast, but not crazy... we also passed the Fung Wah bus (apparently.. they HAVE to stick to the speed limit now) read more

I am very frustrated by several issues with the current trip I am on: -- this bus was scheduled to leave by 1 PM and did not leave until almost 1:30 PM. -- the driver has been talking on his phone the entire trip, loudly, which is illegal and dangerous. -- the driver has had the window open and no heat on, despite the fact that it is only 50 degrees, windy, and raining out. We have all been freezing the entire trip. His response when we told him, was that there is no heat and he needs the window open to avoid the windows fogging up. He finally closed it and the front window has been fine. These busses are possibly as dangerous and as poorly maintained as the Fung Wah busses were. Perhaps a federal shutdown for Lucky Star should be looked into! -- while I know that the pit stop is up to the discretion of the driver, I find it egregious and unacceptable to make a pit stop when we left a half hour late, and the pit stop that our driver decided to take will now make us at least an entire HOUR late. -- many of us have to make connections to other busses, flights, or trains and being an hour late incurs expensive travel changes and is unacceptable. I am incredibly frustrated by the poor service I am receiving today. I am also HORRIFIED by the pictures people have posted, especially the cockroach pics. WHERE IS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HERE?? I will NOT be patronizing their business again. It is not worth the time, frustration, and money. read more

oh Lucky star bus. Not lucky for those sitting at rear end of the bus. the bathroom stinks like hell. not to mention neither the flush works or they have any sanitizer. if you sit in the front of the bus, just make sure not see the driving skills of the chinese individual. he is going to scare the shit outta you. the only great thing about Lucky star is you can take any bus at any time on any day once you buy the ticket. [unlike Bolt]. read more

I've never had an issue with rudeness on the new York end even during rush hour. They're a bit terse but it's far from rude. The Boston end though? Lord have mercy they make you feel like you should be so grateful and feel so privileged that they're letting you onto the bus that you paid in advance for. Even when you try to give feedback or contact them in advance(which, good luck getting then on the phone), it's all a giant excuse, even if you make the bus on time, apparently and they don't want to hear it. You'd think you were late to your own execution or something. Eff off with the attitude. read more

These guys do a great job. There was some scrutiny of various discount bus lines a few years ago by transportation regulators, and it prompted Lucky Star to upgrade its fleet to stay in business. They did raise their prices after this, but still a reasonable price and now with clean modern busses. I love how efficiently the run the operation. They actually have ground staff at both Boston and New York who are at each bus when it arrives and departs, to make sure customers get on the right bus, check tickets, and help with luggage. Other bus companies depend on the driver to do all that. The best part of the trip though is the rest stop at a Chinese Buffet in Connecticut along the way for busses traveling during lunch/dinner hours. It really helps build the ambiance even before you arrive at in Chinatown. read more

Some of the reviews almost scared me off, but I decided to take a chance with Lucky Star a couple of weeks ago. Overall, I have very few complaints-- the bus was clean, we left right on time, and the passengers inside were relatively quiet. We had a 15 minute break outside a Burger King about halfway through and got to NYC in 4.5 hours, as expected. The wifi worked well, but blocked random websites, and I couldn't find any outlets near my seat. However, considering the cost ($22 for a discounted ticket), I can't complain too much. I'd recommend Lucky Star over Bolt Bus, Greyhound, etc. read more

I've done Fung Wah without a problem, so figured whichever worked for me. Lucky Star had less people in line so I took that. So.... 1-Too CROWDED both ways, which would not be a problem if the seats were a humane size. They are small, NO leg room, and not very comfortable. 2-LOUD on the way down...air circulation (not fresh air mind you) above our heads was loud and annoying. Made it hard to hear, talk, or concentrate on reading. 3-On the way back (trip was 5 hours from NYC-Boston-traffic, not Lucky Star's fault) we were swealtering...turns out the AC wasn't working. Was a 70 spring day, in traffic not moving on NYC concrete highways...so it must have been about 90 inside. Driver finally had passengers open the escape hatch in the ceiling, which said it shouldn't be open while moving. Not really a problem, but if your bus has no windows that open, the damn AC needs to be working. 4-Smelly a bit, not the most clean bus I've ever ridden on. Didn't stop for a break until we were 3 hours into the trip, which given the heat and no lady selling water, was a major drag. 5-They always stop at either Arby's or Burger King. Some sort of kick back I assume. A rest stop would make more sense to those of us who don't worship fast food. SO, next time Fung Wah or Bolt or something. Yea, it was cheap and you get what you pay for, but there is competition at the same price soo.... read more

I purchased round trip ticket from Boston to NYC and back to Boston on October 6, 2015 6:30 am...6:30 pm. I had a great ride without any problems...I was able to charge my phone in the bus. ticket was $25 cheaper than peter pan.Bus was clean and seat was comfortable..we arrived on time ... On the way back to Boston, driver was very experienced and cool guy. Also, He had a great sense of humor..his name is Richard.. Thank you Richard and Lucky Star, it was a great ride.... read more

Lucky Star is the fastest, cheapest, and most reliable way to travel between nyc and boston hands down. The chinatown location makes it much more accessible to brooklynites compared to the rest of the busses in midtown, and it's just as safe and comfortable (if not more) than bigger companies like Megabus, Bolt, Greyhound, etc. read more

I prefer Yucky Star over Fung Wah. While they are both basically the same, I never had a problem with Yucky Stah. They seem to be quicker (maybe not a good thing) and a little less shady, and i mean a little. The only thing i hate the most is boarding...it sucks whether you have a ticket or not as youre never guaranteed a seat. read more

I ride Lucky Star at least once a week, and I haven't yet been dissappointed. Granted, It's 15$ one way, so it may not be the lincoln town car that those people with the Louis Vuitton luggage may have been expecting. But we all have needs, right? Right. I'll give Lucky Star a huge plus for stopping at Burger King. man, those fries are BOMBDIGGITY. The people who work for the bus company are much more pleasant than the one for Fung Wah, AKA Flaming Bus Everyone Dies. Hahahahahahahahaha... not funny. However, in all seriousness, the 15$ is well worth it, the bus departs on time, there's time for a smoke and some fries on the way, and the busses are (for the most part) maintained. This company loses one star for the location in New York though. It's not close enough to public transportation in my opinion. read more

I took this bus line from NYC to Boston and I have to say it wasn't the best chinatown bus lines I've taken. 1. Their location in NYC is fairly random and hidden 2. The rest stop buffet was ridiculous, yes the traditional rest stop selections of popeyes, burger king, quiznos and such are not much better but I couldn't help to think that the bus line was getting a kick back from our patronage there and that's why we stopped there for bad buffet food with incorrectly spelled food labels 3. On our way back we stopped several times with the driver yelling into his phone and never telling us why and what happened, in fact at one point we picked up another man from a stopped Lucky Star Bus in the middle of the freeway without a single explanation ever. At which point my cousin stated "this is the last time we take a bus with a culture preference." I guess if you're spending $13 each way you should come to expect this kind of service, but I just don't think you should be left wondering if your bus is blowing up, if there is an axe murderer on board, if the bus will explode if it goes under 50, or if the driver is just lost. read more

$15 from ny to boston?! Cant beat it. Yes, people talk loudly on their cell phones, etc...but $15? read more

HEY! I made it to NYC and back. ALIVE! felt slightly safer than fung wah. I'm holding off on saying much more until I try boltbus in a couple weeks. we shall see... read more

Lucky Star isn't that bad at all. I have taken their line 4 times now and I haven't experienced any problems. Everyone has been really helpful when I've asked to switch to later buses (I did this twice), the bus is pretty clean and they're fast without giving me a panic attack from unsafe driving. Someone mentioned no seat belts being available, but there are seat belts in the first row or two. However, I've also noticed more leg room in the back. I have never experienced the horrible boarding line that people have mentioned. Possibly this is because I go home a little later than the peak time on Sunday evening and try to catch the 8 or 9 pm bus. I haven't had to wait in a long line to board on the Boston end either, including this past Friday when I took a 4 pm bus from South Station (I was expecting that to potentially be a problem). I have also taken Greyhound once before, which I HATED. The rides to/from New York were a lot longer. On the way to New York I waited two hours to board a bus because I was unaware of the magical $5 priority seating charge, which I would have paid had I known the immense benefit. They stopped at a really crappy rest stop along the way that was very dirty and the vending machine ate my money. On the way back from New York I paid the extra $5 for priority seating and that made boarding easy, but they didn't stop at all and I thought my bladder was going to explode. They didn't have a working bathroom on the bus! Lucky Star always stops at this Burger King in Connecticut because they have some sort of deal going with them and their bathroom is surprisingly well kept. It's not sparkling or anything, but it doesn't resemble a port a potty like the Greyhound stop. I don't think the drop off location in New York is all that inconvenient either. The walk to the station at Canal and Centre is only 5 minutes. If you are smart enough to be reading yelp reviews, you should be smart enough to look at hopstop.com and write down a few simple walking directions. read more

Not as bad as I thought it would be! Sure, it's an old, warm and a bit grimy of a bus with impressively bouncing seats but at such low prices who can complain? I did notice that the driver drove at a safe distance from the car in front, which was comforting. Every time I've waited for hours for a late mega bus to NYC from south station, I always saw lucky star buses didn't have a problem. read more

NEED A CHEAP RIDE FROM NY to BOS? THE LUCKY STAR WILL TAKE YOU THERE! I was skeptical, but this was actually a really great, CHEAP ride. It was January 2008 and I left from Boston to NYC at 6:30am and got to NYC in 3.5 hours - big surprise! - since I thought it would take 4.5 hours. The seats weren't uncomfortable, but my butt started hurting because Hey, who the heck thinks it's comfortable to sit in one place for 3+ hours?! I didn't get off the bus to stretch though. BOTTOM LINE: I would RIDE THIS ride again and again until I have a bad experience. Or, take MEGABUS! That bus is WAY MORE COMFORTABLE and SPACIOUS. But if there's a significant price difference between the two carriers, then it'd be okay to utilize this ride. read more

I had neither a horrible nor a stellar experience with Lucky Star. I did get to NYC and back for less than $20 roundtrip and alive. Maybe it was because I went on off peak times (down Thursday, back Monday), but neither bus was full, so I got to sit by myself. I basically just slept the whole time except for when we stopped at a Burger King to feed people/use the facilities, so I'm not really sure if anything especially sketchy happened. I would doubt it. But there were no scary people, no obscenely bad smells, or anything like that. And, as I said, I arrived in one piece. I chose Lucky Star because I hadn't started my job yet, so I wasn't making any money and wanted to get down to New York at the last minute for really cheap, so Bolt and Mega were both more expensive. It served me just fine, but, I think for my next trip, I'm gonna splurge on the more expensive BoltBus. read more

I like Lucky Star. It's my preference for getting down to NYC. You really can't beat the $15 one way ticket. They get me to NYC almost always within 4-4.5 hours and in one piece. Not gonna lie, from what I've heard about Fung Wah, I'll be happy to never ride with them. They've apparently got free wi-fi on the bus now, and I like that you can order tickets online, pay by CC or in cash before you step on the bus. The staff is generally nice and smiling. They've opened a new "station" in NYC which has a bathroom (convenient if you don't like using the one on the bus), a soda machine and seating, though it's usually on the crowded side. They were selling soda, water and snacks on the bus before departure in NYC for awhile, but they didn't do it on my last trip two days ago. They usually wait around to make sure they get as many passengers on board, which is great if you're running late and might not get there with any time to spare. They leave on the hour, which is also convenient/easy to remember. If you want to sit with a friend, highly suggest you arrive at least 15-20 minutes early because sometimes, the bus is pretty packed. They always stop at a Burger King in CT for 15 minutes. It's exactly long enough to use the bathroom and order food if you're quick. In all, I've ridden several times and it's always a pleasant, uneventful ride. That's what I like. read more

Lucky Star has made a lot of improvements since I last wrote this review. The buses are new, clean, and they all have WiFi and power outlets. No delays, and it was a very pleasant experience the last time I used them. A HUGE improvement over Megabus and Peter Pan...both of those were terrible AND more expensive. read more

The employees at the Boston - South Station ticket counter were helpful.. I arrived to the station with less than 5 minutes to get on the bus I had bought tickets for and the staff made sure I did just that. The price for the trip from Boston to NYC was a great deal at just over $15! (Online Price) The bus was a little dated, but clean. The air conditioner didn't work which was the biggest challenge of the trip! It was VERY hot in the bus. The driver pulled over the bus twice to try to remedy the situation, but had no success.. It made the entire experience uncomfortable. Perhaps I would travel with Lucky Star again, considering how much more it would cost to for gas amd tolls to drive myself! I'll have to think this over. read more

Of the China bus lines, this is one of the best. The buses are clean, they offer Wi-Fi, and outlets, and they're fast - which can be slightly disturbing, but I never felt like I was in danger or this would be my final ride. The problem that I and others riders is that LUCK STAR's business model which is "Take it or Leave it". They are very friendly and will let non-Asians (unlike Boston's Trans-Pacific) sit in the front of the bus. But they will not credit any booking errors, they will only say "that's our Policy" one reviewer was told: "If you don't like our policy, do not ride our bus". I made the same mistake of inputting the wrong date in my reservation with AMTRAK. I called them, being very apologetic that because of my vision problems I put in the wrong date. AMTRAK assistor told me, not to worry, this happens all the time, then she corrected my mistake. I paid for two tickets at Lucky Star because of my mistake of inputting the wrong date. I requested a credit via email. LUCKY STAR wrote back:" Hi L****, I'm sorry, but tickets are final sale and are non-refundable, per our ticket policy. Lucky Star Team" so, I bought another ticket. In total, I paid $70 dollars on a $35 bus fare. read more

Worst customer service. I had to reschedule a reservation within 24 hours of the scheduled departure but as per their policy it is not allowed. I requested customer care on the phone and through emails but they would not consider at all. I even asked them to charge me extra money than their regular reschedule fine but they kept giving me same answer saying "We cannot make exceptions". I would not have bothered if it was 10 or 20$ but my ticket was 35$(They charge 35$ even if you book 3 weeks in advance for a 2AM departing bus from Boston). Greyhound reschedule policy(they charge 20$ if your ticket is a regular ticket) and Megabus reschedule policy(you can reschedule up to 3 hours before the departure for 7.5$ fine)..these guys have the worst reschedule policy. I lost my hard earned 35$ because of their stupid and rigid policy. I book tickets regularly with them every month(5 times including this one) and I thought they would get convinced or charge double the fine but nah..they would not listen at all. Their response was simple. "Don't buy ticket from us, if you don't like our policy". My only complain is that why do these guys have so stringent policy when ticket price was 35$.. It is a real world and I hope they lose money like me for their flight travel or some other then they will understand what it feels like to lose money.. Also my reason for rescheduling was because of the snowstrom stella. I would not buy ticket from them if I can get a ticket from Greyhound or Megabus for the same schedule.. I HATE LUCKY STAR :( read more

I'm rating Lucky Star from BOSTON as a 1. Went to NYC last weekend for a business/leisure trip. Decided to take a bus, instead of driving so I could do work on the bus. Bus was late arriving and leaving. Almost like they were waiting to sell more tickets. 1)1 We had a cranky old ride bus driver who was barking at customers when they asked him questions. The bus driver needs customer service training or should give up his job and do something that requires him not deal with customers. 2)2 we went to Burger King where they were doing construction and there were no door on the stalls. Two women went together at a time. And one had to wait until the other one was finished. This held up time for all the patrons on the bus. 3)3The wifi on the bus wasn't switched on. 4)4 Also customer service at the bus terminal was terrible. I tried changing my bus ride out two hours and there was nothing the young man could do. I tried calling the main number hours before and the night before but no answer. 5)5 The bus did not even have plastic bags for trash like they did years ago. What happened to LSB BOSTON? Terrible experience. read more

I use Lucky Star on a weekly basis, and I have to say that I am quite satisfied with their service: The buses are clean, on time and the staff is friendly. The fare is very reasonable. Compared to Boltbus, a major advantage is Lucky Star's office and waiting room with high-speed wifi, power plugs, a restroom and a shelter for the rain and cold (you have to wait outside if you take Boltbus to Boston with none of the above amenities, plus boltbuses have been arriving increasingly late). Downside: the wifi on the bus doesn't always work, and it can be difficult to communicate with the bus drivers who don't speak English very well. All in all, for my commute between NYC and Boston, I prefer Lucky Star over their competitors. read more

If you plan to take this bus you are definitley roughing it. It's one of the cheapest, no-frill ways to travel between Boston and New York City and it shows. The seats are small and cramped. They tend to stuff the bus to capacity to make sure they can get every dollar so if an obese person is taking up two seats they will still try to squeeze a last-minute passenger there and that passenger may be you. They don't tend to the on-board bathroom as well as they should so if you sit near the back of the bus expect to sometimes have to adapt to a foul oders. Twice I've been on a bus that either broke down and had to transfer passengers to another bus or I've been on a bus that had to take on other passengers mid-trip due to the same. Seriously, if you want white glove accomodations this is not the bus for you. I do like this bus because it makes New York and Boston easily accessible. You can see a Broadway show, take voice lessons or start a long distance relationship for less than it costs to take a cab to Copley Square. There's character but personally I don't mind putting up with minor nuisances to get what I ultimately want. For those who don't have alot of scratch this bus is convenient and practical. I've never been greatly dissatisfied with this bus however my expectations for $15 weren't very high to begin with. I just want to get there. People wonder why I keep torturing myself by taking this bus and the Fung Wah to NYC when Bolt Bus and Megabus are so nifty peachy keen and stuff. The main reason I prefer this bus to the others is because I have mobility issues that require assistance getting on. Also I can buy two seats together and it won't break the bank. When I arrive at the ticket counter (so glad they have one) I can ask for help when I buy the tickets, that way I don't get trampled like a rag doll trying to beat the crowds on to the bus to get the seats. I worried that the language barrier might make it difficult for me to communicate with them but so far it hasn't been a problem. They understand well enough. If you've got kids with you, you're mobility impaired or having some kind of issue there is someone there to talk to try to negotiate with. The other buses don't have that and makes me very nervous about travelling with them. Those buses are first come first serve and there's no one to help you if you should need assistance for any reason. The other reason is for the competative edge. These buses forced Megabus and Bolt bus to exist. Without them we go back to the days when corporate giants ruled the road and it cost $65 - $70 round trip to travel to NYC on buses that weren't that much better. Lucky Star Bus is fine if you prefer to travel on the cheap but you should know what you're getting and what you're not. read more

Good buses. Decent prices. Buses every 2 hours or so. They will usually allow you to take another bus with the same ticket if you miss it. Why the 1 star? Last year I was coming back from Boston to NYC. The usual price is $25. They were charging $30 as there were lots of people and all the buses from Boston to NYC were packed. IMO - Old fashioned Price Gouging! Therefore the one star. read more

I commute to New York every week for school, and so I've ridden the Star twice a week every week for seven months now. I'm something of a regular. It's cheap, it's fast, but here are some things you might should know: 1) Lucky Star is generally safer than Fung Wah, fewer accidents, etc. My girlfriend says this is because they don't own all of their buses and don't use all their own drivers, which means they take better care of both. In my experience this is true. If you're lucky you'll occasionally get a ride on Ground Force One, which is operated by a suburban Boston bus company and has the presidential seal on the side. 2) Greyhound matches prices if you buy in advance and select the "E-Saver fare." You can't get these fares at the station, you need to buy online. That said, I still go with the Star because they will get you to NYC/Boston as fast as they can (3:40 min is my best so far, 9:00 the worst, flat tire), whereas Greyhound will stick to their schedule. Also Greyhound is significantly more crowded. 3) Friday and Sunday nights are the busiest times, everyone visiting their friends/girlfriends. The rest of the time you should be able to get two seats to yourself, the busses are usually about half full. 4) Don't take this bus in snow and ice. Just don't. See #2, re: speed. 5) The bus will stop in Manchester at Grand Buffet. Don't eat there. It's pretty gross. You should have time (15 minutes) to walk down to the Big Y grocery store at the other end of the plaza and get some snacks. They also have pizza, salads and good sandwiches. Use the self-checkout at the end of the checkouts to avoid the lines, which will cause you to miss the bus. They usually count before leaving, but not always. 6) If you want to check your email, Lynch Toyota, across the street from this shopping plaza, has an open wireless network that you can use to get on the Internet. In fact, there are several stop lights as you pass, so you can usually download/send emails while the bus waits at the lights. 7) When you get off the bus in NY, walk two blocks away from the bridge (this will make sense) and you will be at the Grand St. subway, perfect for the D/B. 8) Bring headphones. There will be obnoxious people. I have stories. Unlike Greyhound, there are no stern warnings about cell phone usage, and that guy/that girl will always be on the bus with you, jawing away. Often that guy will be the driver. 9) Remember, buses sit in traffic too. NYC is pretty tame compared to greater New Haven. If you'll be hitting New Haven (about 3 hours from Boston, an hour from NYC) at 8-10 AM or 5-7 (4-7 on Fridays) add an extra hour or two to your estimated time. Seriously. 10) Sometimes the overhead reading lights aren't on. The driver won't speak English, and won't know how to turn them on. Feel free to press buttons on the front console until the lights work. Good luck, and safe travels. read more

15 bucks to go from Boston to New York. Took four and a half hours ish. Everything was completely fine and I experienced no horror stories (per the other reviews). Driver drove safely, bus was clean, couldn't have expected more. read more

They are horrible and regardless of how cheap the fare is, it is not worth your safety/life! I normally travel from NYC to Boston every weekend. I always take the Lucky Star Bus. One saturday like usual I bought 8:30AM ticket to go to Boston. The driver sometimes count heads before leaving rest area, sometimes they drive off assuming everyone was on. Unfortunately they did not count heads last Saturday. I was left behind at Roy Rogers, CT. I caught the next Lucky Star bus 1 hour later. I gave the driver my ticket stub as proof of purchase. Then I called the company to notify my situation but was rejected because according to the company and their bus driver who confirmed it, the bus never stopped at Roy Rogers in CT. Upon arrival in Boston, I spoke to Steven (the supervisor at South Station) who said that his driver denied ever stopping at Roy Rogers and that my possessions on that bus (contacts and food) were not found. The driver who picked me up from Roy Rogers did not confirm that he picked me up. He did not make any effort to confirm my pickup. He doesn't speak English! They were speaking in Chinese right in front of me! Steven said that he will let his manager Fu Mei know and will do an investigation of whether or not the driver stopped at Roy Rogers. Steven promised that he will respond by Monday. Monday came and went without a respond from the company or manager. I called Steven on Monday afternoon to ask about the respond and Steven said he will call in 1 hour with a response. I never heard from him again. On Tuesday my friend visited the company to inquire about the followup. She asked the ladies at the counter to let her speak to their boss but none of the workers knew who their boss was or where their boss was. She asked them to give the name of their boss but neither of them knew the name of their boss. After a brief argument with the workers who claimed Steven is not at work, Steven "magically" appeared behind them. Again Steven promised his manager will call before Noon on Tuesday. It is past noon on Tuesday and I have not heard from Fu Mei or the company. I would not be wasting my time over this minor issue if I was lying about being left behind in CT. It's so hard to believe that the driver could deny stopping at Roy Rogers when he clearly left a customer behind. It's also hard to believe that the driver who picked me up didn't even admit he picked me up. He even took my ticket stub. I am afraid that this could happen to other people. Shouldn't businesses have morals and ethics in their actions? Shouldn't they be responsible for their customers? DON'T TAKE THEM! read more

Ever since the infamous Fung Wah bus company died, Lucky Star has suddenly enjoyed a sudden surge in business. What do they do now that they have a monopoly on the budget Chinatown bus market? Raise their prices! What used to be a great $15 deal is now $20 - or for weekenders which most people are...$25. Yes that's right, literally overnight the price has almost DOUBLED for weekends. Their operation costs seem to still be the same, it just looks like they finally saw the opportunity to gouge the consumer. Such a shame...... read more