Why High-Net-Worth Travellers Are Turning To Luxury Motorcoaches As A Private-Jet Alternative
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Luxury travel is moving beyond private jets and five-star hotels as affluent travellers increasingly seek privacy, flexibility and greater control over how they spend their time on the road. Bradley Twait, founder and CEO of the The Motorcoach Store is responding to this shift with a first-of-its-kind fractional ownership model for luxury motorcoaches, allowing owners to purchase a 25% share and receive 10 guaranteed weeks of annual use without taking on the full cost and management responsibilities of sole ownership. The model combines premium road travel with white-glove services covering storage, maintenance, insurance and coach logistics.
For executives and corporate travellers, the motorcoach can function as a mobile office, private retreat and luxury hotel, providing space to work, meet and travel with personal belongings in tow. In this interview, The Motorcoach Store explains what is driving demand, how the model works, why it appeals to high-net-worth travellers, and how fractional motorcoach ownership could reshape luxury business travel.
- What inspired The Motorcoach Store to introduce a fractional ownership model for luxury motorcoaches, and why do you believe now is the right time to bring a private-aviation-style model to road travel?
There are really two reasons. First, there’s a large segment of the market that doesn’t use their coaches more than 10 weeks a year. In fact, the majority of the marketplace uses them far less than that.
On top of that, pricing on luxury motorcoaches has increased substantially since the pandemic. With the rise of the experience economy and people seeking better ways to spend their valuable time, it felt like the moment to bring fractional ownership to the market. Our first-of-its-kind offering provides clear, predictable pricing, unparalleled service, and flexibility to the premium private motorcoach user.
- How does the 25% ownership model work in practice, including the guaranteed 10 weeks of annual access, and what responsibilities remain with the owner compared with The Motorcoach Store?
Owners purchase a 25% share, receive 10 guaranteed weeks of annual use, and enjoy the privacy and consistency of a dedicated coach without the full capital commitment or management burden of sole ownership. They’ll typically get a two- to four-week selection when they make their choice, and then it goes around to the first person to pick their additional weeks until everyone has reached their 10 weeks for the year.
The responsibilities of the owners are to enjoy the experience of a luxury motorcoach to its fullest. For the $1,500-a-month management fee per fraction, we provide our customers with white-glove services, which include storage, maintenance, insurance, and all the care that needs to be taken of the motorcoach.
- What type of high-net-worth executives, businesses, or corporate travelers do you expect to be the earliest adopters of fractional luxury motorcoach ownership?
When you look at the many high-net-worth executives and corporate travelers who have taken advantage of private aviation through fractional ownership, our luxury motorcoaches offer an alternative for executive and corporate travel.
Many corporate travelers have used private aviation, and we see that same opportunity transitioning to motorcoaches. Many of our customers utilize top fractional aviation leaders like NetJets and Flexjet, and they’ve been seeking a similar luxury fractional model for the road.
Our approach directly addresses that high-end demand, while giving customers more financial flexibility when it comes to luxury motorcoaches.
- Private aviation has long attracted executives because of its time savings, privacy, and flexibility. How can a luxury motorcoach deliver similar advantages while offering a distinctly different travel experience?
There’s really no comparison between the two. The experience you get in a motorcoach is unique. You have all your surroundings and all your personal belongings with you, so you’re not dealing with hotels and airplanes. It’s a luxury office and home on wheels where executives can collaborate and work in an environment that feels like both an office and a home.
It allows you to spend time in the coach and enjoy the experience wherever you’re traveling. And when you arrive at your destination, you already have everything you need. You can work, hold business meetings, and travel all in the same place. It’s a travel experience as well as your office.
- You describe the motorcoach as a mobile office, private retreat and luxury hotel on the road. What facilities and technology can executives expect to use for working, holding meetings, and travelling with their teams?
Executives can expect a full luxury suite with a beautifully appointed living area, a high-end kitchen and dining space, typically one and a half baths, and a private bedroom designed for real comfort and privacy. Depending on the configuration, that can include premium finishes, generous lounge seating, upscale appliances, dedicated workspaces, advanced entertainment systems, and the kind of quiet, personalized environment high-net-worth travelers value. It’s everything you would expect in a luxury condo on wheels, with the added freedom to bring your office, your belongings, and your lifestyle with you wherever you go.
We can also tailor the interior to support different types of use. In some cases, that means replacing dining areas with additional sofa seating in the main salon or converting bedrooms into meeting spaces with boardroom tables. The result is a coach that can function as a more complete mobile office.
- Could fractional motorcoach ownership help address some of the biggest frustrations associated with corporate travel, including airport delays, security queues, rental cars, and fragmented ground transportation?
Absolutely. The point is to enjoy the experience and have everything with you. A motorcoach doesn’t necessarily save you time when it comes to getting from point A to point B. It takes longer than flying.
However, the best of both worlds would be to fly private and have a driver assigned to the motorcoach, so the coach is waiting for you at your destination when you arrive. Private drivers are utilized in that market, and we have private driver concierge service available at an additional cost, providing that white-glove level of service. Our first-of-its-kind fractional ownership model takes care of all the logistics of moving the coach from point A to point B, so it’s there and ready for you when you arrive.
- Looking ahead, do you see fractional ownership becoming a significant new segment within executive transportation, and what could its growth mean for the future of corporate and luxury business travel?
Of course, we’re betting on it becoming a large market for us. With the reduced cost of entry and the hassle-free side of ownership, care of storage, maintenance, and logistics, it’s going to become a very attractive segment for both business and recreational use.
For corporate travel, there’s an opportunity for teams to collaborate and be more mobile while having a better environment for conducting business on the road. Not to mention, for those who fear flying, the motorcoach provides an alternative to air travel with a level of familiarity and comfort. You have all of your computers, electronics, files, and everything else with you, so you can continue working and traveling in a way that feels more familiar.
