Most big fleets don’t start big. Village Travel is proof. What kicked off as a single bus hauling skiers from the Denver airport into Colorado’s mountains has turned into one of the most dominant motorcoach operations in the Midwest.
Today the company runs close to 200 coaches across eight regions, covering everything from charter service and entertainer coaches to multi-day tours. Thousands of passengers roll with them every year, but leadership says growth never came at the cost of standards.
President and CEO Jeff Arensdorf remembers how the whole thing started. The early owners picked up that first coach and took it back to Wichita to run ball team trips and charters. “It kind of grew from there,” Arensdorf said. “They just kept adding coaches.”
Back in 2000, when Arensdorf and his father, Norman, bought Village Travel from the Marney family, the fleet sat at 15 units. From there, the company pushed into Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas, adding retail tours and entertainer service. Prevost now makes up about 60 percent of their equipment.
That number keeps climbing. In September, Village Travel brought in three brand-new H3-45s, with another round coming before the year wraps — ten seated coaches and six entertainer shells altogether.
Arensdorf said those deliveries reflect how strong their operation has become and how solid the relationship with Prevost is. “We run our coaches for about 14 years, so getting these new models into service is an investment in our future,” he said.
The timing lined up just right for the college football crush, and the support was there when they needed it. “Everyone at Prevost went above and beyond to make it happen,” he said. “If we have a coach down, we know we can reach out and get support right away.”
Comfort, Maintenance and What Drivers Notice
Operators and passengers don’t miss the upgrades on the Prevost builds. Bigger luggage bays, better visibility and more ergonomic setups make life on the road easier. The Volvo powertrain has the torque and fuel savings to handle mountain runs without beating up equipment.
Passenger fit and finish matters, too. Village Travel outfits its tour units with Cloud One winged seating and reduces the seat count to add legroom. Arensdorf sums it up simply: “We don’t get complaints about seat comfort anymore. That makes a big difference when you’re traveling 3,000 miles.”
Village keeps coaches longer than most outfits, so build quality means money saved down the line. “Our mechanics like the way they’re built and easy to maintain,” he said. The engineering and durability help control long-term costs and lock in resale potential.
After more than 20 years of steady growth, Arensdorf says their people and partnerships set the pace.
“Prevost really is a quality product supported by a quality team,” he said. “They work hard to do things the right way, and that makes all the difference.”
Source: Village Travel, Bus and Motorcoach News
Customer Reviews
Thanks for submitting your comment!