We understand that plans change. This page explains Buslane's cancellation policy in plain language. The binding version is in our Terms & Conditions (Section 4), and if anything here differs, the Terms apply.
Cancellation Windows
Your refund depends on when you cancel, counted from your departure date (the date of your first scheduled pickup):
- 30 or more days before departure: Free. Nothing is charged until 30 days before your trip, so no Booking Fee or cancellation fee applies, and anything you paid is refunded in full
- Within 24 hours of receiving your booking confirmation: Full refund of everything you paid, including the Booking Fee, whatever your departure date, as long as you booked 3 or more days before the trip
- 15 to 29 days before departure: A cancellation fee of 50% of the Charter Amount applies. Anything you paid beyond the cancellation fee and the Booking Fee is refunded
- 14 days or less before departure: A cancellation fee of 100% of the Charter Amount applies
Booking fewer than 3 days before your trip? The 24-hour window doesn't apply, and the cancellation fees above apply from the moment you book.
The Charter Amount is the total price of your trip, including extras such as bottled water or meet and greet service. The Booking Fee is 5% of the Charter Amount and is charged together with the rest of your trip: 30 days before departure, or at booking if you book within 30 days. Once charged, it's refunded if you cancel within the 24-hour window or 30 or more days before departure, or when an operator cancels and no replacement is found (see below).
Gratuity is not part of the Charter Amount. If your trip is cancelled, any gratuity you paid is refunded in full.
How to Request a Cancellation
You can cancel your booking in one of two ways:
- Email: Send a cancellation request to hello@buslane.com with your booking confirmation number. Our team will process the request within one business day, and your email gives you a timestamped record of when you cancelled.
- Phone: Call us at (206) 487-1994 during business hours (Monday-Friday, 8 AM - 6 PM PT). A team member can process the cancellation immediately.
Refund Timeline
Once your cancellation is confirmed, refunds are processed as follows:
- Credit card payments: Refund appears on your statement within 5-10 business days
- ACH/bank transfer payments: Refund deposited within 7-14 business days
You will receive an email confirmation when your cancellation is processed and another notification when the refund is initiated.
Weather and Other Force Majeure Events
If severe weather, a natural disaster, a government action, or another event outside anyone's reasonable control affects your trip, Buslane works with you and the operator in good faith to reschedule:
- Rescheduled with the same operator within one year of the original departure date: no cancellation fee applies
- Not rescheduled: you are refunded what you paid for service that was not performed, minus the Booking Fee. If the operator had already left its terminal, the greater of the minimum or actual hours or miles is billed at the operator's quoted rates
Operator Cancellations
In rare cases, an operator may need to cancel a confirmed trip. If an operator cancels for any reason other than a breach of the agreement on your side, Buslane will work to secure a replacement operator with a comparable vehicle at the price you confirmed. If we cannot find a replacement you accept, you receive a 100% refund of everything you paid for that trip, including the Booking Fee. We notify you as soon as possible and work to minimize any disruption to your plans.