Frequently Asked Questions
shorTline Tickets
Q. What does TGIF mean?
A. Our CoachUSA/Shortline "Thank Goodness it's Friday" discounted ticket is available to all Cornell students with valid student ID who want to travel for the weekend. Travel dates are restricted for departing at any time on the regular schedule on any Friday during the academic school year and returning the following Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. The Friday ticket can also be used for the 1 am bus on the following Saturday morning. TGIF fares are extended to earlier weekdays before most breaks. The TGIF fare is the least expensive student ticket available from CoachUSA/Shortline.
Q. What are the advantages purchasing the TGIF ticket at your office?
A. Besides the price, we are a convenient location for students to walk in and purchase their tickets. We are located right in the heart of Collegetown, just a couple of doors down from Collegetown Bagels (CTB). Our service desk is open M-F, 9:00 am to 6:30 pm.
Q. Can I buy the TGIF ticket elsewhere?
A. Yes, you can purchase it directly from Shortline's website at www.shortlinebus.com. Once you receive your email confirmation from Shortline, you print it out and bring it to our office to redeem it for the actual ticket.
Q. Do I need an ID when I board the bus?
A. Yes, you will need your student ID.
Q. Can I board the bus with the email confirmation instead of a ticket from your office?
A. The drivers will NOT accept the printed confirmations. You must come to our office to get your physical ticket.
Q. Can I show you the confirmation on my phone, laptop or tablet instead of printing it out?
A. Unfortunately, your printed ticket is your "receipt". We need it to account for the physical ticket we give you in exchange. Please be sure and print the email confirmation out.
Q. Are Cornell faculty and staff able to purchase a TGIF ticket?
A. No, these tickets are for students only. Students from other institutions are eligible for the TGIF fares as long as they have a current student ID from their educational institution.
Q. Does your office sell adult and student fare tickets for any days other than Friday?
A. No, we sell only the TGIF tickets at our office. If you are planning to depart Ithaca on any day other than Friday, you simply board the bus on campus or in Collegetown without a ticket and the bus stops at the Ithaca Bus Terminal in downtown Ithaca where you will purchase the ticket while the bus waits. For more information about non-TGIF fares, the Bus Terminal is located at 710 W. State St, and can be reached at 607-277-8800.
Q. What happens if my bus gets delayed due to traffic or weather?
We understand customer's make personal plans around the bus schedules. We will make every effort to ensure our coaches depart and arrive on time, however there are travel factors, such as traffic, detours and weather conditions which create delays which are beyond our control. In the event of a delay, your driver will communicate the estimated time of arrival and provide further updates as appropriate. You can also check our website at www.studentagencies.com for any updates regarding delays or cancellations.
Q. What about your drivers?
A. CoachUSA employs only professional, screened and highly trained drivers.
Q. Do the buses ever sell out?
A. No! For our busier travel days, especially around the CU undergraduate breaks, we have plenty of buses to accommodate all the folks leaving town. If buses fill up at one of the departure locations, additional buses are sent for the overflow.
Q. How far in advance should I purchase my TGIF ticket?
A. Since the buses don't sell out, you are not required to buy your tickets weeks or days in advance. However, our office gets very busy right before breaks so we suggest you don't wait until the last minute.
Q. Can I buy tickets at your office to any other destinations on the Shortline schedule besides NYC, NJ and LI.
A. No, we don't sell tickets to Binghamton, Albany, Middletown, Newburgh or Poughkeepsie. Those tickets may be purchased at the Ithaca Bus Terminal.
Q. Can the bus drop me off at an unscheduled stop before it reaches a scheduled destination?
A. For safety and security purposes, we are not able to make unscheduled stops or drop-offs en route.
Q. Will I need to change buses if I am travelling to New York, New Jersey or Long Island?
A. You will not need to change buses on the NYC route. Generally you do not need to change buses on the NJ or LI routes but always be alert to announcements from the bus driver should you need to change buses.
Q. Can I buy one-way tickets at your office for travel FROM NY, NJ or LI to Ithaca?
A. We sell TGIF one-ways from Ithaca to NY, NJ and LI but we cannot sell one-ways back from those points. Those tickets must be purchased at the terminals at the departure locations.
Q. Are the TGIF tickets refundable?
A. Yes, if the travel date on the ticket has not passed, you may bring your ticket to our office and we will issue you a refund. For example, if you buy a ticket for departing on Friday, Novemeber 7th, as long as you bring it back before the end of the day on 11/7, we will gladly issue you a refund. Please note that Etickets are NON-REFUNDABLE as stated on the email confirmation.
If the travel date has passed, you can mail the unused ticket to Shortline and they will issue you a partial refund by check within 60-90 business days. Please mail the ticket to:
Short Line Bus Company
66 Tetz Road
Chester, NY 10918
800-631-8405 ext. 1331
Q. What if I lose my ticket?
A. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done for lost tickets. You will need to purchase a new ticket.
Q. How much luggage am I allowed to bring on the bus.
A. You may bring one suitcase/bag for storage in the luggage area under the bus and one carry-on aboard the bus.
Q. Am I allowed to bring food and drink on board the bus?
A. You may bring food and non-alcoholic drinks aboard the bus. We kindly ask you to pick up your trash before you leave the bus. Smoking is not allowed on the bus.
Q. Am I allowed to bring pets on the bus?
A. No.
Q. Do the buses have rest rooms?
A. Yes.
Q. Do the buses have WiFi available?
A. Most buses do however we can't guarantee whether the bus you will be riding will have wireless available.
Q. Do you sell tickets to the the airports in the metropolitan NYC area?
A. Yes. We sell airport shuttle bus tickets from Port Authority in New York City to JFK, Newark and LaGuardia airports. These tickets do not have the TGIF restrictions and are available for any day you are travelling. The one-way tickets are valid for one month and the round-trip shuttle tickets are valid for four months. There are no direct buses from Ithaca to the metro area airports.
Q. How often do the CoachUSA/Shortline buses run?
A. Please see the schedule.
Q. How often do the shuttle buses run from Port Authority in NYC?
A. Shuttle buses to Newark run every 15-30 minutes from 5 am to 2 am daily (50 minute ride).
Buses to JFK and Laguardia run every 20-30 minutes from 6 am to 7:40 pm daily (LGA 50 minute ride, JFK 85 minute ride).