FYI from MCI™

Coaches gone wild
Customers trick out their rides with special options

Most MCI customers know they have plenty of options beyond the basic Fast-Track MCI® coaches. Common options include a six-monitor DVD entertainment system, upgraded wheels and the like. But how about leather seats? Chrome mirrors? A strobe light?

Debbie Sayer, director of sales and operations support for MCI, sees virtually each coach order as well as the vehicles that ultimately leave MCI's Winnipeg plant. While not every wish list is destined to hit the highway, MCI tries to accommodate customers and their coach dreams. Here are some of the more memorable requests:

Leather seats. More operators are asking for these, says Sayer. Some operators are even asking that their names be emblazoned onto the hide, or woven into premium cloth versions for a customized touch.

Chrome mirrors. Another trend, according to Sayer, is chrome mirrors that lend an even sleeker look to MCI® J4500 coaches.

Wood-look trim for driver consoles. Another elegant touch for MCI's most elegant coaches.

Entertainment options. In addition to the usual monitor setups, Sayer says she has seen an increase in requests for seatback audio and satellite television to make the miles fly by for passengers.

Beverage centers. MCI doesn't install these itself, but Sayer says that more operators are beginning to request mini kitchen areas in which they can make coffee or dispense cool drinks.

Halogen aisle lighting. Brighter, with more upscale ambiance than the usual fluorescents.

Drapes. Sayer says MCI had to look long and hard to find a source that could sew up this special request from a Florida operator, but a Winnipeg firm came through.

Exterior frames. Arrow Stage Lines of Nebraska ordered exterior frames so that it could sell or display advertising on the outside of its coaches, a la city transit buses — a great idea for generating a new revenue stream.

Special paint jobs. Canary yellows, shocking pinks, tropical hibiscus flowers, eagles, national monuments, MCI has done it all. Miami's La Cubana is perhaps the best-known operator for its sumptuous, saturated coach hues, but MCI is always willing to work with customers who want to make a statement through paint.

Strobe light. While it's not hard to envision an accompanying disco party for this special feature, the operator who ordered it wanted it as a safety signal option should the coach be stranded somewhere along the road.

Got a special request of your own? Your dream coach might not be as hard to achieve as you think. Talk to your sales representative and see if MCI can make it happen. You might just end up with the most talked-about coach in town.

E-mail us at fyi@mcicoach.com, and we may talk to you for a future story.