1 Jun 2005

Bakers Dolphin rolls out premium Gold Service

West Country operator Bakers Dolphin is the latest in a growing list of high profile operators to introduce a premium coach service on its coach holiday tour programme.

Its new Gold Service is provided by a gold-liveried Volvo B12B with a Mistral body. Delivered in April, it undertook its first tour – a Hebridean Adventure in Scotland – in May. European trips to Bavaria, France, Switzerland, Austria, Prague and Ireland are planned for 2005.

Bakers Dolphin Managing Director, Tim Newcombe said “the new £250,000 Gold Service coach takes coach touring into the 21st century with state-of-the-art safety, comfort and entertainment systems. This is the ultimate luxury vehicle and we believe it brings coach tour travel into the 21st century and means that customers will arrive at their holiday destination fresh and raring to go. People want and deserve comfort and luxury today, which is why we are constantly upgrading our vehicles. This is the 77th coach in our fleet, but will really be the flagship and provide memorable holidays for our gold customers.”

The Gold Service coach has seats for just 36 passengers, giving every passenger 50% more legroom than a standard coach – in a fully reclining leather chair.

Entertainment includes screens showing a video or DVD and a multi-track sound system with individual headphones. The coach has a separate rear lounge where passengers can relax with complimentary drinks and get to know their fellow passengers or read a magazine. There is a luxury toilet and washroom on board and passengers can track their journey which can be followed on a special satellite navigation system.

The braking system and independent suspension is electronically controlled and features a safety system that controls the distribution of the braking levels and air suspension to each wheel to minimise any skidding or sliding of the vehicle when travelling in adverse weather conditions and during an emergency manoeuvre.