blue lakes charter
Blue Lakes Charters & Tours is a family-owned Michigan motorcoach charter and tour company operating the state's largest fleet of 58 luxury buses, serving schools, casinos, churches, corporate clients, and leisure tour groups across the US and Canada.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersClio, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What blue lakes charter does
Blue Lakes Charters & Tours is a privately held, family-owned (Cupp Family) motorcoach charter and tour operator headquartered in Clio, Michigan, incorporated in 1989 with continuous family involvement in the motorcoach industry of nearly 50 years. The company operates the largest charter motorcoach fleet in Michigan with 58 motorcoaches, including newly added 2023 Van Hool CX45s coaches featuring enclosed parcel racks, custom seating, 15-inch monitors, multimedia systems, and 110V outlets. Vehicle configurations range from 25-passenger shuttle buses to 56-passenger full-size motorcoaches with onboard restrooms, HD televisions, USB power outlets, climate control, and exterior luggage storage. The fleet is maintained in-house by 8 certified technicians with a combined 160 years of experience operating under a 7000-mile preventive inspection cycle. Distribution is anchored by 7 physical offices across Michigan (Clio HQ, Traverse City, Saginaw, Flint, Lansing, Detroit, and Perrysburg) plus a toll-free booking line, a dedicated online booking portal at booking.bluelakes.com, and a driver elog portal.
blue lakes charter firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- blue lakes charter
- Legal name
- Blue Lakes Charters & Tours
- Website
- https://bluelakes.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Blue Lakes Charters & Tours is a family-owned Michigan motorcoach charter and tour company operating the state's largest fleet of 58 luxury buses, serving schools, casinos, churches, corporate clients, and leisure tour groups across the US and Canada.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
blue lakes charter industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charter Bus & Motorcoach Transportation Services
- NAICS
- Charter Bus Industry (48551)
- SIC
- Transportation Services (4700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Motorcoach Charter (Private Group Hire) (THAIAIAA)
Keywords
Where blue lakes charter is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Clio
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
blue lakes charter business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Charter Bus Rentals: Hourly or distance-based charter services for groups traveling to destinations across the US and Canada. Customers pay per trip based on distance, duration, and vehicle type.
- Package Tours: Pre-packaged tour experiences including Cedar Point trips, Winery Tours, Shopping Express, and Casino Express packages that bundle transportation with destination access.
- Casino Express Services: Regularly scheduled casino trips to Michigan casinos including Firekeepers Casino Hotel and Soaring Eagle Casino Resort, with included rewards/free play and food vouchers.
- Line Runs & Shuttles: Scheduled shuttle services for various events and services including Cedar Point school trips and other recurring transportation needs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cedar Point School Trips |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Casino Express |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Shopping Express Chicago |
| Other | Annual | Driver Compensation |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
blue lakes charter product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blue Lakes Charters & Tours operates Michigan's largest charter motorcoach fleet (58 coaches), providing group transportation services across the US and Canada. The company sells hourly/distance-based charter bus rentals, pre-packaged tour experiences (Cedar Point trips, Winery Tours, Shopping Express to Chicago), recurring Casino Express trips to Michigan casinos, and full-service tour planning assistance. Services include luxury coaches ranging from 25 to 56 passengers with onboard restrooms, HD TVs, and modern amenities.
Product overview
Blue Lakes Charters & Tours operates a fleet of modern luxury motorcoaches offering charter bus rental services nationwide. The company provides a range of vehicle sizes (25-56 passenger capacity) including 56 Passenger Buses, 40 Passenger Buses, 34 Passenger Buses, and shuttle vehicles at their Traverse City location. Their core services include Casino Express chartered casino packages, Cedar Point school trips, Shopping Express day trips to Chicago, Winery Tours of Northern Michigan, and comprehensive Tour Planning Services. The fleet features amenities such as reclining seats, DVD monitors, climate control, and onboard restrooms. The company is owned by the Cupp Family and maintains operations across multiple Michigan locations with headquarters in Clio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Blue Lakes By The Bay: Traverse City location offering wine tours, winery tours, and Northern Michigan vineyard transportation services.
Products and services
- 56 Passenger Bus
Quantifiable outcome
- Largest charter fleet in Michigan with 58 motorcoaches
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use blue lakes charter
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
blue lakes charter technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
blue lakes charter partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- United Motorcoach Association (UMA)coreBlue Lakes is a proud member of the United Motorcoach Association, a nationwide network of motor coach operators. This membership provides access to emergency service networks, replacement equipment, and driver assistance through other member companies across various states.
- American Bus Association (ABA)coreActive member of the American Bus Association, an industry trade organization supporting motorcoach operators.
- International Motorcoach Group (IMG)minorMember of International Motorcoach Group, international network of motorcoach operators.
- Gate 1 TravelminorPartner in providing motorcoach transportation services for Gate 1 tour packages.
- Firekeepers Casino HotelcoreRegular casino partner providing $20 slot play and $5 food credit for Blue Lakes passengers on Tuesday trips.
- Soaring Eagle Casino-ResortcoreRegular casino partner providing $20 free slot play, $10 food credit, and $10 Bingo Bucks (Wed-Sun) for Blue Lakes passengers.
- Cedar PointcorePartner amusement park for school trips and Halloween events. Blue Lakes provides transportation and partners on package pricing including admission.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
blue lakes charter competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Indian Trails: Michigan-headquartered motorcoach carrier offering intercity, charter, and contract services across the Midwest. Direct regional peer with overlapping Michigan customer base and similar fleet-driven charter-plus-scheduled business model.
- Barons Bus Lines: Midwest charter and scheduled motorcoach operator with strong Ohio presence (close to Blue Lakes' Perrysburg office). Closely comparable regional peer competing for the same group, school, and casino-trip demand.
Broad incumbents
- Coach USA: One of the largest U.S. motorcoach operators with scheduled, charter, tour, and shuttle services across multiple brands. Broader incumbent competing for the same Michigan and nationwide corporate, government, and group-travel charter business.
- Academy Bus: Major Northeast U.S. charter and commuter bus operator with a sizable motorcoach fleet. Competes with Blue Lakes for nationwide corporate/government charters and brings greater scale to large multi-day tour contracts.
- Greyhound Lines: Iconic nationwide intercity motorcoach carrier. While primarily scheduled rather than charter, Greyhound competes for national group-tour and contract business and sets pricing benchmarks across the broader motorcoach market.
- Megabus: Low-cost intercity motorcoach carrier serving many U.S. cities. Different operating model (scheduled, low-cost) but competing for the same pool of group and tour customers evaluating motorcoach transportation options.
- FlixBus: Growing U.S. intercity motorcoach operator under the FlixMobility umbrella. Competes for budget-conscious traveler demand that overlaps with Blue Lakes' shopping and tour package customer base, and exerts pricing pressure on long-distance charter fares.
Regional players
- Peter Pan Bus Lines: Northeast-based intercity and charter bus operator with a comparable mix of scheduled service and group-charter offerings. Comparable in business model and customer profile but operating in a different primary geography.
- RedCoach: Premium motorcoach service focused on Florida and select Southeast corridors. Comparable premium-coach positioning and customer expectations, though operating primarily in a different regional market.
Others
- Durham School Services: Largest U.S. student transportation provider. Adjacent peer sharing fleet operations, DOT compliance requirements, and maintenance practices; not a direct charter competitor but a comparable operating model in the school-transport segment Blue Lakes serves.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
blue lakes charter social profiles
Digital presenceblue lakes charter compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
blue lakes charter financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
blue lakes charter leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
blue lakes charter subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
blue lakes charter funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
blue lakes charter M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about blue lakes charter
What does blue lakes charter do?
Blue Lakes Charters & Tours operates Michigan's largest charter motorcoach fleet (58 coaches), providing group transportation services across the US and Canada. The company sells hourly/distance-based charter bus rentals, pre-packaged tour experiences (Cedar Point trips, Winery Tours, Shopping Express to Chicago), recurring Casino Express trips to Michigan casinos, and full-service tour planning assistance. Services include luxury coaches ranging from 25 to 56 passengers with onboard restrooms, HD TVs, and modern amenities.
Is blue lakes charter a public or private company?
blue lakes charter is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was blue lakes charter founded?
blue lakes charter was founded in 1989. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is blue lakes charter based?
blue lakes charter is headquartered in Clio, United States, in the North America region.
How does blue lakes charter make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Charter Bus Rentals are the primary driver. The others are package Tours, casino Express Services and line Runs & Shuttles.
Who are blue lakes charter's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Indian Trails and Barons Bus Lines. Broad incumbents are Coach USA, Academy Bus, Greyhound Lines, Megabus and FlixBus. Regional players are Peter Pan Bus Lines and RedCoach. Durham School Services is listed as an others.
Does blue lakes charter have an API?
No public API is recorded for blue lakes charter.
What industry is blue lakes charter in?
blue lakes charter's product category is Charter Bus & Motorcoach Transportation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAIAIAA, Motorcoach Charter (Private Group Hire). Its NAICS code is 48551 and its SIC code is 4700.