D.C. will become the next regional hub for the low-cost Megabus bus service beginning Dec. 15, just in time for the holiday travel season.

Megabus said it is adding 36 trips from 11 cities to D.C., due to the growing popularity of the bus industry and the demand in D.C. for low-cost travel.

Dale Moser, the president and chief operating officer of Megabus, said 360,000 new seats will be available weekly.

In addition, Megabus is offering 10,000 free seats from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15, 2011, which can be booked now by entering the coupon code “ILUVDC” when searching for seats on the Megabus website.

Moser said the deal is likely to attract college students.

“[Megabus’] number one demographic is 18- to 30-year-old young professionals,” Moser said.

Moser added that the hub would allow more people to visit family and friends, for example, college students traveling home.

“Plus, it leaves money in their pockets once they arrive,” Moser said.

Utilizing Megabus and other low-cost bus services is familiar to many GW students, including sophomore Bistiat Woldesemayiat.

Woldesemayiat uses Megabus to visit her sister in New York City and said the convenience of the service is a reason that she keeps booking tickets, despite the fact that the bus trip is longer than a flight.

“[At an airport] with security and check-ins it kind of gets difficult. Taking a bus is more convenient – you just get off the Chinatown Metro and get on the bus,” she said.

Although Woldesemayiat said she usually pays $15 to $25 each way for a ticket, she said she has friends who pay $8 to $9 round-trip. Because of the pricing scheme, the earlier you book your ticket, the cheaper the ticket can be, ranging from $30 at the high end to $1 at the cheapest.