MAM
All aboard the big win as Abhibus rolls out its Grand Winter Bus Sale
MUMBAI: Pack your bags and your luck because AbhiBus just turned routine travel into a road trip to riches. The ixigo-owned online bus platform has flagged off The Grand Winter Bus Sale, its biggest travel bonanza of the year, giving passengers not just discounts but the chance to drive away with a Mahindra Scorpio, iPhones, PlayStations, and even gold coins.
The nationwide sale, live from 3 November to 31 December 2025, promises up to 50 per cent off on bus tickets and a steady stream of daily, weekly, and monthly prizes. Whether you’re booking a quick weekend getaway or a cross-country ride, each ticket comes with the potential to turn your journey into a jackpot.
The Grand Winter Bus Sale is AbhiBus’s way of turning India’s favourite travel mode into a festival on wheels. Travellers can claim discounts by using promo code Grandsale, while the code Grandwin unlocks the shot at prizes including:
. 1 Mahindra Scorpio as the grand prize
. 1 iPhone 17 Pro every month
. 1 PlayStation 5 and gold coins every week
. ixigo flight and hotel vouchers worth Rs 5,000 every day
That’s not all. Every booking guarantees travel perks like 15 per cent off hotels and flights on Ixigo, Zomato Gold access, Lenskart memberships, and more ensuring that even if you don’t win the car, your next trip will still feel first class.
“With the Grand Winter Bus Sale, we wanted to make travel irresistible,” said Abhibus COO Rohit Sharma. “Customers can save big and win bigger. It’s not just about discounts, it’s about joy, excitement, and rewards for every traveller. This is our way of thanking millions who’ve trusted us for safe, comfortable journeys all year long.”
Since its founding, Abhibus has grown into one of India’s most trusted names in intercity travel, connecting millions of passengers across thousands of routes. Its integration with ixigo has further strengthened its technology stack, enabling seamless booking, real-time tracking, and affordability at scale.
In an industry where discounts are routine, Abhibus is betting on delight. The Grand Winter Bus Sale is less about slashing fares and more about sparking smiles. For two months, every ticket booked on the Abhibus app or website doubles as a chance to win something bigger be it a dream gadget or an entire car.
And with India’s festive spirit spilling into the new year, AbhiBus’s timing couldn’t be better. For once, missing a flight might just be the best thing that happens to you because the real action’s happening on the road.
So, fasten your seatbelts and keep your fingers crossed. With The Grand Winter Bus Sale, the next stop might just be a win.
Brands
Uber launches hotel bookings feature in partnership with Expedia
From hotel bookings to room service at your door, the ride-hailing giant is making its boldest push yet into everyday life
CALIFORNIA: Uber is done being just a taxi app. At its annual GO-GET product event, the world’s leading mobility and delivery platform unveiled a sweeping set of new features designed to plant itself at the centre of how people travel, eat and shop, hotel bookings included.
The headline move is a partnership with Expedia Group that lets Uber users in the United States book hotels directly within the Uber app, with access to a catalogue that will eventually grow to more than 700,000 properties worldwide. Uber One members get 10 per cent back in Uber One credits on all hotel bookings and savings of at least 20 per cent on a rolling list of more than 10,000 hotels globally. Vacation rentals from Vrbo, Expedia Group’s home-rental brand, will be added later this year. The partnership is expected to expand beyond the United States. From June, Uber rides will also be integrated directly into the Expedia app, with push notifications sent to travellers ahead of hotel check-in to book discounted Uber rides for the duration of their stay.
Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive of Uber, framed the expansion in terms of the modern condition. “Uber is becoming an app for everything, helping people go, get, and now travel all in one place,” he said. “We’re all living through a moment of real cognitive overload: too many apps, too many decisions, too much noise. At the end of the day, our job is to help people reclaim their time, spending less of it managing the logistics of life and more of it actually living.”
Ariane Gorin, chief executive of Expedia Group, struck a similarly ambitious note. “Travel should feel effortless, and this partnership gets us one step closer to offering a seamless traveller experience,” she said. “By connecting our two-sided marketplace with Uber, we’re bringing Uber rides directly into the Expedia app and Expedia Group’s lodging inventory into the Uber app through our Rapid API technology. Together, we’re helping travellers spend less time planning and more time enjoying the journey.”
Beyond hotels, the product announcements come thick and fast. Travel Mode, available within both the Uber and Uber Eats apps, offers curated recommendations on local favourites, tourist destinations, OpenTable restaurant reservations and on-demand delivery to hotel rooms. Uber One International means the membership programme now works globally, allowing members to earn credits on rides abroad that can be redeemed once back home. A new Shop for Me feature lets users request items from any store, even those not listed on the app. Eats for the Way allows riders in select cities booking an Uber Black or Uber Black SUV to have a drink or snack waiting for them in the car. Voice Bookings, powered by artificial intelligence, lets users book a ride conversationally, without touching their phone. And a redesigned One Search bar consolidates results for places, food and items across the entire Uber platform in a single query.
Uber has now logged more than 72 billion trips since it launched in 2010. The question it is now answering is what comes after the ride. The answer, apparently, is everything else. Whether users want a hotel in Paris, a coffee in the back of a car or a snake plant from the local garden centre, Uber would very much like to be the one to provide it. The app economy’s land grab has a new front-runner.
NOTE: The image used is AI generated and only for representational purposes.
