Case Study: Running Lean and Winning Big - How Vegas Airporter Revolutionizes Shuttle Services with Zaui

For 20 years, Mike Logan has been the driving force behind Vegas Airporter, a standout in the airport shuttle and transportation company space. What started with a minivan and a cell phone has evolved into a streamlined shuttle service operation powered by a fleet of high-top Sprinter vans and a game-changing online booking system.

“I can switch over to speak Canadian for you, eh?” he jokes to my Canadian questions. But beneath the humor is a sharp business mind that slashed costs, streamlined operations, and boosted growth, all thanks to Zaui’s automation tools tailored for shuttle businesses.

From Roadside Chaos to Shuttle Success

Mike’s journey kicked off at River City Shuttle driving for a friend’s business and he eventually took over the entire shuttle service and his friend’s Amtrak contract (he has several now). In the early days, he juggled driving and bookings solo. “I was always pulling over to answer the phone and make a booking,” he recalls. “A few months in, it was too much.”

He pivoted fast - rehiring drivers that his friend had previously let go, expanding pickup and drop-off points, and tapping into 150,000 more customers by adjusting his airport routes.

Within three or four years, his airport transportation business grew to four or five vans and a few buses. The buses didn’t stick. “Too many complications with buses - CDL rules, different guidelines,” he says. Today, Vegas Airporter relies on five or six high-top Sprinter vans and Transits (out of eight total), with a couple on standby. “A check engine light kills me,” he admits. “Breakdowns are the biggest headache for any shuttle company.”

How Zaui Cut Admin Work by 66% and Made Shuttle Scheduling Effortless

By 2013, Mike’s operation buzzed with an office full of dispatchers, drivers, and an accountant. He brought in the Hudson Reservation system to manage bookings, a decent start, but a nightmare to adjust. “You needed coding skills to make changes,” he says. Living in a no-daylight-savings time zone while servicing areas that shift clocks twice a year threw his shuttle schedules into disarray, and fixes were brutal.

Enter Zaui in 2019, a turning point for his transportation company. “What took me 10 hours to update now takes 15 minutes,” Mike says. “It’s so freaking easy.” The real kicker? Zaui’s online booking system slashed the need for the majority of his office team.

“We moved from an office staff with two admins taking reservations plus a supervisor to just one dispatcher who works remotely,” he explains, a 66% decrease in administrative staff.

That shift saves him thousands monthly by cutting call volume and manual booking entry - tasks that once bogged down his shuttle service crew. “It’s hard to quantify my time,” he adds, as the lone strategist tweaking the system, “but the manpower savings are huge.”

From Phones to Online: How Zaui Helped Vegas Airporter Boost Sales by 20% and Shift Over 50% of Bookings Online

Since adopting Zaui, Vegas Airporter’s success outpace fellow shuttle and airport transportation companies. Revenues have consistently grown 8-10% annually, with a standout 20% surge in 2024. Pre-Zaui, 75-80% of bookings came via phone; now, over 50% are online, an increase that has automated the process and drastically shrunk the need for administrative overhead.

“Online bookings now exceed call-ins,” Mike says.” For a shuttle business, that means fewer staff answering phones and more time focused on the road—all while keeping costs low and customers happy. Vegas Airporter now operates out of 3 locations with a team of 12 or 13 drivers.

Standing Out in the Shuttle Service Game

Vegas Airporter’s edge in the airport shuttle market is twofold. “We’re one of the only shuttle companies around with a true online booking system,” Mike notes. “Others claim it, but it’s just an email form.” Then there’s the Amtrak Thruway contract - book a trip from Chicago to Vegas, and Mike’s team completes your ride. It’s not exclusive, but it guarantees a baseline, with earnings rising as more passengers book through Amtrak. The shift to online reservations through Zaui has been pivotal.“The cost is minimal compared to other systems, and the customer service is awesome.” Older customers still prefer calling, but for a transportation company aiming to scale efficiently, Zaui’s automation is a no-brainer. “Zaui pays for itself by reducing manpower alone,” Mike says.

Driving Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction: Vegas Airporter's Journey with Zaui's New Web Checkout

COVID rocked the shuttle service, but Vegas Airporter has rebounded strong. Vegas Airporter makes two daily runs, 5:00 AM and 5:00 PM that keep the wheels turning, though customers continue to clamour for a midday slot. Mike is cautious though, “It could turn two solid runs into three mediocre ones without the margins,” he says. However, it is still the company’s medium term goal and Zaui’s dynamic pricing tools might be the solution to spread demand from peak days like Tuesday through Thursday to make a 3rd daily schedule work.

Zaui’s new web checkout seals the deal for Vegas Airporter. “The layout’s logical, the flow’s even better,” he says. He is seeing less and less complications with customers trying to book online. While Mike doesn’t tap every Zaui feature, the ease of adjusting schedules and prices keeps his shuttle business humming. “That’s why we’re a Zaui customer,” he says.

Beyond the Driver’s Seat

Mike has stories. There’s the mystery man who books online regularly and never shows up. Or the unruly passengers who’ve had to be kicked off mid-route. Then there’s the cat policy. "It’s just a hard NO. Cats spray. That smell doesn’t come out. Sorry cat lovers.” Mike also volunteers regularly with Search and Rescue. When asked how that affects his day job, he says calls mostly come in at night. “People go out with no water, no fuel, no gps, get lost in the desert, or worse. “It’s usually stupidity,” he says.

Lean, Mean, and Built to Scale

From a minivan to a lean airport shuttle powerhouse, Mike’s turned Vegas Airporter into a model for transportation companies. A Zaui customer service rep once told him, “If you’re always sold out, your prices are too low.” He laughed and then bumped them up. With growth climbing, a third daily run on the horizon, and an online booking system that lets him run big with less, Mike’s proving shuttle services don’t need a big team to win, just the right tech and the correct route.

Ready to streamline your shuttle operations like Vegas Airporter?
Discover how Zaui’s booking and automation tools can help your team reduce admin work, grow bookings, and run lean. Book a personalized demo to see what Zaui can do for your tour or transportation business.