(27 Feb 2017, 9:01 pm)mb134 wrote The difference is that Arriva don't apply "Look at our shiny Sapphire bus" taglines to their standard vehicles...
Arriva market their premium Sapphire and MAX brands all of the time - on social media, in printed formats, etc etc. The Coastliner buses at Jesmond were promoting onward connections to MAX services a while back in the form of posters along the cove panels of the bus. I believe some standard Pulsars at Stockton had the same.
Just look at the timetable Kuyoyo shared earlier for the X93. More effort has gone into designing that timetable than a standard service.
Applying the same logic as you have in your previous posts, this must be Arriva showboating a premium service in favour of other 'bog standard' services such as the 9, 28, etc?