LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Transportation from Greater Lafayette to airports is often a source of stress for residents and students, especially during busy travel times.

For those unwilling to drive and park in Indianapolis or Chicago, the only alternative is shuttle service.

One shuttle, Star of America, however, recently discontinued service entirely in the Lafayette market.

Lafayette Limo, the only other shuttle service currently offering transportation to both Indianapolis and Chicago, is preparing to pick up the slack from this discontinuation. Another shuttle company, Reindeer Shuttle, already offering transportation to Chicago, will add routes to Indianapolis beginning Aug. 1.

Paul Branham, president of Reindeer Shuttle, said as soon as he heard Star of America was ending service he started thinking about adding a route to Indianapolis.

Right now the shuttle service drives exclusively to Chicago.

"We're going to start by adding five trips to Indy daily," Branham said. "We want to take a methodical approach to entering a new market."

Amanda Florian, a manager at Lafayette Limo, said the company is always looking for ways to expand and improve to keep up with demand.

"We hear your requests and we put them into action. Our new buses arriving in August and September are equipped with USB outlets, leather seating and wood-grain flooring," she said.

In addition to picking up customers displaced by Star of America, Branham said Reindeer Shuttle will be able to offer another valuable service: keeping the market competitive.

It's never good for a market when one company has a monopoly on a service or route, he continued, so adding a route to Indianapolis means both shuttle services are compelled to maintain the best standards of service.

Reindeer Shuttle does plan to remain competitive. An adult, one-way fare to Indianapolis is $24, $3 cheaper than Lafayette Limo. Reindeer Shuttle also offers a student fare of $22.

The company, Branham said, was started a couple years ago by three international graduate students at Purdue University.

Initially, the service catered primarily to Purdue students, but Branham said he's working to expand that customer base.

"We really offer a consistent highs standard of service. We use new vehicles and have wi-fi on all our vehicles," he said.

Florian said Lafayette Limo is also testing offering wi-fi on its fleet.

Both Florian and Branham said their companies are ready to take on overflow customers from the disappearance of Star of America, a good thing since it's not long before students begin pouring in.

Reach Journal & Courier reporter Emma Ea Ambrose at eambrose@gannett.com or 765-431-1192.