Rail-fly partnership wins international award
First Great Western's rail-fly partnership with Heathrow Express and Singapore Airlines has won Integrated Air Rail Partnership at the Global Air Rail Awards 2014 in Oslo.
First Great Western's rail-fly partnership with Heathrow Express and Singapore Airlines has won Integrated Air Rail Partnership at the Global Air Rail Awards 2014 in Oslo. Our partnership won the award ahead of schemes in Sweden and Austria.
Our rail-fly partnership is the first through ticketing deal of its kind in the UK. It enables customers to arrange rail travel from 11 stations to Heathrow via Paddington, and their connecting Singapore Airlines flight to Singapore and beyond, all in one booking.
Diane Burke, Sales and Marketing Director, said:
This partnership was a revolution in the UK travel market and broke new ground for rail-air partnerships in the UK. It made it easier for leisure and business customers on the Great Western network to connect with the world and demonstrated our commitment to support the communities we serve. We are delighted to win this award.
A spokesman for Heathrow Express said:
The aim of this partnership is to remove hassle for business and leisure travellers. We are therefore thrilled this common sense element has been recognised.
The rail-fly partnership is intended to save customers time and money. An economy SaverExpress fare from Bristol to Brisbane would save a customer £140 or 13%, and those travelling BusinessExpress could save nearly £190 or 5%. While customers can enjoy the flexibility of travelling on any train they choose, the rail-fly.com website also shows the best train times to connect with their flight.
Since launching in January, rail-fly has helped to improve international connections for businesses and communities across the First Great Western network, and supported overseas representatives for UK tourism such as Visit England, Visit Wales and Visit Britain.
Building on the success of this partnership, we are already holding discussions to agree further rail-fly schemes with other airlines. We hope to make announcements on further partnerships soon.
Our rail-fly partnership is the first through ticketing deal of its kind in the UK. It enables customers to arrange rail travel from 11 stations to Heathrow via Paddington, and their connecting Singapore Airlines flight to Singapore and beyond, all in one booking.
Diane Burke, Sales and Marketing Director, said:
This partnership was a revolution in the UK travel market and broke new ground for rail-air partnerships in the UK. It made it easier for leisure and business customers on the Great Western network to connect with the world and demonstrated our commitment to support the communities we serve. We are delighted to win this award.
A spokesman for Heathrow Express said:
The aim of this partnership is to remove hassle for business and leisure travellers. We are therefore thrilled this common sense element has been recognised.
The rail-fly partnership is intended to save customers time and money. An economy SaverExpress fare from Bristol to Brisbane would save a customer £140 or 13%, and those travelling BusinessExpress could save nearly £190 or 5%. While customers can enjoy the flexibility of travelling on any train they choose, the rail-fly.com website also shows the best train times to connect with their flight.
Since launching in January, rail-fly has helped to improve international connections for businesses and communities across the First Great Western network, and supported overseas representatives for UK tourism such as Visit England, Visit Wales and Visit Britain.
Building on the success of this partnership, we are already holding discussions to agree further rail-fly schemes with other airlines. We hope to make announcements on further partnerships soon.