BA launches regional rail partnership with with HEX and First Great Western
Dec 1, 2014, 5:06 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: MME (midway between NCL and LBA)
Programs: BA Gold, AF/KL Gold, Hilton Gold, Nordic Choice Gold
Posts: 744
BA launches regional rail partnership with with HEX and First Great Western
British Airways has announced a new partnership with Heathrow Express and First Great Western, allowing customers to buy single tickets incorporating their flights and rail journeys.
The combined tickets will be available from all travel agents working with BA in the UK, and will allow passengers to board the next available flight or rail service, should their connection be delayed in either direction. Overnight accommodation will also be provided should an alternative flight not be available on the same day.
See www.businesstraveller.com/news/101088/ba-launches-regional-rail-partnership
Interesting development if you live in the South West.
The combined tickets will be available from all travel agents working with BA in the UK, and will allow passengers to board the next available flight or rail service, should their connection be delayed in either direction. Overnight accommodation will also be provided should an alternative flight not be available on the same day.
See www.businesstraveller.com/news/101088/ba-launches-regional-rail-partnership
Interesting development if you live in the South West.
Dec 1, 2014, 5:08 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: somewhere north of London, UK
Programs: HH Gold, BA Silver, Accor Silver
Posts: 15,245
Apparently it covers Oxford, too. (Reported in The Times this morning).
Will be interesting to see how this prices up - why do I suspect it won't be all that favourable....
Will be interesting to see how this prices up - why do I suspect it won't be all that favourable....
Dec 1, 2014, 5:30 am
#4
Company Representative - British Airways
Join Date: Nov 2001
Posts: 834
British Airways partnership with HEX and First Great Western
Dear All
From 5 December 2014 you will be able to book train tickets in conjunction with British Airways flights for travel from 11 First Great Western stations* through your preferred travel agent.
Customers will be able to travel from St Austell to St Petersburg or Bath to Boston, with ease and journeys on the Heathrow Express, which departs every 15 minutes from Paddington for Heathrow’s Terminal 5 and Terminal 3, will also be included in the cost of the ticket.
The combined booking takes away the stress and fear of missing a flight, if a train is delayed or a connection missed, by giving customers the peace of mind they’ll be on the next available flight – and even get overnight accommodation if the next service isn’t on the same day. Customers will also be able to get on the next available train service, if their flight is delayed.
The 11 stations include Bath, Bristol Parkway, Bristol Temple Meads, Cardiff, Exeter, Plymouth, Oxford, Par, Penzance, St Austell and Swansea.
We hope this is a welcome addition for our customers travelling regularly from these areas and are very excited to be bringing this service to you in partnership with Heathrow Express and First Great Western.
Warm Regards
Jeni
From 5 December 2014 you will be able to book train tickets in conjunction with British Airways flights for travel from 11 First Great Western stations* through your preferred travel agent.
Customers will be able to travel from St Austell to St Petersburg or Bath to Boston, with ease and journeys on the Heathrow Express, which departs every 15 minutes from Paddington for Heathrow’s Terminal 5 and Terminal 3, will also be included in the cost of the ticket.
The combined booking takes away the stress and fear of missing a flight, if a train is delayed or a connection missed, by giving customers the peace of mind they’ll be on the next available flight – and even get overnight accommodation if the next service isn’t on the same day. Customers will also be able to get on the next available train service, if their flight is delayed.
The 11 stations include Bath, Bristol Parkway, Bristol Temple Meads, Cardiff, Exeter, Plymouth, Oxford, Par, Penzance, St Austell and Swansea.
We hope this is a welcome addition for our customers travelling regularly from these areas and are very excited to be bringing this service to you in partnership with Heathrow Express and First Great Western.
Warm Regards
Jeni
Dec 1, 2014, 5:35 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: BA Gold, QF WP
Posts: 12,551
Official announcement here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...t-western.html
Dec 1, 2014, 5:57 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,347
I wonder how much more (or less!) this protection will cost compared to booking the tickets separately.
Will you be able to earn Avios and TP on the train portion? (and presumably it will count for BA spend on the BAPP)
Will you be able to earn Avios and TP on the train portion? (and presumably it will count for BA spend on the BAPP)
Dec 1, 2014, 5:59 am
#9
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: London
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 439
I think it would be great if this was extended to Virgin West Coast, and the future Virgin East Coast. I suppose the difficulty in that would be that a) They use the Virgin brand, so would be unlikely to partner with BA, and b) the London connections would be rather more difficult than conveniently jumping on the HEX from Paddington.
Dec 1, 2014, 6:07 am
#10
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Leeds, London
Programs: BA Gold, KL/AF Lifetime Platinum, TK Gold
Posts: 69
I think it would be great if this was extended to Virgin West Coast, and the future Virgin East Coast. I suppose the difficulty in that would be that a) They use the Virgin brand, so would be unlikely to partner with BA, and b) the London connections would be rather more difficult than conveniently jumping on the HEX from Paddington.
I think this is about opening up areas of the UK not currently served by BA from Heathrow, such as the West Country and South Wales.
Dec 1, 2014, 6:14 am
#14
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,211
I think it would be great if this was extended to Virgin West Coast, and the future Virgin East Coast. I suppose the difficulty in that would be that a) They use the Virgin brand, so would be unlikely to partner with BA, and b) the London connections would be rather more difficult than conveniently jumping on the HEX from Paddington.