BA eyes possible deal with Eurostar
Apr 18, 2013, 8:03 pm
#1
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BA eyes possible deal with Eurostar
Link shamelessly pinched from another popular aviation site 
http://buyingbusinesstravel.com/news...-deal-eurostar
Cue handwringing about the imminent demise of shorthaul services 
Seems to make perfect sense, as long as they award TPs and Avios, and status is recognised
http://buyingbusinesstravel.com/news...-deal-eurostar
British Airways would like to work with Eurostar to combine flight and rail services on the same ticket.
BA’s commercial director Drew Crawley said the carrier had been looking at “opportunities to work with trains”.
“We would like to interline with Eurostar to offer a Paris-London sector on the train,” said Crawley at the ITM conference in Windsor.
...
BA’s commercial director Drew Crawley said the carrier had been looking at “opportunities to work with trains”.
“We would like to interline with Eurostar to offer a Paris-London sector on the train,” said Crawley at the ITM conference in Windsor.
...
Seems to make perfect sense, as long as they award TPs and Avios, and status is recognised
Apr 18, 2013, 11:38 pm
#4
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Without a direct LHR rail link, even from King's Cross/St.Pancras, this seems a bit odd indeed. The Air France/Lufthansa model is based on long distance rail terminals at their respective hubs.
Apr 18, 2013, 11:58 pm
#5
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Not exclusively. There is at least one LH "flight" from Cologne to Frankfurt that doesn't even remotely touch an airport. And one can get miles for booking without travelling ;-)
Apr 19, 2013, 1:08 am
#6
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Getting Avios for Eurostar bookings would be nice though I guess.
Apr 19, 2013, 1:19 am
#7
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Apr 19, 2013, 1:39 am
#8
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I'd certainly consider it for going to Paris as I hate the Paris airports. I am not sure how the lounge-element would work as the lounge in London used to get very busy (haven't used it recently. Central London to Central Paris in much less time with BA TPs and Avios would be very enticing.
Apr 19, 2013, 1:50 am
#9
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Having an agreement to rebook passengers on Eurostar when Heathrow faces disruption would make sense (and I'd be all for them forming similar agreements with East Coast and Virgin Trains) but given that it takes 50 minutes at the very least to get from St. Pancras to Heathrow I don't really see the advantage.
Getting Avios for Eurostar bookings would be nice though I guess.
It doesn't really take any longer than Heathrow to Gatwick or LCY though, and BA is happy to offer those as connections
Originally Posted by sigma421
Getting Avios for Eurostar bookings would be nice though I guess.
Apr 19, 2013, 2:29 am
#10
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Aside from Eurostar it would be extremely difficult to make an interline agreement with UK TOCs workable.
For starters the HEX would be excluded and then all the TOCs have extremely different pricing models.
I met some chaps from a company called ACP Rail International at ITB. They are trying to develop a solution to integrated rail-air journeys on continental Europe, however they are not confident about the ability to achieve the same in the UK.
For starters the HEX would be excluded and then all the TOCs have extremely different pricing models.
I met some chaps from a company called ACP Rail International at ITB. They are trying to develop a solution to integrated rail-air journeys on continental Europe, however they are not confident about the ability to achieve the same in the UK.
Apr 19, 2013, 3:44 am
#12
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Not sure about HS2 but I think crossrail might make a difference.
It's clearly a response to our family travel habit - fly to some distant point in Europe and come home by train. Hurry up BA, I want my avios for last week (and if you could link up with Deutsche Bahn as well i'd really be happy).
I do think it makes some sense as a way of capturing more traffic. Foreign visitors might find it easier/more comfortable to buy Eurostar tickets through BA and people making the Paris - LHR- long haul connection might prefer to travel to London by train which does at least save schlepping out of central Paris.
It's clearly a response to our family travel habit - fly to some distant point in Europe and come home by train. Hurry up BA, I want my avios for last week (and if you could link up with Deutsche Bahn as well i'd really be happy).
I do think it makes some sense as a way of capturing more traffic. Foreign visitors might find it easier/more comfortable to buy Eurostar tickets through BA and people making the Paris - LHR- long haul connection might prefer to travel to London by train which does at least save schlepping out of central Paris.
Apr 19, 2013, 3:56 am
#13
Join Date: Sep 2011
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This would be great for them. So many would-be fliers are on those trains to Paris and Brussels.
Don't forget, Crossrail will stop at Stratford (International). Eurostar don't yet, but they could in future. Crossrail I believe is possibly going to go to Ebbsfleet one day too.
Eurostar might also one day serve the Old Oak Common HS2 station (which is what will serve LHR) - so there are a few longer term connections - tenuous today of course.
In the mean time, TPs and miles on Paris trips would be great. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. They've lost ground on what would have been one of their biggest routes. Surprised it took so long, especially as they were an investor.
Don't forget, Crossrail will stop at Stratford (International). Eurostar don't yet, but they could in future. Crossrail I believe is possibly going to go to Ebbsfleet one day too.
Eurostar might also one day serve the Old Oak Common HS2 station (which is what will serve LHR) - so there are a few longer term connections - tenuous today of course.
In the mean time, TPs and miles on Paris trips would be great. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. They've lost ground on what would have been one of their biggest routes. Surprised it took so long, especially as they were an investor.
Apr 19, 2013, 5:00 am
#15
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http://www.frankfurt-airport.com/con...l_service.html
Coming from Cologne, there is only one intermediate stop - at Siegburg/Bonn - before Frankfurt Flughafen. These services do not call at Frankfurt-am-Main Hbf at all.
Here's the full route and timetable for ICE519 - sold by LH between Cologne and FRA as LH3617
