➔ East Coast shows its class
EAST COAST has reported a surge in First Class passengers, with numbers up over 20 per cent in the ten-month period since the introduction of new service standards. Complimentary food and
drinks are now included in fares which, combined with a new timetable, have helped East Coast post its highest number of First Class journeys for five years. First Class journeys on its
busiest route, between Leeds and London, increased even more, up by 31 per cent, while the figure on its flagship route from London to Edinburgh rocketed by 36 per cent. The operator says that free
wifi, city centre stations and a four-hour ‘Flying Scotsman’ service between the two capitals is helping it win
VIRGIN TRAINS ADDS CAPACITY
THE BUSY West Coast line from London to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow is now benefitting from extra capacity following the introduction of longer Virgin Trains on the route. Around 30 services a day
on the network were expected to welcome the additions by the end of April, with a total increase of ten million extra seats a year available on the line. The number of standard seats will rise by over 50 per cent. “Tackling crowding and
reducing the cost of our railways are two of the biggest challenges facing the rail industry at the moment,” says transport minister Theresa Villiers. “But this is just part of the government’s plans to increase rail capacity. Across the network we plan to deliver more than 2,700 new carriages by 2019.” Virgin has operated the West
Coast franchise since 1997 and is shortlisted for the next phase beginning in December.
market share off airlines serving the same route. “These new figures confirm
that the increase in passenger journeys we saw within weeks of the launch of the new First Class customer service was only the beginning," says East Coast Managing Director
Karen Boswell. “A significant proportion of the First Class journey growth is coming from the sale of our best- value First Advance tickets, which demonstrates that our competitive fares and good customer service make a winning combination.”
NUMBERS UP AT EUROSTAR
Five minutes with... Robert Wenden
Director of Corporate Sales, UK Rotana
Despite achieving a degree in geology, Robert has enjoyed a varied career in travel working for United Airlines, STA Travel, Utell and Rotana where he currently has responsibility for the corporate market across the UK and Europe.
What is your most memorable business travel trip and why? I will never forget my first business trip to Syria when a guard pulled me to one side at Damascus Airport.
I thought I was in
trouble but he put his hand in his pocket and gave me a coin for the luggage trolley! Syria is full of surprises – it is home to some of the friendliest people on earth and has so much history. Everyone should see Palmyra before they die! I hope their troubles are resolved quickly.
What is your worst business travel experience and why? I took a FAM trip to Los Angeles some years ago. Our flight over there was hit by turbulence that lasted for about 20 minutes and people started being sick all around me! I was ok but it was very close and I considered never flying again.
What is your favourite destination worldwide and why? It changes constantly but right now it has to be the warm sunshine of Dubai. Only if staying at a Rotana property though!
CROSS-CHANNEL rail operator Eurostar has enjoyed a bumper start to 2012 despite business class passenger numbers remain- ing relatively stable. Total passenger numbers
for the first quarter of 2012 were up four per cent to 2.24 million, compared to 2.15 million in Q1 2011. The growth over the three month period has been driven by an increase in leisure travel, with business travel in the first quarter of the year remaining broadly flat, Eurostar reports. Eurostar chief executive,
Nicolas Petrovic, says, “The year got off to a strong start with sales revenues and
passenger numbers on the up. Our core destinations continue to be a big draw for passengers but we have also seen particularly good take- up of our Amsterdam fares.” The rise in passenger
numbers heading to the Netherlands by train is part of a wider-reaching trend for high-speed rail travel to destinations further afield on the continent. Eurostar is a founder member of Railteam, a partnership between Europe’s high- speed train operators that aims to develop simpler ways to book and travel on the continent's fast-expanding high-speed rail network.
What three items do you never leave without when travelling on business? I never seem to travel light so this is a tough one, but it would probably have to be my iPod, my new Kobo and my laptop.
What single thing could be done to improve your business travelling life? Security is a fact of life but arriving two or even three hours before a flight departs is frustrating. I wish I could turn up at the airport, jump on the plane and go!
What destination/s would you like to visit next and why? My wife also works in travel and she recently won a trip to the USA so hopefully we will visit the West coast together next year – just no turbulence on the way over please!
THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE 53
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