Business Travel News - February 11, 2008 - (Page 35)

CAR AND GROUND TRANSPORTATION After Record 2007, Eurostar Sees Open Skies, U.S. Sales Driving Growth BY SETH HARRIS Eurostar last month announced that its business travel ticket sales volume increased 11.9 percent in 2007, a main driver in the record 8.26 million passengers the cross-border train operator carried last year. Company officials attributed the strong business sales growth to a shift in the corporate market to its Business Premier product, added consistency in its deals with multinational corporate accounts and on-time performance in a year when delays plagued airlines. Like most travel suppliers, U.K.-based Eurostar, which, negotiates annually with corporations, has been operating in a seller’s market during the past few years, but general manager of business sales in the United Kingdom Darren Williams said he expects the negotiating climate to loosen despite an expected rise in demand later this year. “We will have to be more flexible in our negotiations,” said Williams. Eurostar expects the U.S.-E.U. Open Skies agreement, which goes into effect March 30, to bring greater business travel demand because to which Eurostar transitioned in June (BTNon- which often sways travelers or agents to book a line, Oct. 8, 2007), the rail operator is develop- “direct flight with an airline,” Davies said, adding ing technology to differentiate its display in the that Eurostar’s listed pricing is a total cost, but system. For example, the GDS dissome airfares are displayed withplays a four-minute stopover in Visit the BTN Archive out taxes or other fees. see btnonline.com/archive Kent, U.K., as an “indirect” line, ■ sharris@btnonline.com ■ COVERING THEIR TRACKS Eurostar sees opportunity in short-haul air reductions. airlines have shed frequency and capacity on short-haul routes where they compete with Eurostar in favor of allocating airport slots for longhaul flights. The rail company also is considering partnering with U.S.-based carriers for combined ticketing, similar to its relationship with Virgin Atlantic Airways, in which passengers can buy air and rail segments on the same itinerary. Meanwhile, Eurostar is driving consistency with U.S.-based accounts by “duplicating” agreements with those clients’ European operations. “We are taking the approach of having consistency within the United Kingdom and with all travel buyers,” said head of international sales Michael Davies. To leverage the new direct-fulfillment global distribution system platform in the United States, i saved $5,000 on travel this month! Run out of ways to cut your travel budget? GO Airport Shuttle offer discounts to corporate accounts for door-to-door service at more than 100 airports in North America and Europe. Your travelers make their own reservations through a custom web portal, and you receive one detailed monthly invoice. To ﬁnd out more: contact info@goairportshuttle.com or 877-544-4646. For economy, convenience and safety, GO is the only way to GO. Business Travel News www.BTNonline.com Monday, February 11, 2008 35 http://btnonline.com/archive http://www.goairportshuttle.com http://www.BTNonline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Business Travel News - February 11, 2008

Business Travel News - February 11, 2008
Contents
Sabre, Travelport Embrace Air Delay Data
CWT Claims Sales Surpass Amex
Inside Track: Airlines Resurrect Saturday-Night Stays
Profiles In Travel Management: Royal Bank of Canada
RBC Banks On Alternative Carrier Balance
The 25 Most Influential Executives, 2007
Hong Kong - Asian Aspirations
Executive Dashboard: Carriers Apply Surcharges
Aviation: U.S. Airlines Limit Domestic Capacity
Carriers Plan Further U.S. Capacity Cuts
Hilton Eliminates Reward Blackout Dates
Lodging: Hilton Frequency Program Ends Blackout
Corporate Travel World: Blakey to Keynote
Car & Ground Transportation: EuroStar Growth
Destinations: Las Vegas, Asia/Pacific
Washington Wire: Border Crossings Tighten

Business Travel News - February 11, 2008