Dépêches

OpenSkies Expands Partnership with tgvair - French National Railways’ High Speed Train - Giving Travelers Easy Access to France’s Most Popular Cities

Dépèche transmise le 31 mars 2011 par Business Wire

NEW YORK & WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OpenSkies, the unique all business airline, and SNCF-French National Railway announce the expansion of their partnership “tgvair,” which conveniently and seamlessly connects roundtrip travelers from New York and Washington, D.C. to 14 major French cities via Paris-Orly Airport.

“We’re excited about deepening our partnership and encourage our customers to take advantage of this new offer’s flexibility.”

The tgvair partnership enables OpenSkies passengers to purchase roundtrip plane and train tickets simultaneously and benefit from an exceptional travel experience – from their city of departure in the U.S. to their final destination in France. Previously connecting OpenSkies passengers to Lyon and Nantes, tgvair now truly opens up France to U.S. travelers by adding 12 new stops.

To celebrate the launch of the tgvair expansion, customers will receive a free roundtrip train connection service when purchasing any roundtrip flight via www.flyopenskies.com by April 30, 2011, for travel from March 31-June 15, 2011. This offer is valid for any OpenSkies booking in any fare class in both Biz Seat and Biz Bed cabins.

Upon arriving at Paris-Orly Airport - following a comfortable, amenity-filled flying experience via OpenSkies - passengers now have access to complimentary shuttle service to and from the Massy Train Station, where they will enjoy first-class, high-speed rail service to and from the following key destinations throughout France: Angers, Bordeaux, Le Mans, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Metz/Nancy, Nantes, Poitiers, Reims, Rennes, Strasbourg, Tours and Valence.

“Tgvair reinforces the unique positioning of OpenSkies and further expands our network beyond Paris to incredible destinations throughout all of France,” said Dale Moss, CEO of OpenSkies. “We’re excited about deepening our partnership and encourage our customers to take advantage of this new offer’s flexibility.”

For the passengers of OpenSkies, the expanded tgvair partnership offers a variety of benefits, such as:

• Added convenience: Passengers will no longer need to buy their plane and train tickets separately. OpenSkies will act as the one point of contact in case modifications to the clients’ trips are required.
• Travel with peace of mind: This “flight + train” offer assures that passengers have an optimum travel experience inclusive of transfers between the Paris-Orly Airport and Massy TGV train station thanks to a dedicated shuttle service.
• More savings: By purchasing plane and train tickets simultaneously through OpenSkies, travelers benefit from the competitive tariffs allowing them to enjoy more savings.
• More security and guarantees: If there is a flight or TGV train delay, OpenSkies and SNCF will collaborate to reserve a seat for the passenger in the next available flight/train and will also offer one night’s hotel stay if necessary.

How it works:

Making tgvair reservations is simple and convenient - no special code is necessary. When reserving travel via OpenSkies, either via phone at 1-866-581-3596 or online at www.flyopenskies.com, customers are given an option of selecting Paris or any of the additional 14 French cities as their final destination. The reservation will include both legs of travel in one itinerary, and can be reserved all at once, rather than having to add on the train ticket later in a separate itinerary or transaction.

Upon arrival at Paris-Orly Airport, a shuttle bus operated by Air Caraibes will transfer passengers to Massy TGV station. At Paris-Orly Airport, the shuttle is located outside the terminal at gate G. At Massy TGV station, the shuttle is located outside the station close to the Taxi location.

To get their train ticket(s) at Massy TGV station, passengers simply present their OpenSkies flight tickets or emailed trip confirmation along with their government-issued photo identification at the rail station's dedicated Tgvair counter.

SNCF Group

SNCF is a premier global mobility and logistics group with expected annual revenues of €30 billion in 2010 and almost 235,000 employees in 120 countries. Our mission is to achieve greater mobility, respect and solidarity by making eco-mobility the driving force behind sustained growth and client preference, both in passenger and freight transport. The Group is made up of 5 main divisions: managing, operating, maintaining and engineering railway infrastructures (SNCF Infra); local urban, commuter and regional passenger (SNCF Proximités); long distance and high speed passenger rail transport (SNCF Voyages); freight transport and logistics (SNCF Geodis); and train station management and development (Gares & Connexions). www.sncf.com

About TGV

TGV is a high-speed train that travels at 300 km/h (approximately 180 miles per hour) and offers a multitude of services and destinations in France and Europe. TGV travel is very comfortable and offers a wide range of services designed to make the journey pleasant. There is one meal car or bar per train that offers a wide range of hot and cold meals and drinks. Select trains are equipped with vending machines, and TGV passengers can also purchase magazines and newspapers on board. Additional information on TGV can be found at www.tgv.com.

About OpenSkies

OpenSkies is a unique all business airline that offers guests superior service, competitive fares and exceptional value. OpenSkies currently flies from New York-Newark and Washington, D.C.-Dulles to Paris-Orly. Each OpenSkies aircraft has a maximum of 84 seats and features a unique 2x2 configuration in both spacious cabins – Biz Seat and Biz Bed – giving passengers a choice of a window or aisle seat on every flight. Biz Seats are wide seats that recline 140 degrees with a 52” pitch, and Biz Bed seats convert to completely flat beds (180-degree recline). All seats across both cabins are equipped with universal power outlets and feature individual entertainment systems that contain more than 50 hours of programming and an upscale, healthy meal service. OpenSkies travelers also receive unique services and amenities on every flight. A subsidiary of British Airways, OpenSkies is the first airline created as a result of the E.U. / U.S. Open Skies Agreement, which allows airlines to fly between any U.S. and E.U. destination. Since OpenSkies’ first flight, it has flown over 200,000 passengers.

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