Agents urged to get to grips with rail changes

Agents urged to get to grips with rail changes
By admin


Agents must ensure they are abreast of massive changes within the international rail sector in order to best serve their clients, the chief of Melbourne-based International Rail has warned.

Jonathan Hume explained that a shift from rail passes to point-to-point rail fares as a result of new direct connections and procedural changes is ensuring lower fares but only when pre-booked.

“The whole way rail is being handled and booked from an agent’s perspective has changed over the last 18 months or so,” he told Travel Today.

“A lot of education is required to make sure people understand they have to prebook seats in 70-80% of high speed trains in Europe.”

But it’s not just Europe where the transition is being seen – US and Asian railways have also adopted similar systems.

Booking processes for rail tickets are now more like those involved in booking an airfare than ever before. Similarly, if the ticket is not prebooked the fare may rise, meaning the agent has to go back to the customer with the higher ticket cost.

“It’s more than just breaking a very long term habit of how rail has been booked in the past, it’s helping them understand how it’s changed and how both they and their customers can see the end benefits,” Hume said.

He described prebooking rail travel for clients as a “real service” with huge scope for margins to be built in elsewhere as part of an entire itinerary to make the sales process “worthwhile” with the cheaper fares likely to boost sales.

Electronic ticketing is an additional advantage of the new processes, he added.

But with the lower fares now available to agents around the country, it is essential for all agents to get to grips with the new methods.

“It’s important they can say to their clients, we can do the same fare rather than having to potentially lose the same booking,” Hume said.

Latest News

  • Products

Embrace the journey: Traversing the world with the Shokz OpenRun

If you’ve been on the wrong side of a final call in the airport, or missed the stop on rail journey, it might be time to invest in a pair of Shokz OpenRun headphones. Originally marketed as headphones for fitness fanatics, runners or cyclists with a keen to steer clear of a prang with a car, […]

  • Tour Operators
  • Tourism

TTC: Deals are driving up demand for September trips

The latest market research from TTC Tour Brands shows interest in international leisure travel remains high for 2024, with 77 per cent of Australians over 18 still planning trips this year. Notably, 28 per cent of those travellers are eyeing September for their journeys. Europe continues to be the most popular destination, with 68 per […]

  • Aviation

Qantas ‘working urgently’ to fix app data leak

Qantas is looking into customer reports that passengers have this morning been able to access other passengers’ personal information on the airlines app. X user Lachlan posted that he was able log into different accounts every time he opened the app. My @Qantas app logs me in to a different person each time I open […]

  • Hotels

Revamped Wailoaloa Beach hotel opens as Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa

Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa is open and ready for bookings after the first phase of a multi-million-dollar transformation. Part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ premium collection, the transformation has seen the completion of 106 guestrooms showcasing contemporary interiors reflective of the premium Crowne Plaza brand and is a first for the […]

  • Luxury
  • News

Kamalaya Koh Samui clinches clutch of wellness awards

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa has so far clinched five prestigious awards in 2024, including being inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ at the World Spa & Wellness Awards in London. Founders of the Koh Samui sanctuary and spa John and Karina Stewart expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the awards. “We are profoundly honoured […]