On 8 January, SNCF launched the new Optimum class, which replaces Business 1ère, as well as its Optimum + version on the Paris-Lyon route alone. On this route, the company operates 19 daily round trips on the TGV Inouï, with departures every 30 minutes during rush hour, morning and evening, and every hour in the middle of the day. " Paris-Lyon is our main business route, ahead of Paris-Lille and Paris-Bordeaux, with 40% of passengers travelling there for business reasons, with the option of a day return. "says Benjamin Huteau, Director of TGV Sud-Est at SNCF.
Potential for 1,500 Optimum+ seats per day
In addition to this number of frequencies during the day, the new Optimum+ ticket is based on access to the Grand Voyageur lounges at Paris-Lyon and Lyon Part-Dieu stations, easy ticket exchange and enhanced customer service. But it also includes, for the first time, a real restaurant service on weekdays. This improved service is offered on 39 seats in 1st class, still positioned in the upper cabin of car 1, and is designed in particular to meet the emerging competition from Trenitalia, whose Executive class, with 10 leather seats, benefits from à la carte catering.
" After 3 years of Business 1st, we surveyed our customers to find out their expectations and reworked the product to make it easier to understand. "explains Jérémie Zeguerman, Customer Experience Marketing Manager at TGV Inouï. With a journey time of just 2 hours, the SNCF is ensuring a fast pace of service while offering a high-quality catering service prepared by Newrest in its vast culinary workshop at Roissy.
A product that needs to be firmly established in the minds of business customers
The SNCF is remaining tight-lipped about the first steps of this new Optimum+ class, for which bookings opened last November. " January is traditionally a slower month for business travel, with business customers booking at the last minute, a few days before a trip. The Christmas holidays also took their toll on the first week of January.r," explains Benjamin Huteau. However, occupancy rates are encouraging and the space is already regularly full. Now is the time to really install this product ".
To achieve this, communications are being stepped up with business travellers, whether they are self-employed people booking direct or company employees using an online booking tool (SBT/OBT). " Optimum+ is clearly visible in sales toolssays Jérémie Zeguerman. He adds: "When passengers are authorised by their company to travel in 1st class on the Paris-Lyon route, they save time on the meal, which, for €20, is packaged with the train, with the advantage for the company of not having to process an additional expense claim. The full breakfast is also very attractive, saving precious time at home in the morning. ".
In fact, a single ticket in Optimum+ is set at €180 compared with €160 for a ticket in Flex Première, a fare that falls to €108 and €88 respectively for customers with a Liberté card. "There's nothing to impose on passengers, who can still choose between the Optimum+ and the 1st 100% flex", insists Benjamin Huteau. While the target remains business customers, the SNCF also hopes to attract 10 to 15 % leisure customers to this class, especially during the day, in particular senior citizens from high socio-professional backgrounds, but also international tourists looking for premium travel between Paris and the capital of the Gauls.
