What is Eurostar's new corporate offer?
François Le Doze - This came into force on 10 September on all our markets, with the aim of unifying the offer that existed on our two networks - cross-Channel and continental Europe - with simplicity in the contract, at a legal level, in contact with companies and benefits that meet the needs of business travellers. In practice, companies that commit to spending more than €10,000 will benefit fromexclusive benefits, including negotiated rates. The discount amounts to 12% on travel in Premier class. A second level is set at €100,000 of ticket purchases per year, which entitles the holder to a discount of 25% on the same class of travel and the assistance of an account manager. As part of the signing of these contracts, we analyse the company's overall consumption and that on our various routes, as well as the percentage of tickets consumed in Premier and Plus Class. Our teams tailor their services to each corporate customer.
Does this potentially represent a large number of contracts?
F. L. D. - This threshold of more than €10,000 concerns a few hundred companies in the United Kingdom and the four other countries in our network, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Some companies obviously gain from crossing this threshold thanks to the addition of previous spending at Eurostar and Thalys. The same applies to the single €100,000 threshold, which was previously €100,000 for Eurostar and €75,000 for Thalys. As a reminder, we launched Eurostar for Business two years ago. Used by nearly 3,000 accounts, this booking platform is dedicated to SMEs or large companies with a low volume of consumption, but which offers advantages as soon as you exceed €5,000 per year, such as upgrades, discounts at Eurostar or with partners. What's new is that we're going to extend the possibility of using this portal to companies involved in new corporate contracts, who want their employees to be able to book their tickets directly. With their discounts included, of course.
Is the focus on the Premier class in these contracts?
F. L. D. - Exactly, because Eurostar wants to highlight the best of its offer for business travellers, in this case its Premier class. The aim is to encourage them to opt for this superior class. The more business travellers buy Premier tickets, the bigger the discounts will be. But it's not just a question of discounts, it's also a question of service, with more human contact. Even if the level of service was already high in Premium [the current name of the Premier class, editor's note], a service charter has been drawn up in order to standardise it across the network and be attentive to our customers' needs. At the same time, Eurostar wishes to continue to reflect the particularities and different cultures of the countries it crosses. We have also reorganised our call centre - the direct line for subscribers and frequent travellers - with a single number for each country and a team answering in all languages. This project is less visible to passengers, but it is one of the important things we have done since the merger.
Eurostar Plus is now Eurostar's new intermediate class of travel?
F. L. D. - Announced last spring, unification From 4 November, the naming of travel classes across the entire network is the other major innovation for Eurostar in 2024 following the Eurostar-Thalys merger. Passengers can now choose between Eurostar Standard, Eurostar Plus and Eurostar Premier. This last class is obviously the one that offers passengers the most flexibility and access on board our trains. This is especially true for business travellers, who can use their Eurostar Premier ticket to board any train of the day free of charge, depending on their diary. They will also be able to exchange or have their ticket refunded up to 48 hours after departure. However, the company also felt that there was a gamble to be made offering greater flexibility with Eurostar Standard and Eurostar PlusFor example, no change fees will apply. Passengers in these two classes can therefore exchange their ticket up to one hour before departure at no additional cost - only the difference in fare between the two tickets will need to be paid - and request a refund up to 7 days before departure with a €25 deduction.
Are there any other new features planned?
F. L. D. - Announcements will be made in October concerning on-board catering, which will be upgraded. Eurostar's ambition is to make the Premier class truly exclusive. And to give our customers more reasons to choose it when they travel by train with Eurostar. To this end, the [ex-Thalys] lounge in Brussels will reopen in November after being refurbished. The Paris lounge, located a stone's throw from Gare du Nord, will also be refurbished by early 2025 to offer the same level of welcome and comfort.
How is Eurostar's traffic doing this year?
F. L. D. - The 1er The first half was in line with expectations, with Eurostar at 80% of its pre-pandemic business traffic, in line with other business travel players. We note that some short trips are no longer being made, in contrast to longer business trips. We are also seeing greater seasonal variations, with, for example, higher demand in October-November due to a busy calendar of events, trade fairs, conferences, etc. Some companies are still restricting travel, but when their employees do travel, they do so in good transport conditions. The Paralympic Games may have delayed business travel this autumn, but a return to normal is expected this week. Eurostar finally had a good summer, with 1.9 million passengers, an increase of 5% compared with 2023, thanks in particular to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The company carried members of seven national teams, including some 2,000 athletes.
