The countdown is on. The SNCF has just opened bookings for its new Optimum class, which business travellers will be able to discover on 8 January 2026 on all trains departing from or arriving in Paris. This new class will replace the current Business 1ère class, with the new name having less of a "Pro" connotation, and should enable SNCF to appeal to a wider range of leisure customers from upper socio-professional backgrounds.
Unsurprisingly, passengers will find the essentials of the previous offer. This means access before boarding to the Grand Voyageurs Le Club lounges located in the main French stations, as well as a dedicated area on board the train in 1st class to work or relax, thanks in particular to the content of the TGV Inoui portal. Often criticised, the on-board wifi service is set to be improved in the coming months, with the SNCF aiming to double its terrestrial 4G/5G network with a satellite solution.
A flexible Optimum 100% ticket
As far as services are concerned, SNCF is playing the maximum flexibility card, given the high price of these tickets, which are refundable free of charge and exchangeable up to 30 minutes after the TGV's departure. Business passengers will even be able to change their ticket for a fully booked Ouigo or TGV, with no guarantee of finding a seat during the journey.
To make these changes, they always have access to the TGV Inoui Pro application and customer service to deal with their requests before, during or after the journey. " Pro travellers can use the app to find their ticket with its fare conditions, regardless of the channel used to purchase it, so they can easily make changes, even at the last minute, without having to contact their branch again or go to a terminal or ticket office at the station. "In September, Frédéric Laurent-Miel, the SNCF's Director of Distribution, told us at the presentation of this Optimum class.
Optimum Plus service on the Paris-Lyon route
The great novelty of this class lies in its Optimum Plus version offered exclusively on the TGV Inoui routes between Paris and Lyon (and Paris-Le Creusot), which represents 18 daily return trips on weekdays and a train every 30 minutes during rush hour, in the morning and in the evening. The ticket will include on-site catering during the 2-hour journey, as well as the presence in the car of a fully-available SNCF host.
Customer service has also been enhanced to ensure greater exclusivity for passengers. With this Optimum Plus offer, SNCF is responding to competition from Trenitalia, which is will offer 15 daily rotations between Paris and the capital of Gaul from 15 December. With a snack and a drink served on board in Business class, or a real meal with drinks for the 10 seats in its Executive class. The latter offer makes all the difference in terms of comfort with the 1st class seats on the Inoui TGV.
A choice of three offers for Pros in 1st class
To benefit from these new classes, passengers simply need to buy a ticket at the Optimum or Optimum Plus fare. They will then be available to holders of a Liberté card travelling with a ticket at the Liberté Optimum or Liberté Optimum Plus fare on the Paris-Le Creusot or Paris-Lyon routes. Passengers with a ticket at a negotiated or discounted Optimum (or Optimum Plus) fare following a commercial agreement between their company and the railway company.
However, all passengers in general, and business travellers in particular, are not obliged to travel in Optimum class, especially as it represents only a few dozen seats per train (30 in the future TGV M trains delivered from 2026!). The good old 1st class will still be available, with a ticket at the Flex Première fare already providing flexibility for 100% and access to the Grand Voyageurs lounges. " But the fare difference with Flex Première will only be €2 for Optimum class and €20 for Optimum Plus. "Jérémie Zeguerman, Director of Marketing and Customer Experience at TGV-Intercités.
