Preparing for the hoped-for return of business travellers on its TGVs this autumn despite the Covid-19 crisisthe SNCF supports its sales by setting up a promotional offer for frequent travellersThe main customers are professionals. From 14 September to 7 October inclusive, the Liberté card will be available at a price of 299 euros per year, compared with the usual 399 euros. An additional premium is even being offered to companies with a Pro contract for their employees, with the Liberté card being sold at 269 euros a year.
SNCF expects business traffic on its trains to resume in earnest from second half of September. It intends to support this movement with this offer, which starts on Monday 14 September. Other elements of the airline's Business offer have been back in operation since the start of the school year, including access to the Grand Voyageurs lounges and Business Première carriages offered at peak times.
As a reminder, the Liberté card, valid for one year, provides greater flexibility in exchanges and, above all, a reduced fare of 60% for 2nd class travel and 45% for 1st class travel, discounts calculated on the fare. Business Première. Similar discounts apply for journeys to Italy with TGV Inoui, Germany with TGV Inoui and Italy with TGV Inoui. DB/SNCF and Switzerland with TGV Lyria. The SNCF estimates that the card pays for itself after 4 return journeys a year.
Will the price lever be enough to get business travellers back on the trains at a time of teleworking, short-time working and, above all, a resurgence of cases of coronavirus in France and Europe? A situation that is also having an impact on the MICE sector (meetings, seminars, incentives, conventions and trade fairs). " The important thing was to show that we are there for promote economic recoverysaid an SNCF spokeswoman. Other measures could be decided in the long term if business travellers were to highlight certain needs" . A necessity, as business customers account for 40% of TGV sales.
