{"id":72073,"date":"2018-05-05T16:08:39","date_gmt":"2018-05-05T14:08:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/?p=72073"},"modified":"2022-01-25T17:19:01","modified_gmt":"2022-01-25T16:19:01","slug":"first-class-rail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/en\/first-class-rail","title":{"rendered":"Rail: staying top of the class"},"content":{"rendered":"

10 December 2017. On that day, TGV Lyria business passengers were curious to discover the newly launched Business 1\u00e8re class between Paris and Geneva. While the first-class seats have not changed for the time being - the rolling stock is not due for renewal until 2020 - the Franco-Swiss company has undertaken moving upmarket<\/strong> of its services, starting with the introduction of a catering service at the seat. This culinary experience makes it possible to spend a third of the journey at lunchtime in a very pleasant way.<\/p>\n

But above all, it intends to give all its letters of nobility<\/strong> to the art of travelling. Even if passengers don't find the old-fashioned charm of the restaurant carriages, the quality of the service offered throughout the journey is one of the keys to this Business 1.era<\/sup>a top-of-the-range offering that sets itself apart from Standard 1era<\/sup> - corresponding to a classic journey in a first-class car - and even more so in a second-class Standard car.<\/p>\n

With this new three-class segmentation, TGV Lyria is simply following in the footsteps of other companies, such as the SNCF, which has launched its Business Premi\u00e8re service on the new high-speed line to Bordeaux and Brittany, and Thalys and Eurostar, which were the first to offer a Business Premi\u00e8re service. forerunners in this field<\/strong> with their Premium and Business Premier offers.<\/p>\n

Introduced in recent months, these offers should enable rail operators to regain control of the 'best buy' policies developed by companies during the crisis years. Tight control over travel budgets in general, and transport expenditure in particular, has resulted in business travellers moving from first to second class. As a result, companies and their employees are now being asked to to board first class<\/strong> with an alternative available to them: either a standard version at an affordable fare, but without services, so that they can enjoy the comfort of the seat, or a full-fare option in exchange for a host of advantages such as access to the lounge, a welcome on the platform, free drinks and press, and even catering at the seat. For business customers, this more expensive fare also means greater flexibility in terms of exchanges and cancellations, with companies benefiting from relevant management solutions such as integrated expense reports and reporting.<\/p>\n

\"Thalys\"<\/a>
A welcome on the platform, catering in the restaurant, a bigger and faster WiFi connection: Thalys has a number of little extras in store for its business travellers. Thalys<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"restoration-a-bord-thalys\"<\/a>
For its Premium offer, Thalys has entrusted Belgian chef Frank Fol with the task of designing menus based on local and organic products, regularly renewed to satisfy frequent travellers. Thalys<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Move to three classes<\/h2>\n

The widespread use of this triple segmentation seems to bear witness to the success of this new formula. \"Feedback from professional customers very positive<\/strong>Business Premi\u00e8re offers greater fluidity, comfort and assistance<\/em>\"Fabien Soulet, Director of Business, Corporate and Travel Agencies at the SNCF, confirms this. After the Paris-Bordeaux, Paris-Rennes and Paris-Nantes routes, the SNCF will be dedicating a first-class carriage of its inOUI TGVs to this new offer, first on the Paris-Lyon route in early 2018, then on Paris-Lille and Paris-Strasbourg in the course of the year. It should be noted that unlike TGV Lyria, Thalys and Eurostar, meals remain a paying option on SNCF Business Premi\u00e8re.<\/p>\n

To compete with air travel, high-speed trains have long emphasised the advantages of a city-centre to city-centre journey, as well as the useful time spent on board, whether for work, rest or lunch, enjoying dishes designed by Michelin-starred chefs. In fact, even though rail carriers are fitting out increasingly sophisticated lounges in or near stations to make passengers' waits more pleasant - the Eurostar lounge in Paris-Nord is the finest example of this - business travellers have not had the opportunity to enjoy a more leisurely journey. no need to arrive hours in advance<\/strong> before boarding the train. The only exception is Eurostar, which requires passengers to check in at least 20 minutes before departure. This is reduced to 10 minutes for Business Premier passengers thanks to the use of dedicated gates. It is also advisable to arrive around twenty minutes early for Thalys trains departing from Paris-Nord station, as the security gates create a certain amount of chaos.<\/p>\n