FGW announce link with Singapore Airlines

[whole diary]

[bobm]

Update - "On this Day", 25th January 2022 ... I will add on the end of the thread
At: http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=13495.msg317610#msg317610

From the FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Website

First Great Western and Singapore Airlines are proud to announce the launch of through-ticketing from selected towns and cities in the South West and those served by Singapore Airlines' route network from London Heathrow Airport, including the Heathrow Express rail link between Paddington Station and the airport.  Travellers will therefore be able to purchase a ticket for hundreds of different route options such as Cardiff to Singapore, or Sydney to Plymouth, etc. 

The stations on our network which will be open to these arrangements are as follows:
 
Bath Spa
Bristol Parkway
Bristol Temple Meads
Cardiff Central
Exeter St. David's
Oxford
Par
Penzance
Plymouth
St Austell
Swansea                       

Booking may be made by any IATA travel agent. 

Visit the Rail Fly website for more information.

[ellendune]

I didn't notice them building the Heathrow western link - and right onto the apron as well! Presumably they have a special bridge to get straight from an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) to the plane  

[grahame]

Cardiff to Singapore, or Sydney to Plymouth, etc.

Par to Noumea 

Kuala Lumpur to Melksham 

And before you wonder at that last one ... it's a frequent journey to us!

[bobm]

What about split tickets....

[Pb_devon]

"What about split tickets" indeed!

Takes the whole art to a new level....... Melksham to Kuala Lumpur - split at Swindon and Dubai.  Anyone know where to find the Singapore Airlines Fare & Routing guide to check if a flight actually has to stop for a split to be valid? 

[chuffed]

Think First already have a link with Singapore BUSES! I asked them this week if the refurbished luxury interior, free wi fi specifications of the X2 X3 Bristol Portishead buses actually included heating .....because I have yet to travel on a bus with any heating yet, so far this winter. Their reply was, that it could only be done by the mechanics at the depot. I did ask sarcastically if the buses had been imported from Singapore....

[Phil]

*secretly hopes this means job shares and we start seeing Singapore Airlines stewardesses working on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) trains...*

[JayMac]

Gimmick.

I'd much rather see FGW^▸ (First Great Western) offer integrated travel/tickets with local bus operators on a more consisitent and passenger friendly basis. If it can be done with international airlines then it can't be beyond the wit of man to do so with buses running in the same country.

[Pb_devon]

Point well made BNM

[Ollie]

Gimmick.

I'd much rather see FGW^▸ (First Great Western) offer integrated travel/tickets with local bus operators on a more consisitent and passenger friendly basis. If it can be done with international airlines then it can't be beyond the wit of man to do so with buses running in the same country.

Something like.. PlusBus?

[JayMac]

Something like.. PlusBus?

How does one get that at the start of one's journey by bus? Same applies to combined Rail/Bus tickets.

How does someone living in an area served by buses, but not in a PlusBus area, benefit?

I'd like FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (and other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company)) to do more locally, rather than gimmicky tie-ins with international airlines which get them a few column inches, but probably little extra custom.

[andy_89uk]

Interesting... http://rail-fly.com/
Anyone have any inside info on the SaverExpress, FlexiExpress & BusinessExpress FGW^▸ (First Great Western)/HEX fares?

[Brucey]

I notice that "online check in" for the rail portion is done at http://www.accesrail.com/checkin/, who appear to already have tie-ups with DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about), Renfe and Trenitalia.  Therefore I am assuming the rail ticket is issued in the form of an electronic ticket to print at home.

[Ollie]

Something like.. PlusBus?

How does one get that at the start of one's journey by bus? Same applies to combined Rail/Bus tickets.

How does someone living in an area served by buses, but not in a PlusBus area, benefit?

I'd like FGW^▸ (First Great Western) (and other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company)) to do more locally, rather than gimmicky tie-ins with international airlines which get them a few column inches, but probably little extra custom.

Admit it's not available for all areas, but it is a growing scheme.

As with any of our tickets they can be bought in advance from station or over phone/internet - downside would be you need to have it posted if you're not able to collect it before needing to use the bus.

I'm not sure how you would have an alternative way of processing the ticket though. Unless the bus company was able to sell train tickets too, but I think that may confuse things further for a bus driver who doesn't have long to deal with a transaction at the side of the road.

[grahame]

I'm not sure how you would have an alternative way of processing the ticket though. Unless the bus company was able to sell train tickets too, but I think that may confuse things further for a bus driver who doesn't have long to deal with a transaction at the side of the road.

Pay the bus driver a fiver for a "Plus Bus Starter" ticket, to be taken as credit towards your plus bus journey ticket purchased from the station counter when you switch from rubber to steel?   Of course that assumes a counter will be open at the station and you won't find that you're faced with just a TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine).