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 Rail
Europe Inc contact: Samina Sabir
Public Relations Manager
914-989-3385
pr@raileurope.com
Amtrak Contact: Karina Romero
Media Relations Manager
202-906-3860
mediarelations@amtrak.com
RAIL EUROPE LAUNCHES ENHANCED TRAVEL AGENT BOOKING SITE ADDING AMTRAK USA
PASSENGER RAIL BOOKING CAPABILITY
State Of The Art Online Functionality Offers Best-Ever Self Booking Travel
Experience
For Immediate Release: White Plains, NY – September 22, 2009. Rail Europe,
already the leading distributor of European rail products in North
America, is proud to announce an upgraded travel agent booking site,
agent.raileurope.com that now includes Amtrak USA Passenger Rail products
in addition to the broad range of European rail passes and tickets
previously available on the site.
With Rail Europe’s 75 years of experience selling European rail products,
the enhanced website offers dynamic new features that allow travel agents
to book train tickets in Europe & North America, explore detailed train
and train station information, as well as access order history status and
easily view agent commissions.
Rail Europe’s President and CEO, Frédéric Langlois states “In response to
the major resurgence in popularity that train travel is experiencing, we
recognized the need to offer sophisticated online booking technology. Our
new website provides travel agents the tools to easily and efficiently
research, plan and book European and American rail vacations for their
clients. Furthermore, we are thrilled to offer access to the American
train market through our new partnership with Amtrak.”
“The ability to reach rail centric travel agents through Rail Europe is
vital to increasing the number of international passengers on board Amtrak
trains,” said Emmett Fremaux, Amtrak’s vice president of marketing and
product management. “We welcome the opportunity to work with Rail Europe
to offer our products to even more travelers.”
The addition of the new Amtrak booking function allows agents who offer
rail products, one stop shopping for both domestic and European route
ticketing, thanks to Rail Europe’s fast, easy and efficient online booking
process. Booking functions on agent.raileurope.com allow for planning rail
travel itineraries throughout America, in all classes of service. Amtrak
tickets can be printed and picked up from any Quik-Trak, Amtrak’s
self-service ticketing kiosks located in many stations across the U.S. In
addition, Rail Europe will offer the USA Rail Pass which has a variety of
options to provide travelers with significant savings on train travel.
Amtrak operates a nationwide rail network, serving more than 500
destinations in 46 states on over 21,000 miles of routes. Some of Amtrak’s
most well-known trains include the Acela Express (Washington, DC – New
York – Boston), the Auto Train (Lorton, Va. – Sanford, Fla.), the
California Zephyr (Chicago – Denver – San Francisco Bay area), and the
Coast Starlight (Seattle – Los Angeles). Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor is
the busiest railroad in North America, with more than 2,600 trains
operating each day. The Acela Express is the fastest train in North
America, with a top speed of 150mph, and two classes of service: First and
Business Class. Food service is available on most Amtrak trains with
passengers on long distance trains enjoying sit-down meals in a dining
car.
To promote their new partnership with Amtrak and in order to encourage
agents to become familiar with the new site and begin booking online on
the improved agent.raileurope.com, the company plans to launch a booking
incentive offering agents who make their first online booking of over
$250, a $10 amazon.com gift card. These agents will then be entered to win
a ride on the Rail Europe Inc. / Amtrak Celebration Express. Rail Europe
will draw the names of 50 winning travel agents in January 2010 to
socialize on board the Celebration Express, traveling from New York to
Washington, DC on Acela Express in February 2010. This incentive is valid
for bookings made between 9/15/09 and 10/31/09. No purchase is necessary
to be entered to win a place on the Celebration Express. Terms and
conditions as well as entry details can be found on agent.raileurope.com.
Rail Europe believes that the spirit of train travel is about enjoying the
simple pleasures, respecting the environment and connecting with people,
places and cultures. To book any of Rail Europe’s wide range of economical
railpasses and point-to-point tickets on trains throughout Europe & North
America, log on to Rail Europe’s web site for travel agents at
agent.raileurope.com or call Rail Europe at 1-888-382-7245 (U.S.) or
1-800-361-7245 (Canada).
To book European rail for groups of 10 or more, please contact our Group
Department at
www.raileurope.com/group-travel/group-travel.html
Photos– high-resolution photos may be downloaded by the press at
http://downloads.raileurope.com/presspix/presspix.html
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Frederic Langlois, President & CEO of Rail Europe Inc signing the contract
with Emmet Fremaux Vice President Marketing & Product Management at Amtrak
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