High-speed rail operator Eurostar partners with Hahn Air. The UK-based train services are now available to travel agents worldwide for ticketing on Hahn Air’s HR-169 document with the exception of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
“Eurostar is our third rail partner and the first to use our HR-169 product through an interline agreement”, said Steve Knackstedt, Vice President of Airline Business Group at Hahn Air. “We believe that we can support them in reaching new markets and unlocking new business opportunities. They can therefore position themselves towards travel agents worldwide as a means of transportation en par with air travel in Western Europe.”
Eurostar is the only high-speed railway service connecting London with mainland Europe via the Channel Tunnel. Services operate between London St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International to Paris, Brussels, Lille, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris, Lyon, Avignon, Marseille and the French Alps. With a change in Brussels, passengers can also connect to any domestic Belgian station. Its trains reach a maximum speed of 300km per hour (186 miles per hour). Their new e320 trains feature more spacious carriages, free wi-fi and over 300 hours of entertainment which can be streamed to phones, tablets or laptops. Established in 1994, the company has to date carried over 170 million passengers between London and the continent.
“The partnership with Hahn Air marks a new era of indirect distribution for Eurostar”, says Jane Ashman, Head of Sales at Eurostar. “Our goal is to reach a global audience with our services. With Hahn Air’s HR-169 product, we found a flexible solution that can be easily expanded and aligned with our strategic outlook. At the same time, it is cost-efficient and even covers extensive risk and fraud management.”
A scheduled IATA airline based in Dreieich, Germany, Hahn Air has specialised in providing distribution services for air, rail and shuttle companies. Hahn Air’s partner carriers can take advantage of its distribution infrastructure consisting of connections to all major Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) and memberships in almost all Billing and Settlement Plans (BSPs). As a result, 100,000 travel agencies in 190 countries can issue services of
Hahn Air’s partners on the HR-169 ticket.
To issue tickets for Eurostar, travel agents can use the standard ticketing process in all major GDSs.
