October 26, 2010
VIA Rail Canada and Airbridge International will provide new intermodal option for International passengers
MONTREAL – VIA Rail Canada and Airbridge International are proud to announce today an affiliate arrangement to provide International passengers with an option to travel by train within Canada.
Under the new arrangement, Airbridge International’s airline partners will be able to offer their online users the capability to book VIA Rail’s train trips as an add-on to flights to complete their onward journey after landing at an airport in Canada. Airline passengers will also be able to purchase a Canrailpass enabling them to discover Canada by train.
Airbridge International’s EVP – Luigi F. Colizza, said: “This affiliate arrangement is very likely to be welcomed by our International airline partners like Corsair, LAN Airlines and TAM Airlines as well as other airlines as it offers a new alternative of travelling by train and in doing so earn ancillary revenue from commissions paid on the rail sales.”
VIA Rail’s President and CEO, Marc Laliberté said: “We are excited to partner with Airbridge International to provide International passengers an inter-modal connection onto the train as an ecological choice for their domestic trips in Canada.”
About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada’s national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada's mandate is to provide efficient, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective passenger transportation to Canadian travellers in both official languages. Every week, VIA operates 503 intercity, transcontinental and regional trains linking 450 communities across its 12,500-kilometre route network. The demand for VIA services is growing as travellers increasingly turn to train travel as a safe, reliable and environmentally responsible alternative.
About Airbridge International
Airbridge provides Passenger and Cargo Sales and Services to International air carriers in Canada. As a Canadian partner of APG Global Associates, Airbridge has been mandated by IATA to launch and coordinate the IBCS program designed to facilitate access to BSP. Airbridge has also been chosen on a world-wide basis to assist the Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC) in the marketing and sales of all its membership programs. Airbridge's steadily increasing list of participating airlines include: Corsair, LAN Airlines, TAM Airlines, Hainan Airlines (China), Tunisair and many more.
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