Tap diversifies offers and teams up with RailAccess in a partnership to combine air and rail travel between several cities around Europe. According to a press release published by the airline in April 2021 , TAP has established a partnership with the leading provider of combined air-rail travel solutions in Europe, aiming to offer more diverse options for its passengers.
Expanding its network
This will allow the airline to expand its network and offer more destinations. In this program, people will be able to travel to all destinations already covered by the airline, and then add other destinations covered by rail. AccessRail works with the main rail companies in countries like Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands and Belgium. This will allow people to book for destinations not covered by airports, allowing them to discover new places without the inconvenience of dealing with multiple companies and multiple bookings.
Aviation reinventing itself
This is a great example of the work this sector had done to reinvent itself and get out of the current crisis. Regulations in Europe still allow some travel, so airlines can study ways of attracting more people and becoming more profitable. This is a great example of that. After months of lockdowns and the impossibility to travel, people are keen on venturing out and discover new places. But safety is also something in their minds, and I don’t think people want to go back to the same crowded places where everyone goes. Offering the opportunity to book for a different destination, maybe a smaller town or village, not only gives people the chance of running away from the usual tourist traps but also experiencing the culture of the countries they’re visiting. The fact that it can all be done in one go, means great convenience for the customer and less time consumed booking different trips.
For TAP, I believe it is a great opportunity to diversify their offer and possibly plan for a more sustainable and profitable future. I’m sure other airlines will create similar initiatives. I strongly believe the sector will totally reinvent itself and the travelling of the future is going to be more interesting and diverse than what we had pre-covid. We need that, not only because the sector needs alternative ways to make money, but also because we need to diversify and think outside the box. After all, space travel is a reality already, so aviation must make it more interesting for those who prefer to stay on Planet Earth.
Source: TAP