Brightline, Florida’s
premier intercity rail service, has announced a new partnership with AccesRail,
a global leader in intermodal air-rail distribution. This collaboration will
now allow Brightline train tickets to be booked seamlessly on all major Global
Distribution System (GDS) platforms, making it easier for travelers from around
the world to combine Florida’s top tourism regions in a single itinerary.
The new
partnership with AccesRail arrives at an opportune time, as Brightline marks
the one-year anniversary of its expanded route connecting Miami
to Orlando.
It was in September 2023 that the rail provider expanded its service all the
way to Orlando, linking together the “Theme Park Capital of the World” and the “Cruise
Capital of the World”. Besides Miami, other South Florida downtown stations can
be found in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Aventura.
Brightline’s
Orlando station is situated right inside Orlando International Airport, while riders can book shuttles to their
respective Brightline stations from Miami International and
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airports. Brightline rail terminals are also located in close
proximity to Port Miami, Port Everglades and the Port of Palm Beach.
AccesRail is a distribution company that makes it possible for partner rail
companies to distribute their products via the primary screen on Global Distributions
Systems (GDS), which typically used for booking air travel. “They are, I would say, the
world leader in the distribution space, where they make it seamless for air and
rail intermodal opportunities,” said Julie Sharenow, Brightline’s Vice President of Sales. “And, they work with a variety
of other rails internationally. So, they have the experience, they have the relationships
and, with us being such a new company, it was a great opportunity to partner
with a world leader like themselves.”
The new
arrangement with AccesRail enables Brightline tickets to be accessed via
booking code "9B" on leading GDS platforms, like Amadeus, Sabre and
Travelport. This makes Florida’s intercity rail services bookable in the same
way as flights, providing travelers with a streamlined option for easy
transportation between key city centers.
“Brightline
connects travelers from around the world to two of the most popular tourism
regions in the United States that attract millions of visitors from around the
world each year,” said Sharenow.
“Our partnership with AccesRail enables travel partners from across the globe
to easily reserve seats with effortless efficiency on the standard network by
simply using code 9B.”
Sharenow told us
the company’s data showed that 1.4 million people from across six continents rode
on Brightline trains last year and part of the impetus for getting Brightline integrated
into prominent GDS systems was to expand the company’s reach to more
international visitors who are headed to the Sunshine State.
She said, “For us,
a big opportunity is the international markets, where they're learning about
our service and how now it's going to be easier to be able to not
have to choose between Orlando and Central Florida or South Florida. You now
can stay a couple of days and go to the theme parks, and then take Brightline
down and go on a cruise.” She said that, with the new global GDS visibility, “We're
able to make this easy connection that we are now educating people all over the
world about our service, and how easy and flexible it is for travel
arrangements.”
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