Julie Edwards
Brightline, the name unveiled last week for the rail line developed by All Aboard Florida, is slated to begin whisking passengers from Miami to Orlando Airport in late 2017. The line will also have stops in Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach, offering a connection between South Florida's major markets and the theme park capital of the world in just three hours, less time than it takes to drive. Travel Weekly Senior Editor Robert Silk sat down with All Aboard Florida Chief Marketing Officer Julie Edwards to discuss what Brightline will offer to Florida's visitors.
Q: How do you expect the Brightline service to impact travel itineraries between Orlando and South Florida?
A: I think that the biggest impact will be that tourists coming in to the major gateways, Orlando and Miami, will now have an alternative to travel to additional destinations. Tourists choosing one of the gateways of Miami or Orlando could extend their stay or add on a destination like Fort Lauderdale or West Palm. That's a big impact for our state if people decide to ... extend their vacation.
Q: Are you concerned about losing out to cars, especially in Orlando, where the primary tourist destinations aren't easily reached with public transit?
A: Orlando recently added the SunRail commuter train. When you think about the transportation from the airport, which is where Brightline will go into, and the existing transportation of Disney Express and the Universal Mears, it is easier to get that last mile to the destination.
Q: Will Brightline make it easier for tourists to get around without a car?
A: Yes. But I want to mention that we will partner with Avis. We will have rental car options in our stations. So those people that actually do want to have their own personal vehicle, we'll have that option. We're also partnering with Uber, Rideshare, Car2go.
Q: Will you be working with agents?
A: We want to work with the travel industry; it's incredibly important with all the business they are bringing to the state. We can package with them and add an alternative transportation for their clients.
Q: How will you handle commissions?
A: We haven't decided on our pricing or commission strategy to the travel industry. It will be in keeping with the industry standard.
Q: Do you plan on being a part of vacation packages?
A: We want to work with the attractions and cruise lines. We know that the way cruise lines or Disney or Universal packages are built, those guests want to do an add-on, whether it be Disney and a cruise or Universal and the beaches. Now they have an additional consideration.
Q: How do you plan to sell the train service? Will you sell many ancillary products like the airlines are doing?
A: What we truly believe is, simple is better. The ease of having people able to book their seat two weeks ahead or a day or within an hour of departure. It is a two-class train. There will be more of a business-oriented cabin and a family-oriented cabin.
Q: Do you see Brightline starting a trend of private investment in rail in the U.S.?
A: There aren't any private companies really working on infrastructure today to put in place alternative transportation via rail. Right now our focus is Brightline and the state of Florida, but when we're successful, like any good business, we would hope to expand.