First Capital Connect passengers to be rewarded as Nectar teams up with FirstGroup
(PRWEB UK) 9 April 2014 -- First Capital Connect passengers are being given the first ever opportunity to earn Nectar points when booking their journeys online thanks to an exciting new partnership between Nectar and FirstGroup.
From 9 April, passengers who purchase train tickets online through firstcapitalconnect.com will earn two Nectar points for every £1 they spend, getting more value for their money. First Capital Connect is part of First Group which also owns First Great Western, First ScotRail, First TransPennine Express and First Hull Trains services across the country.
Approximately 180,000 people travel with First Capital Connect every weekday meaning there’s great potential for passengers to collect Nectar points when travelling, by simply buying tickets in advance online instead of on-the-hop. Regular rail commuters will also earn Nectar points, with 2,500 points given for annual season tickets and 200 points for a monthly ticket.
Passengers who purchase their tickets online will be able to simply link their account with a Nectar card account to start receiving points on all tickets they buy online. In addition, customers will gain 100 bonus Nectar points for linking their accounts.
First Capital Connect’s Managing Director David Statham said:
“This ground-breaking partnership between Nectar and First Group is an exciting prospect for our passengers who will now be rewarded with something extra when booking their tickets online – and in turn getting better value for money from their ticket.
“We are delighted for First Group to be Nectar’s first ever transport operator partner giving passengers more opportunities to collect points from the UK’s largest loyalty scheme.”
Will Shuckburgh, Nectar Managing Director said:
“At Nectar, we’re committed to looking at new ways for our 19 million cardholders to collect points on their everyday spending. As rail is a key mode of transport in the UK, the partnership with FirstGroup is a great addition to the Nectar portfolio, providing another avenue for our customers to get more for their money. The partnership is a significant milestone for Nectar as it moves the program into the rail industry for the first time.”
First Capital Connect passengers who are not currently Nectar cardholders will be able to apply for a Nectar card via the Nectar website or by collecting a registration pack at any Sainsbury’s or Homebase store.
Ends
For more information contact Christopher Penn, First Capital Connect Media Relations Executive on 07725 600557 or chris.penn(at)firstgroup(dot)com; or Ania Krwawicz, Nectar Senior PR Manager on 0207 152 6869 or ania.krwawicz(at)aimia(dot)com.
Notes to Editors
About First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect (FCC) operates trains from London to Bedford, Brighton, Wimbledon and Sutton on the Thameslink route and Peterborough, Cambridge and King’s Lynn on the Great Northern route.
Approximately 180,000 people travel with FCC every weekday – 95,000 on the Thameslink route and 85,000 on the Great Northern route.
About Nectar
Nectar, the United Kingdom’s leading coalition loyalty programme, is owned by Aimia, a global leader in loyalty management.
In 2012, Nectar celebrated 10 years of rewarding British shoppers and has given back £2billion of rewards to collectors, including money off shopping, travel, days out and cinema tickets.
19 million collectors earn Nectar points when shopping for groceries, doing DIY, booking a holiday, paying household bills, buying petrol and even getting their car serviced. Collectors also earn Nectar points every time they shop online via nectar.com at over 500 leading online retailers.
Nectar was awarded the “Best card-based loyalty programme” at the 2012 and 2013 Loyalty Awards for Europe and the Middle East.
For more information about Nectar, please visit: http://www.nectar.com.
About FirstGroup
FirstGroup plc is the leading transport operator in the UK and North America with revenues of more than £6.9 billion a year. We employ approximately 120,000 employees and transport more than 2.5 billion passengers a year across our First Student, First Transit, Greyhound, UK Bus and UK Rail divisions. Our vision is to provide solutions for an increasingly congested world… keeping people moving and communities prospering.
FirstGroup operates approximately a quarter of the UK passenger rail network, with a balanced portfolio of intercity, commuter, regional and sleeper services, carrying more than 310 million passengers a year.
FirstGroup are the UK’s largest rail operator with four passenger franchises – First Capital Connect, First Great Western, First ScotRail and First TransPennine Express – and one open access operator, First Hull Trains. FirstGroup also operates the London Tramlink network on behalf of Transport for London carrying more than 29 million passengers a year and the Heathrow Connect service in partnership with Heathrow Airport.
For more information about FirstGroup, please visit: http://www.firstgroup.com
Roger Perkins, First Capital Connect, http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk, +44 8454700789, [email protected]
Share this article