Avoid the last minute shopping rush and frenzy
MONTREAL, Nov. 25 /CNW/ - Just in time for the Holidays - VIA Rail Canada
would like to make your holiday gift decision-making easier this year. Don't
know what to get the person who has everything or is just too hard to buy for?
With the gift of travel you'll have them singing "I'll Be Home for Christmas",
no matter what the season.
VIA Gift Cards are truly the ideal gift. They are available at all VIA
stations in $25, $50 and $100 denominations, as well as a flex value card,
which is also re-loadable. The convenience and flexibility of gift cards make
them a welcomed gift. Give them to family or friends and introduce them to a
Canadian travel experience that could include pristine boreal forests, a
luxurious trip to the ocean, a romantic getaway or simply an opportunity for
that university student to come home for the weekend - laundry in tow of
course! Gift cards can be used just like cash towards the purchase of any
ticket or rail pass product and users are entitled to the same discounts
applicable to purchases made using any other form of payment.
According to Steve Del Bosco, VIA's chief Customer Officer, "there are as
many reasons for buying VIA gift cards as there are for travelling by train.
For example, many students do not have a credit card. When they are studying
in another city, their parents can encourage them to come home more often by
giving them a card. And for businesses they make a perfect gift for employees
as an incentive bonus for meritorious service during the year." For more
details about VIA's Gift Card, visit viarail.ca/giftcard.
VIA's Getaway Packages - Just in time for the winter festival season,
VIA's vacation getaways make a great gift and are the ideal way for relaxing
after the hurried pace of the holiday season. With a number of winter
activities taking place within VIA's Windsor to Quebec City Corridor, VIA's
Getaway packages can be suited to individual preferences and budgets. Choose a
getaway of one to three-night stay in a number of urban destinations in
Ontario and Quebec. For more details visit viarail.ca/getaways.
The gift that keeps on giving - VIA has also partnered with the AIR MILES
Reward Program to enable their collectors to redeem reward miles for VIA gift
cards. Collectors simply contact AIR MILES to exchange their reward miles for
a VIA gift card.Something for the rail fan in your family
-----------------------------------------VIA Rail is also pleased to offer a selection of souvenirs. From the
popular train whistle that appeals to children both young and old, a travel
mug for the frequent traveller that reflects VIA's commitment to the
environment and Fair Trade coffee, clothing, books, a tree ornament, even a
Canadian geography lesson as told by a young boy as he travels across the
country in the video production of "The Big Train Trip". Orders received for
Canadian delivery by December 12, should arrive just in time for Santa. For
more information please go to viarail.ca/giftshop.
Your e-mail address book is undoubtedly full of personal and professional
contacts. Many of those people would surely be happy to receive a virtual
greeting card from you - a reminder that in this fast-changing world, you
haven't forgotten them. The recipients can easily print your card out and put
it up in a special place. Simply click on viarail.ca to make someone instantly
happy!Something for the holiday table - Railway plum pudding and Vanilla Fudge
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Served aboard VIA's world-renowned Canadian for decades, now you can
savour this traditional dessert with family and friends this holiday season.
Visit viarail.ca/plumpudding to get our famous and hard-to-get recipe as well
as viarail.ca/vanillafudge for those with a real sweet tooth ... and make
everyone happy during the holidays!
Thinking of travelling this holiday season
------------------------------------------Christmas is coming, and seats are going fast! For those planning on
travelling over the holiday period that have yet to book their trip, VIA
suggests that you purchase your tickets as soon as possible to take advantage
of the best fares available. Discount fares are still available on many
departures during the holiday period, which runs from December 15th to January
5th. "Traditionally, this is our busiest time of the year," adds VIA's Steve
Del Bosco. "During this holiday period, everybody at VIA will work together to
ensure our customers' holiday travel plans run smoothly."
With its reservation lines already very busy and winter weather beginning
to make itself felt in earnest, VIA expects some popular train departures will
be sold out quickly: VIA will be monitoring ticket sales carefully so it can
assign and cycle passenger cars to meet demand. Customers should leave plenty
of time prior to their train departure, as ticket line-ups are longer than
normal. Customers can also use the ticket kiosks to avoid the lengthy line-ups
or the driving and parking stresses associated with inclement weather. Ticket
kiosks are located in the following Corridor locations: Québec, Ste-Foy,
Montréal, Dorval, Ottawa, Fallowfield, Kingston, Belleville, Cobourg, Oshawa,
Toronto, Oakville, Aldershot, Brantford, Guelph, Kitchener, London and
Windsor.
Customers can visit VIA's secure Web site at viarail.ca to book a trip
anywhere in the VIA system. Train tickets are also available at VIA stations
across Canada, including self-service ticketing kiosks located at major
stations in central Canada. Passengers can also book their tickets by calling
1 888 VIA-RAIL (1 888 842-7245), TTY 1800 268-9503 (hearing impaired), visit
VIA's website viarail.ca or contact their travel agent.
For further information: VIA contacts: Ashley Doyle, (416) 956-7613;
Nadia Seraiocco, (514) 871-6119
