Dear Trentalia.
I am sure your media monitors will pick this up. That is their reason for being. I was halfway through making a complaint before being stymied by the need for a ticket number and your site switching back to Italian. You are a government owned train operator and service a local long distance market and international services in conjunction with other government operators and private operators.
I watch a number of train travel YouTubers who focus on European rail travel and from what I have picked up, your trains and service are among the best in Europe. Your Frecciarossa trains are stunningly stylish, inside and out. Photo from Railway Technology.
I can scarcely believe that on your premium service from Paris to Milan in the very expensive Executive Class, you have covered over the windows with all over advertising. I live in Melbourne, Australia with the largest tram system in the world and I know first hand how awful all over advertising is, as so many of our trams are covered in AOA. It spoils the view through the widows in the daytime and makes it hard to see where you are. It is worse at night time and if it dark and wet, you may as well be in a windowless moving box.
It is just unbelievable that the Italian population and people of influence have not strongly protested at your window cover ups.
Beautiful, classy and comfortable trains travelling at 300 km/h, offering such a good service as part of high speed train services across Europe and killing air travel, yet you choose to spoil the passenger experience.
To say I am disappointed is to understate what I feel. For any future European train travel, I will carefully check about all over advertising on trains I may book.
Andrew.
PS To readers, you may find the clip I am talking about interesting if that is your kind of thing.
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The Stalker
ReplyDeleteBeautiful looking train….
I remember getting a train from Florence to Milan….asking for directions at Florence train station from an official and he said he had answered enough questions for that day from tourists so basically bugger off! We did but arrived on the right train to Milan..From what I recall an amazing old fashioned station
What a great trip that would be Paris to Milan
Stalker, I remember a work mate telling me about catching a bus in Italy and they checked with the driver to ensure they were catching the correct bus and he just grunted at them. Not even, sorry no English. I hope customer service in Italy (France and Germany) has improved since then. Milan Station is beautiful.
DeleteProfit is the king in all things corporate.
ReplyDeleteTrue roentare, but why does profit require grubbiness?
DeleteQuite true both Roentare and Hels. Trentalia is a government owned company. I am not sure if it government run or has a private operator. Nevertheless, it is there to serve and profit should be secondary. Cheap profits from allowing such advertising is just wrong.
DeleteThey just want you on the train, once is all they figure out of country people will sucker in anyhow, and maybe you won't notice the all over ads until that ticket is bought and then they just don't care.
ReplyDeleteStrayer, you would be correct but what Trentalia is about is replacing flying travel to trains. That means regular high paying business customers. They simply won't like and won't use the service. You are right about tourists. Who would think to check.
DeleteI will await their reply with eager anticipation. Will they remove the advertising? Will they offer you free transport? Will they apologise and admit the error of their decision? They must know that the mighty keyboard warrior Andrew Highrise is not to be trifled with.
ReplyDeleteNo, no and no Caro. But this will be picked up and along with others perhaps convince Trentalia of the error of their ways. It is such an expensive trip in executive class, it is just so wrong.
DeleteI have the same, well, a similar problem, on the buses. The windows have advertising along the bottom edges and for short people like me, being able to see out is now compromised. I've taken to telling the driver which stop I want to get off at, in case I can't see in time to push the stop button.
ReplyDeleteRiver, it is insidious, creeping into our lives. Make yourself heard to the government who control your buses, if not run them.
DeleteLooks wonderful inside the train, watched the video.
ReplyDeleteI would hate that advertising you are talking about on the window, pooff.
Margaret, especially when you have paid top dollar to travel.
DeleteI’d be crook if I’d paid for a long journey and not been able to see out the window properly- or be able to take photographs.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what they say I don’t think ‘big business’ is in the business of pleasing their customers - as several have mentioned….it’s the almighty dollar that is the winner.
There are just so many instances in public transport alone where costs have been cut, or profits increased by advertising without a thought to customers. If we are to have everything privatised, government need to set strict and practical regulations
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ReplyDeleteHow sad, to spoil a beautiful piece of engineering with advertisements, not to mention obscuring the views of wonderful landscapes.
Exactly Jabblog. It is a disgrace.
DeleteCaro Andrea,
ReplyDeleteGrazie per la tua lettera, ma tutto ciò che ci interessa è il profitto.
Buona giornata
Trentalia
Vaffanculo tretalia e non chiamarmi Andrea.
DeleteThose trains are a great way to get around the country.
ReplyDeleteWho would want to fly TP, although at least you have clear views from plane windows.
DeleteI don't know about these particular trains, but I also hate that AOA. (Quite a handy abbreviation!)
ReplyDeleteSteve, as most would not know the term, I only used it once I had said the full phrase. It is usuful.
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