Looking for someone to look after the dog during the holidays ? OUIBUS has the solution !

You are lucky enough to have a dog, car or even gold fish. Maybe you have already had to decline or cancel a trip because you couldn’t find anyone to look after your pet?

This summer, thanks to the pet sitting service Ouicroquette, you can take a last minute trip without having to worry. Indeed, your pet will be looked after by OUIBUS, a branch of the SNCF, which offers long distance bus trips with over 180 different destinations.

When you go on the website OUIBUS to reserve a ticket, and once the payment has been made, all you have to do is collect to promo code found in the confirmation e-mail. Thereafter, head to the services partners site “Animaute” and enter your code when reserving the desired pet service to get 15% off or more.

Then, all you have to do is pack your bags and get away for the week-end. No need to worry, your pet will be well looked after during your absence.

In France, the transport bus sector was liberalized in August 2015 via the Macron law, named after the minster of Economic Affairs of the time. 2 years later, the market is organized around 3 different actors: the German Flexibus, Isilines and Ouibus, subsidiaries of Transdev and SNCF respectively.

When it comes to Megabus and Starshipper, the two brands had to give up faced with heightened competition. These services are a great success with over 6.2 million traveler’s in 2016 (source: Autorité de régulation des activités ferroviaires et routières – Arafer), indeed the ticket prices are the number one reason of choice. In consequence, these companies are still trying to be profitable, Flexibus doesn’t think this will be the case until 2018…
How can these brands get out of the price wars? By offering additional services to their customers, and lots of initiatives are being taken. After having signed a partnership with the Paris Saint Germain, Isilines launched in January 2017 a package offer including bus trip and accommodation in the mountains with the tour operator Golden Voyage. For just 337€, you could get from Lille to Arcs including accommodation, ski pass and rented equipment for 6 days from the 18th to the 25th of March 2017.
Ouicroquette corresponds perfectly to this logic of creation of value. This pet sitting service is a real benefit for the pet owner but also for their friends who would have accepted to look after the animal.

Is it enough, on its own, to differentiate the brand from its competitors? Not really because it’s not completely integrated during the purchase of a ticket, you have to visit the partnered website “Animaute” after buying a ticket. It is, however, the first step toward the launch of a large range of services destined for travelers.

No one doubts that further initiatives will grow over the next couple of months. Just wait and see…