Jose Felix Cano Montoya. Head of the ANDALUZ EXPRESO railroad train

Q- How did you cut your teeth in the tourist sector?

A- After graduating from Bilbao University –my hometown- I started working as a receptionist in a hotel. I took several jobs and finished my studies on tourism until I landed a job in Iberocoming Co. Eventually, this company merged with the ANDALUZ EXPRESO to form this company as we know it now. Now I’m the head of the ANDALUZ EXPRESO railroad train and I also deal with everything related to receptive services in the international market.

Q- You said Ibero... what kind of concept is that?

A- That’s the part of the company that markets all kinds of tourist services and this division has to do with this particular type of service to foreigners.

Q- What advantages and disadvantages does ANDALUZ EXPRESO face as far as marketing is concerned?

A- As to marketing, standing out from the rest of the tour operators is what really counts because this is a unique and exclusive product sold by no other company but us. That’s what we’re aiming at. We can say that’s sort of every company’s dream: to have an exclusive product with no competition at all. In terms of benefits, well, we do have plenty of them because when you travel overseas it’s as if a huge door swung wide open for any company. You also asked about disadvantages, right? Well, perhaps the fact that this is an extremely lavish product easily targeted by economic and social tribulations like the one we’ve been going through lately at a world level.

Q- What are your premiere markets?

A- Around 70 percent of all passengers hopping on the ANDALUZ EXPRESO are foreigners and the remaining 30 percent are Spaniards. That 30 percent is broken down in, first of all, Catalonians, followed by residents of Madrid, Valencians and Basques. Foreigners hail chiefly from the U.K., France, Germany and the United States. The American market, though, has been kind of lagging behind lately as a result of the situation hitting their country right now.

Q- How many rotations does the train have in one year?

A- We usually have between 28 and 30 rotations with weekly departures. A regular circuit includes six days and five nights with a departure point in Seville. Our season is divided in two stages stretching from March to June, and that’s how it stays all year long. We take a summer break in the months of July and August –the point is that our train is very old- and then we chug on into the next season that kicks off in September through November.

Q- What about fares?

A- A traveler who rents a double room pays 2,440 euros, while couples go for 3,590 euros.

Q- What’s a passenger entitled to when he or she pays that fare?

A- It includes everything from the moment the passenger gets onboard: the room, tours, excursions, museums, shows, guides and drink giveaways.

Q- How long has the ANDALUZ EXPRESO been operating?

A- For approximately 15 years.

Q- Do you use the train as a special product for charter rides?

A- That’s precisely another of our marketing areas. We’ve got two things here. We’re talking about regular departures and charters for other companies and groups to make either full-time or part-time rentals. The fact of the matter is that we move all across Spain, we can stop the train anywhere we want to and give it up for rent in line with any customer’s needs.

Q- What are the charter fares?

A- Passengers pay for services according to their own requirements.

Q- Is there any worldwide alliance merging deluxe trains?

A- As we speak, a fledgling international deluxe train association is now shaping up. This association came into being in November 2002 in Calgary, Canada, and it clusters such major train operators as Orient Express, Royal Canarian Pacific, the Trans Siberian, the Sierra Madre Railroad, the Trans Cantabrian and the Andaluz Expreso. I must tell you that we’ve noticed these companies’ interest in joining the international merger.

Q- How’s the relationship between Iberrail and the Trans Cantabrian?

A- It’s an excellent, brotherly relation, and that’s clearly seen every time we take on any market, either local or foreign. We operate Spain’s two deluxe railroad trains.

Q- Is there any package linking the two trains together?

A.- There’s no such travel package right now, but we’re considering to create one that combines rides on two different and opposite Spanish zones.

Q- What are the main features of the ANADALUZ EXPRESO?

A- This is a train that was built in 1929. The wagons were bought in France and England. Some of them even belonged to the British monarchy and right now they’re stripped of any economic value due to the many transformations they’ve put through. New things are added every year and even though this is an old train we’re talking about, it’s outfitted with all conveniences of modern trains.

Q- What makes the ANDALUZ EXPRESO a standout?

A- This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the best way to get acquainted with a train built back in the 1920s and 30s, a chance to turn back time and remember those huge railroad trips that only high-class people used to ride and they are available to everyone.