“[Brightline has] had tremendous success, I would say, in this last year or so from a ridership perspective. March was our all-time highest record for ridership,” Julie Sharenow, Brightline’s VP of Sales, tells Recommend. “So, year over year, we’re up 21 percent, and for the long haul, which is the travel to and from Orlando, we had a record high ridership. It was a little over 190,000 passengers.”
The generated total revenue in March 2026 was $23.6 million, up 14 percent from March 2025. And Brightline hopes to boost those numbers even more as the high-speed rail service launches on the Amadeus Travel Platform, making it accessible to thousands of travel sellers who use the platform.
Says Sharenow, “This actually is another milestone in our distribution strategy. The advantage of being in GDS Air is that we are going to be alongside all of the airlines and carriers. It’ll now be a seamless one itinerary…. Anybody who’s searching from MIA to MCO (Orlando), Brightline (with the two-letter code, BE) will now come up as an option. So, anybody that was looking at another airline to get them from Miami to Orlando, now is going to see Brightline and be like, ‘Oh, wow, there’s a train that actually does that for my clients.’”
Using Amadeus, advisors will be able to incorporate Brightline rail segments into multi-leg itineraries; present guests with modal options that span air and rail in a single booking; increase visibility of Florida rail travel in agent workflows globally; and access real-time availability and ticketing through standard fare and inventory interfaces.
Key Selling Points
Sharenow notes there are many key selling points when it comes to recommending Brightline to your clients, including the stress-free experience. “You’re on vacation, so why be stressing about picking up a car, putting gas in on the highway, the traffic congestion…. Everybody gets to enjoy their vacation on Brightline. We’ve got beautiful, spacious seats, we’ve got free WiFi, there’s food and beverage…and you know what time you’re going to get to your next destination. To me, it’s not only getting you to point A and B, but it’s an experience in itself. This is very unique to Florida right now and why not have a more seamless, comfortable, stress-free trip? It’s an experience, and what I think everybody is looking for today with their travel is an experience.”
She reminds travel advisors that Brightline offers two classes of service: Smart and Premium, noting that on Amadeus, there’s an exclusive product: Smart Plus and Premium Plus. “The Plus product,” she says, “includes one large bag and an airport shuttle, which connects our stations to MIA and FLL. It’s a bundled offer.”
On the World Stage
FIFA World Cup, says Sharenow, offers a “great opportunity for Brightline to be on a global platform. I think it’s a great opportunity for those that are traveling into Miami or really into Florida, wherever they’re staying, to be able to try Brightline.”
In fact, the Brightline Volunteer Center—a hub for volunteer engagement, training,and coordination ahead of FIFA World Cup, and designed to connect residents with meaningful opportunities to participate—opened last December at Brightline MiamiCentral in Downtown Miami, showing the rail company’s commitment to enhancing the visitor experience during major global events.
Additionally, Sharenow is excited about Brightline’s presence at U.S. Travel’s upcoming IPW conference, which will be held in Fort Lauderdale May 17-22. “It’s in our backyard, and we’re a transportation solution for those who are coming to Florida [during the conference]. It’s a really great opportunity for us to talk about this new step [Amadeus], this milestone, and all the great things that are coming up.”
Amid recent reports surrounding Brightline’s financial outlook, the company is emphasizing continued growth in ridership and demand, with its March 2026 Monthly Revenue and Ridership Report noting, “Brightline continues to actively pursue the planned issuance of a substantial amount of equity, the proceeds of which would be used to repay principal and interest of existing higher -coupon indirect parent entities’ debt of ours and to increase cash reserves.”
For more information, visit gobrightline.com/traveltrade.
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