Hallmark Connections

Hallmark is a trading name of Hallmark Connections Limited.[1] Hallmark is a luxury coach and corporate cars business, which is part of the Rotala group. It is based in the West Midlands and also has a depot at Heathrow Airport.

Hallmark
A Plaxton-bodied Volvo B12B coach in 2013
ParentRotala
Founded1913
HeadquartersBirmingham
Service areaLondon, West Midlands
Service typeCoach services
Websitevipcoach.co.uk

History

Flights Hallmark was established, in 1913 in its current home of Birmingham.[2] Over the years it has developed in the coach industry, and as at March 2008 operated over 172 buses and coaches and 51 cars.[3] The company was purchased by Rotala in August 2005.[4]

Rotala
A Scania K230UB bus in Surrey in 2017

Flights Hallmark bought the Surrey Connect business, which became part of Rotala shortly afterwards. It sold Surrey Connect to Wiltax in June 2007. Hallmark operates bus route 458 in Surrey, which links Kingston-upon-Thames and Staines-upon-Thames.

The Flights Hallmark's Avonmouth and Keynsham depots have since closed due to Wessex Bus pulling out of Bristol, these depots have consequently been taken over by Stagecoach West in mid to late 2018[5]

Current operations
A Bova-bodied coach in 2009

The company currently runs buses and coaches from a number of depots in various parts of England. These services include shuttle bus services, airline or crew transfers, private hires, tours, and VIP services such as providing coaches for football teams. Clients include: Aston Villa, Burton Albion, Ipswich, Nottingham Forest, Walsall and West Bromwich football clubs Worcester Warriors rugby club.[6]

The chauffeur driven cars division of the business is Flights Corporate Transfers. This is usually airport transfer work.

The company also operates eight bus routes in Surrey and South West London, 4 of which primarily serve schools and the Royal Holloway University and another one which serves Whitley Village.

A Wright StreetLite on route 250

Since 6 July 2020 Hallmark has operated route 250 between Oxford and Bicester via Hampton Poyle, Bletchingdon, Kirtlington, Lower Heyford, Upper Heyford and Middleton Stoney. They won the route from Oxford Bus Company in a recent tender renewal for Oxfordshire County Council contracts [7]

Former operations
A Hallmark coach in National Express Coaches livery in 2013

In 2011 Flights Hallmark became a National Express Coaches contractor.[8] These services have since ceased.

References
  1. Companies House extract company no 4390228 Hallmark Connections Limited
  2. People to Places in Style Hallmark
  3. Flights Hallmark - Facts Accessed 5 March 2008
  4. History Archived 21 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine Rotala plc
  5. https://web.archive.org/web/20180814145033/http://wessexbus.com/news/ImportantChangesforWessexBus_694.html
  6. "Company information". Flights Hallmark. Retrieved 5 March 2008.
  7. "250 Bicester to Oxford". Hallmark. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  8. History History Archived 21 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine Rotala
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