Air-rail alliance
There are four main types of airline-railway business alliance or codeshare agreements: dedicated services, entire network access, Night&Fly, and re-protection agreements. The currently active air-rail alliances are listed in the tables below.
History
[edit]On 1 August 2022, German railway company Deutsche Bahn (DB) became the first intermodal partner of the Star Alliance, as an extension of the Lufthansa Express Rail (AiRail) program that then existed for more than 20 years. All 26 member airlines of the Star Alliance can include DB ICE trains with flight numbers in their booking systems, to buy a combined ticket for the flight and the inner-German train in one booking step. This includes (business class) access to DB lounges, points or miles for the train journeys in the frequent-flyer programs and baggage handling in the AiRail check-in at Frankfurt Airport.[1]
In September 2024, high-speed rail operator Eurostar signed a memorandum of understanding to join SkyTeam as its first non-airline partner. This cooperation will enable integrated intermodal transport (air-rail) in the UK, France and the Netherlands.[2][3]
Dedicated services
[edit]Dedicated services are less common than Rail&Fly alliances, due to the level of service provided. Often checked through luggage is provided between the air and rail journeys, dedicated carriages or entire trains are provided to airline passengers, and service is to the same level expected on board an aircraft, including meals and refreshments.
| Train Operating Company | Airline | From Airport | To City | Marketed As |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amtrak | United Airlines | Newark Liberty International Airport | New Haven, CT Philadelphia, PA Stamford, CT Wilmington, DE | |
| CRH | China Eastern Airlines | Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport | Shanghai-Hangzhou Shanghai-Wuxi | China Eastern Air-Rail Service [4] |
| Deutsche Bahn | Lufthansa American Airlines Emirates | Frankfurt Airport | Stuttgart Cologne Siegburg/Bonn / Kassel Wilhelmshöhe / Karlsruhe main station | AIRail[5] |
| ÖBB | Austrian Airlines | Vienna International Airport | Linz Salzburg | AIRail[6] |
| SBB | Swiss International Air Lines | Zurich Airport | Basel | Airtrain [7] |
| SNCF | Air France | Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport | Brussels-Midi Strasbourg | Air & Rail [8] |
| Thalys | KLM | Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport | Antwerp-Centraal Brussels-Midi | |
| Thalys | American Airlines | Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport | Brussels-Midi |
Entire network access
[edit]More commonly referred to as Rail & Fly due to the popularity of the Deutsche Bahn service, entire network access is the increasingly common form of air-rail alliance. This allows passengers to book a discounted (sometimes free) train ticket in addition to their full-price air ticket. Checked through luggage and dedicated train compartments for airline passengers are not normally available, though sometimes first class train travel is provided. Travel is usually available to the entire rail network.[9]
♯ Indicates airlines offer Rail&Fly ticketing on company website
Airline-Rail re-protection agreements
[edit]Also known as "Good for Trains", this is an emergency backup service for airline cancellations, providing train tickets in lieu of flights to get passengers to their destination. Such an example was during the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010, where extra trains were provided to support the airlines’ stranded passengers in Europe. These 'good for train' agreements are in place with the following airlines:
| Country | Train Operating Company | Airline |
|---|---|---|
 | Via Rail | Air Canada[17] |
 | Deutsche Bahn | Lufthansa[18] |
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ "DB becomes intermodal partner of the Star Alliance". Global Railway Review. 2022-07-05. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
- ^ Orban, André (2024-09-25). "Eurostar joins SkyTeam: Pioneering integrated Air-Rail Travel partnership". Aviation24.be. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
- ^ "Eurostar set to join SkyTeam as first non-airline partner". Business Traveller (in Dutch). 2024-09-25. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
- ^ "Air-Rail Service". China Eastern. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ^ "AIRail Service". Frankfurt Airport. Archived from the original on 3 January 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ^ "ÖBB - Austrian AIRail - Travel directly from Linz and Salzburg". Archived from the original on 2018-09-14. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
- ^ "Airtrain". SWISS. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
- ^ "Air-Rail Service". Air France. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ^ "Termos e Condições - Betfair Brasil". 2022-08-18. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
- ^ "Rail&Fly Portugal – Termos e Condições" (PDF). TAP Portugal. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-19. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
- ^ "Rail & Fly". Frankfurt Airport. Archived from the original on 13 November 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ^ "Air Moldova - Air & Rail Austria". Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- ^ "Emirates - Rail & Fly in Austria". Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
- ^ "Air China - HSR". SkyTeam. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ^ "TGVair". Air France. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ^ "Gulf Air and French National Railway SNCF commence codeshare". AMEINFO. Archived from the original on 2009-06-20. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ^ "Air Canada/Via Rail reprotection agreement". Air Canada. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
- ^ "Media release: DB prepared for flight restrictions". Deutsche Bahn. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
External links
[edit]- List of Rail&Fly partners from Frankfurt Airport [1] Archived 2010-11-20 at the Wayback Machine