Trains joins planes

Deutsche Bahn (DB), the German train operator, is to become the first rail network to join an airline alliance.

Under a new arrangement DB customers and passengers of Star Alliance member airlines will be able to start or end their journey by rail via Lufthansa's Frankfurt (FRA) hub. The partnership will combine airlines with railway, bus, ferry and other transport ecosystems, and link loyalty systems to facilitate seamless airport/station/port transit. Germany will be the first market to experience the service from 1 August.

The new partnership between DB and Star Alliance builds on the Lufthansa Express Rail programme. Lufthansa customers have been able to buy a combined ticket for trains and flights in one booking step for more than 20 years. In the future, in addition to Lufthansa, all 25 other Star Alliance member airlines will be able to include DB’s ICE trains as flight numbers in their booking engines.

In just one booking process, airline customers receive a combined ticket for the flight and train journeys including seat reservation. Upon check-in – which is possible until shortly before the train departs – travellers receive their boarding passes for both the flight and the train journeys.

Customers also benefit from priority baggage handling and other services in the AiRail check-in area at Frankfurt Airport.

www.bahn.com

www.staralliance.com

Index/Home page
 

OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum