It’s easy to compare air and rail travel as mutually exclusive modes of transport – sure, flying can be quicker, but getting the train is much kinder to our planet. But think about it: you often need both to reach your destination (airports are hardly in convenient locations, after all), so wouldn’t a simpler booking process make life a whole lot easier?
That’s exactly what Eurostar and SkyTeam thought, and so the two companies plan to join forces and offer an integrated booking service so that flight and train tickets can be purchased in one reservation.
SkyTeam is one of the world’s three major airline alliances, and Eurostar is its first non-airline partner. However, as it stands, 13 percent of Eurostar passengers flying long-haul into one of SkyTeam’s European hubs connect to another Eurostar destination by train, according to Travel Tomorrow. A collab makes sense, right?
The idea is that customers would be able to book itineraries that include both long (or medium) haul flights with a train ticket under one reservation, all while enjoying SkyTeam’s benefits. The partnership should launch in the first six months of next year.
But this scheme hasn’t come out of nowhere. In fact, KLM, a SkyTeam member, has already partnered with Eurostar and has apparently reduced the number of flights between Amsterdam and Brussels with its air-rail offering.
‘Offering travellers the choice to see Europe in the most sustainable and convenient way by rail is a key component of Eurostar’s vision for growth,’ said Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave, ‘[the partnership with SkyTeam] is a major step forward towards this mission.’
If it’s a step towards more sustainable travel, we’re here for it! Stay tuned for more updates on this partnership.
Did you see that this European airline will soon stop serving complimentary in-flight food?
Plus: The best train trips in the world for 2024 have been ranked.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.