Lufthansa expands AirRail links

Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn are  to expand their  joint train-to-flight services, with plans to add another give cities

The routes will be starting in December and will be called “Sprinter” routes (see a footnote later). DB defines their version of the Sprinter to be “extra-fast high-speed trains”, will also travel to Frankfurt Airport for the first time.

Currently, Deutsche Bahn and Lufthansa already offer 134 daily feeder trains to Frankfurt Airport from 17 German cities.

In the second half of 2021, another five cities will be added. Starting in July, it will be possible to travel to Frankfurt Airport with Lufthansa Express Rail from Hamburg and Munich, and commencing in December from Berlin, Bremen and Münster.

When the Sprinter services are introduced, the rail journey between Munich and Cologne will be shortened to less than four hours. To and from Munich and Nuremberg, there will be direct trains to Frankfurt Airport twice a day in three and two hours respectively, with no additional stops in between – half an hour faster than today and timed with the departure and arrival times of flights at Lufthansa’s hub

Dangling the carrots

To help customers consider using the Express Rail Service, features such as reserved seats onboard trains, connection guarantee, mileage accrual for the train journey as well as 1st class travel and access to the DB lounges for Business as well First Class customers will continue to be available. 

Passengers booking Business or Frist first class, enjoy DB Premium service in 1st class and free on-board catering too. 

It gets better, with priority changes for Express Rail passengers,  Lufthansa Express Rail customers will be given access to the fast lane at the security checkpoint. Furthermore, when landing at Frankfurt Airport, Express Rail customers’ suitcases will be prioritised fr unloading.

From April 2021, feeder trains will be bookable as long as the associated connecting flight is bookable. Those who book early will be able to take advantage of cheaper fares. For the rest of the year,  Miles & More customers will receive double status miles on all Lufthansa Express Rail journeys, as they do on all flights.

In Quotes

Harry Hohmeister, Member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, says:

“With this joint initiative, we are strengthening the offer of mobility in Germany, thus bolstering the local economy. By intelligently linking rail and air transport, we offer our customers a seamless and convenient travel network, benefiting consumers and the environment.”

DB Board Member Berthold Huber said:

“A good cooperation is now turning into a comprehensive partnership, the likes of which have never been seen before between Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn. At the end of the year, DB will expanding the links between Germany’s largest hub and the new Sprinter connections. Travel by rail will be faster and more comfortable.”

Rail can be a good answer to the connectivity question

Rail connectivity is an important step from connecting a passenger to their final destination. Whilst air travel could provide a seamless connection, in a lot of cases, its not environmentally friendly – and in some cases, not time friendly (in the case of missing connections). 

The advantage of rail is the magic “3-hour” radius – the time it beats a flight (by the time you’ve factored in transfers to and from centres, clear baggage, formalities etc). 

Also, rail gives the option of an airport-to-centre option, allowing visitors to get to where they need to fast and more local people to make the appropriate connections home.

Combined with the carrots Lufthansa and DB are offering – it’s a tempting prospect for travellers.

Footnote:

When I hear the word Sprinter… most UK people know what it means…

 
South West Railway Class 158 “Express” Sprinter.

With full-length express style trains, the DB proposition is a lot different than a UK Sprinter proposition…

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