The intermodal travel mix is an important one – as readers of this blog know. Well, it seems that Deutsche Bahn (DB) will become the first intermodal partner of Star Alliance.
Trains and planes – Image, DB/Star Alliance.
The move is seen by DB and Star Alliance as setting an example on the way to greater sustainability in the mobility sector.
With an Intermodal partner, DB customers and passengers of Star Alliance member airlines will be able to start or end their journey comfortably on the train (either for location, need or to reduce their carbon impact).
The new partnership between DB and Star Alliance builds on the Lufthansa Express Rail program. This means that Lufthansa customers have been able to buy a combined ticket for train and flight in one booking step for more than 20 years. In future, in addition to Lufthansa, all 25 other member airlines of the Star Alliance will be able to include DB’s ICE trains with flight numbers in their booking systems.
So what does it mean for you, the passenger?
- The promise of one booking process, airline customers receive a combined ticket for the outward and return flight and the respective train journeys including seat reservation. At check-in – which is possible until shortly before the train departs – travellers receive their boarding passes for both the flight and the train journey.
- With the integrated ICE journeys, air travellers will have even more choice in terms of preferred travel time, travel duration and the prices offered.
- Customers can also enjoy accelerated baggage handling and other services in the AiRail check-in area at Frankfurt Airport.
- For all bookings of combined train-air travel via Lufthansa Express Rail or with the member airlines of the Star Alliance, customers can collect points or miles for the train journeys in the airlines’ respective frequent flyer programs.
- In addition, business and first-class customers of Star Alliance member airlines receive additional benefits such as access to the DB Lounges with an LH Express Rail ticket.
Star Alliance intends to further expand intermodal partnerships in the future. Germany is the first market and DB is the world’s first partner in the new Star Alliance program.
In Quotes
Michael Peterson, Board Member for Long-Distance Passenger Transport:
“From Freiburg to Singapore: you only need one ticket for that. With attractive inner-German connections and simultaneous links to international travel chains, Deutsche Bahn and Star Alliance make a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions in the transport sector. This complements our successful cooperation with Lufthansa Express Rail, where the number of bookings has more than doubled since 2010. This is how we get more people off the plane and onto the environmentally friendly rail. In close cooperation with the airlines, we are now tackling the mobility turnaround. We network our offers in such a way that we can optimally use the respective strengths of our modes of transport.”
Jeffrey Goh, CEO of Star Alliance added:
“Today joins the forces of two different transport providers, opening the doors of Star Alliance beyond the airline world. Our new model for intermodal partnerships creates the conditions for coordinated cooperation between different modes of transport in all Star Alliance markets. We are delighted to welcome Deutsche Bahn as our first Star Alliance intermodal partner.”
Harry Hohmeister, Member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG concluded:
“This partnership is unique in the world. Once again we are pioneers in Germany for the intelligent linking of transport worlds. We create added value for customers, for Germany as a business location, and for the environment and society. Mobility of the future means mastering challenges together. The successful Lufthansa Express Rail cooperation is an excellent example of this – based on this we are now taking the next step. Our customers have never benefited more from this partnership.”
A Start. Now work with more partners.
We all know that travel is not just one component – we have a long-distance segment, a medium segment distance and “The last mile”. DB and Star Alliance are covering the middle bit, which covers journeys that need to be taken by rail within Germany that are either not viable to travel air, do not have air connections or are not environmentally sound to fly for the short domestic distances.
DB is a good starting point, given its working relationship with Lufthansa and how Lufthansa Group has been developing the AirRail links it has.
But we[‘re going to need to see further development of the networks beyond the IC Network, as well as other countries that would fit well into the rail mix. Considering the number of international services that operate in and out of Germany, there are plenty of options for partners.
Similarly, there are plenty of other national rail providers in Europe and around the world where an intermodal addition would make things a lot easier for travel.
I’ll be keeping a close eye on this – there’s plenty of room to develop strong multimodal networks… and dread the thought, options for the last mile of travel.
Images, Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Star Alliance.
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