Air India passengers can now enjoy stress-free travel by train and bus to over 100 cities in Europe with a single ticket.
Advantages for travelers
The airline has signed an intermodal interline agreement with AccesRail to improve connectivity options for AI guests across Europe.
This will prove especially helpful for visiting smaller cities that don’t have airports.
Passengers also enjoy the added benefit of the same baggage allowance on these rail or bus operator services as the airline offers on its own flights.
How will this work?
AccesRail is a travel partner affiliated with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) which facilitates intermodal journeys on a single ticket.
As per the agreement, the airline’s passengers will be able to travel on a single intermodal ticket and access seamless, on-ground train and bus connections to more than 100 cities and towns.
The planned routes include cities and towns in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, and the UK via its European gateways of Amsterdam, Birmingham, London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Milan, and Vienna.
AI chief commercial and transformation officer Nipun Aggarwal said: “The expansion of our global network is one of our key priorities in the ongoing comprehensive transformation of Air India.”
Bridging gap between India and Europe
He explained that the tie-up with AccesRail not only gives guests access to an extended network of destinations across Europe, but also closes the gaps in connectivity between India and Europe.
“Our ongoing transformation journey at Air India places the expansion of our global network in the spotlight. The alliance with AccesRail not only ushers our patrons into an extended array of European destinations but also effectively addresses the connectivity void between India and Europe.”
“Thrilling juncture, with global potential”
AccesRail VP (business development) Andrew Popescu said: “We are excited to be launching our Air India-AccesRail cooperation and look forward to continuing with AI on a global scale with so many of our intermodal rail and coach partners.”
“Through this elevated AccesRail partnership, Air India unfurls an array of destinations and prospects to its customers, all wrapped in a cocoon of seamlessness.”
AccesRail’s network for Air India
Travel operators providing rail and bus travel to those traveling through Air India include:
- Avanti West Coast (UK)
- Great Western Railways (UK)
- London North Eastern Railways (UK)
- National Express (UK), Trenitalia (Italy)
- ÖBB Austrian Railways (Austria)
- SNCB Belgian Railways
- Thalys (Netherlands/Belgium)
“Currently, intermodal tickets with Air India are available for booking through travel agents globally,” AI said in a statement.
It plans to eventually build upon the already existing availability with global travel agents.
Similar examples
Airlines offering passengers with air and rail connections globally is not a new thing.
Earlier this year Vistara partnered with WorldTicket to offer Deutsche Bahn train network rail connections from Frankfurt to Germany and other European cities on a single journey.
Dutch airline KLM began rail operations between Brussels and Paris using French ‘TGV’ high-speed trains.
Then there are other global carriers, Lufthansa, Air France and Vueling Airlines in particular which provide air-rail tickets for seamless connectivity from the airport to various cities throughout the country.
