Star Alliance has welcomed its newest intermodal partner to the 25 airline strong global alliance, partnering with Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). The new partnership allows customers of ÖBB and Star Alliance member airlines to seamlessly begin or conclude their long-distance journey on ÖBB’s eco-friendly Railjet trains, connecting to or from four cities in Austria; Graz, Linz, Salzburg, and Innsbruck.
This new partnership can trace its roots to ÖBB and Austrian Airlines’ long-standing cooperation offering connectivity between major cities in Austria and the carrier’s hub at Vienna International Airport (VIE). That partnership, known as AIRail, has been in place since 2014 and allows for integrated ticketing and check-in services.
ÖBB becomes the second Star Alliance intermodal partner, joining Germany’s Deutsche Bahn which has been a member since 2022.
Personally, I love seeing these types of tie in’s which are becoming increasingly popular in Europe due to the focus on greenhouse gas emissions and airport congestion pushing airline to replace short haul flights with rail connections.
According to the press release, the new partnership will provide the following benefits for customers:
- More booking convenience: In a single booking process, customers will receive a combined ticket for the flight and train journeys including seat reservation.
- More check-in convenience: Customers can check in online or at one of the ÖBB Travel Centers in Graz, Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck and receive boarding passes for both flight and train journeys.
- More choice: Customers will have even more choice based on timings, duration and prices offered.
- More benefits: With a combined ticket, customers can earn points or miles for their train journey in the preferred frequent flyer program of a Star Alliance member airline.
Star Alliance Chief Executive Officer, Theo Panagiotoulias, had this to say about the new partnership:
“Air and Rail have complemented each other as transport modes for several years around the world, and we are proud to welcome ÖBB, the Austrian Federal Railways, to the Star Alliance family. With a single ticket, customers can now reach from Singapore to Salzburg, switching from a flight to Railjet at the Vienna airport. I am confident that not only will this partnership offer more choice, but it will also enhance the seamlessness in customer journeys.”
I’ve done protected connections, via Air France’s Air&Rail program, and self-facilitated connections in the past. It is infinitely less stressful knowing that your onward journey is protected should you encounter IRROPS along the way. As I mentioned above, I’m a big fan of these partnerships and I hope we see them continue to expand in the future!
Summary
Star Alliance is expanding its intermodal partnerships by adding Austrian Federal Railways for air and rail connections to multiple cities. The announcement comes as we continue to see airlines and airline alliances form partnerships with rail operators to allow for seamless connectivity.
