The SkyTeam airline alliance has announced partnerships with two major high-speed rail operators, Eurostar and Trenitalia, to offer single-booking intermodal journeys that combine air and rail segments. This move aims to streamline travel across Europe, giving passengers greater flexibility and convenience.
SkyTeam's partnership with Trenitalia will enable seamless integration between air and rail travel. While SkyTeam will provide the technology to merge these segments into one booking, airlines and Trenitalia will need to establish their own commercial agreements. In addition, the collaboration lays the groundwork for reciprocal loyalty programs, allowing passengers to earn and redeem points on eligible Trenitalia services.
The agreement with Eurostar will allow travelers to book combined air-rail journeys via key SkyTeam hubs in Amsterdam, Paris, and London, as well as smaller airports served by SkyTeam airlines. This new intermodal option will provide more connectivity between cities and offer a greener alternative to short-haul flights.
SkyTeam, which includes major airlines such as Delta, ITA, Air France, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic, counts 20 member airlines in its global network. Trenitalia, Italy’s high-speed rail operator, serves 150 destinations domestically and internationally, including key cities like Rome and Milan, which are also serviced by SkyTeam carriers.
While the start date for the Trenitalia partnership is yet to be confirmed, SkyTeam and Eurostar plan to launch their collaboration in the first half of next year. Eurostar’s high-speed rail network covers 28 destinations across Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and the U.K., and it already has an existing partnership with KLM.
This move by SkyTeam follows a similar initiative by Star Alliance, which formed an intermodal partnership with Deutsche Bahn in 2022. That agreement allowed United Airlines passengers to book combined air-rail trips through Frankfurt, further solidifying the growing trend of integrating rail and air travel.
