Etihad Airways has expanded its partnership with AccessRail to permit its customers to book select rail options in Europe in conjunction with airfares using the airline’s online booking platform and GDSs.
Etihad’s guests can connect to and from international flights to rail routes operated by major European railway companies using the airline’s ‘EY’ code, including an expanded network of seven rail routes on Germany’s Deutsche Bahn from Frankfurt Main Airport.
The partnership with AccesRail has also been extended to the United Kingdom to include 16 destinations westbound from London Heathrow on Great Western Railway, and subject to final government approval, to 28 cities across Italy on the country’s primary rail operator, Trenitalia (routes to be advised).
The expansion will also see additional inter-city coach services in the United Kingdom operated by National Express to 28 major British towns and cities from London Heathrow, and five from Manchester Airport.
Etihad Airways has operated a similar agreement with France’s SNCF, providing codeshare services to 20 destinations on the French domestic rail network from the airline’s Paris gateway.
Andrew Popescu, Vice President Business Development, AccesRail, said: “We are excited to be deepening our Etihad-AccesRail cooperation and look forward to continuing with Etihad on a global scale. Through this enhanced AccesRail partnership, Etihad will be able, now and in the future, to offer its customers more destinations and more possibilities.”
AccesRail is present on most global GDS systems, and partnering with major rail companies in Europe, USA, Canada, Korea and Japan, making it possible for customers to book and purchase air and rail travel on the same itinerary.
Deutsche Bahn routes to/from Frankfurt include: Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, Leipzig Halle, Munich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart.
Great Western Railway routes to/from London Heathrow include: Bath, Bridgwater, Bristol Parkway, Bristol Temple Meads, Cardiff, Exeter, Gloucester, Newport, Oxford, Par, Penzance, Plymouth, St Austell, Swansea, Swindon and Taunton.
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