Etihad Airways expanded its partnership with AccesRail which provides air-rail services. The partnership allows Etihad to use AccesRail’s expertise to enable its customers to book train and coach tickets in Europe in conjunction with their air fare using the airline’s online booking platform, or through their travel agency.
“This is a tremendous product, which provides convenient rail or coach connections at some of our key gateways in Europe, enabling customers to commence their Etihad journey from multiple domestic points with the best fares available, all on the same itinerary and ticket,” Ali Saleh, Etihad Airways Vice President Alliances and Partnerships, said.
The air operator’s clients can connect to and from their 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 operated by Deutsche Bahn from Frankfurt Main Airport to Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, Leipzig, Munich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart.
The partnership with AccesRail has also been extended in the United Kingdom to include 16 destinations westbound from London Heathrow on Great Western Railway routes such as Cardiff, Gloucester, Oxford and Newport.
The expansion will also see additional inter-city transport services in the UK operated by National Express to 28 major British towns and cities from London Heathrow, and five from Manchester Airport such as Birmingham, Bradford, Leeds, Liverpool including Manchester.
Subject to final government approval, air-rail services will be also provided to 28 cities across Italy where Trenitalia offer railway passenger services. The destinations will be announced after governmental approval.
Etihad Airways has operated a similar agreement with SNCF, providing codeshare services to 20 destinations on the French railway from the airline’s Paris gateway.
“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,” said Andrew Popescu, Vice President Business Development, at Montreal-headquartered AccesRail.
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