German rail company Deutsche Bahn will integrate its
services with Spanish airline Vueling through the carrier’s intermodal platform.
The firm’s rail content will be displayed through the
Vueling Global virtual platform powered by Dohop, which will allow passengers
to buy connecting train journeys to German cities via Berlin Brandenburg airport
in a single booking.
According to Dohop, this will extend the catchment area of
Berlin Brandenburg airport to cities such as Dresden, Hannover, Leipzig,
Rostock and Wolfsburg.
The move is “another step toward sustainability of the
entire travel chain”, said Dohop.
Commenting on the tie-up, Jesus Monzo, Vueling’s distribution
strategy and alliances manager, said: “This is Vueling’s first intermodal agreement
and opens the door to an increasingly strong trend in the industry to connect
different types of transport and mobility, thus increasing the offer and options
for the passenger. In addition, we must highlight the environmental factor and
the relevance that trains are acquiring in this as a means of sustainable
mobility.”
Vueling is joining a growing list of airlines forming
interline agreements with train operators. Deutsche Bahn also works with
Lufthansa to offer a rail alternative between Frankfurt and Cologne, while KLM
will launch its long-awaited collaboration with Thalys on the Brussels-Schiphol
route this July. Elsewhere, Air France and SNCF work together on their
Air&Rail programme, with TGV Air services available from 14 cities.
North American airlines are also starting to recognise the
value of rail travel in Europe, with Delta Air Lines forming a partnership with
Thalys to offer passengers flying from Amsterdam train connections from
Brussels and Antwerp.