SkyTeam, one of the world’s leading airline alliances, has announced partnerships with two high-speed rail operators—Eurostar and Trenitalia—to enable seamless single-booking intermodal journeys combining air and rail travel. These collaborations mark a significant step in expanding integrated travel options for passengers.
Under the agreement with Trenitalia, SkyTeam will use its technology to merge rail and air segments into one cohesive journey. However, individual airlines within SkyTeam and Trenitalia will still need to establish their own commercial agreements to implement the service. Additionally, the memorandum of understanding includes plans for reciprocal loyalty benefits, allowing passengers to earn and redeem points on eligible Trenitalia trips.
The partnership with Eurostar will offer single-booking capabilities for journeys connecting via major SkyTeam hubs, including Amsterdam, Paris, and London, as well as other smaller airports where SkyTeam operates. This will enhance travel options across Europe by integrating rail into flight itineraries.
SkyTeam, which includes major airlines such as Delta, ITA Airways, Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, Air Europa, and SAS, comprises 20 member airlines in total. Trenitalia’s high-speed rail network spans 150 destinations across Italy, Spain, and France, connecting nine Italian cities that are also served by SkyTeam carriers, including Rome Fiumicino Airport.
While SkyTeam has not provided an exact timeline for the launch of its Trenitalia partnership, the agreement with Eurostar is expected to go live in the first half of next year. Eurostar’s high-speed network covers 28 destinations across Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and the U.K. Eurostar already has a working relationship with KLM.
SkyTeam follows in the footsteps of Star Alliance, which became the first global airline alliance to form an intermodal rail partnership, teaming up with Germany’s Deutsche Bahn in 2022. This paved the way for United Airlines to offer single-booking air-rail journeys through Frankfurt, with loyalty point accrual across both modes of travel.
