Etihad Airways has expanded the number rail and coach tickets which can be purchased in conjunction with its air fares.
The partnership with Accesrail has been extended to include seven Deutsche Bahn rail routes from Frankfurt airport, and 16 destinations from London Heathrow with Great Western Railway.
The expansion will also increase the number of air-coach connections available with National Express from Heathrow (28 towns and cities) and Manchester (five towns and cities).
Finally Etihad will add 28 air-rail services across Italy with Trenitalia, subject to final government approval.
The new partnerships build on an existing agreement with SNCF in France, offering codeshare services to 20 destinations on the French domestic rail network from Paris.
Commenting on the news Ali Saleh, Etihad Airways vice president Alliances and Partnerships, said:
“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.
“As we aim to personalise the guest experience in-flight by providing more choice and greater customisation, we continue to source more strategic partnerships which will mirror this on the ground, giving options and benefits to the many who choose to travel with us in Europe. We soon hope to expand the partnership with AccesRail to more continents.”
