United Airlines, Lufthansa Group and Deutsche Bahn Announce New Commercial Cooperation
United Airlines, Lufthansa Group and Deutsche Bahn have announced a new commercial cooperation that will offer greater choice and enhanced connectivity for customers travelling between Germany and the U.S.
The new arrangement, effective 22 November 2023, will allow United customers travelling between Germany and the United States via Frankfurt Airport to book integrated rail and air journeys with just one single transaction, one combined fare and one single ticket. Customers will be able to connect between 25 cities in Germany, as well as Basel, Switzerland, and United’s hubs at New York/Newark, Chicago, Washington, Houston, Denver and San Francisco and beyond to destinations across the Americas.
The collaboration builds upon Star Alliance’s Intermodal Partnership model, launched in July 2022, that intelligently combines airline with railway, bus, ferry or any other transport ecosystem, alliance-wide. It is designed to link loyalty systems and facilitate convenient airport/ station/port transit.
Customer benefits include the possibility to receive boarding passes for both rail and air sectors when checking in, priority baggage handling and other services in the AiRail checkin area at Frankfurt Airport, as well as the ability for United MileagePlusSM customers to collect miles for rail journeys taken as part of a combined rail/ air ticket. Also included is transfer and connection protection in the event of delays and breakdowns. Eligible customers can enjoy access to Deutsche Bahn lounges as well.
“We are excited to announce our new partnership with Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn,” said Patrick Quayle, Senior Vice President Global Network Planning and Alliances, United Airlines. “This new collaboration will offer our customers even greater travel choice and flexibility, allowing convenient connections between 25 cities across Germany and the United States with just one convenient transfer at Frankfurt Airport, all on a single ticket.” “Connecting amazing places on both sides of the Atlantic has never been so easy,” said Stefan Kreuzpaintner, Senior Vice President Network, Alliances & Partnerships, Deutsche Lufthansa AG.“Together with our partners, we have consistently expanded our intermodal services in recent years in many European countries. In Germany, Lufthansa offers a rail alternative to every domestic feeder flight to Frankfurt. This new partnership is another milestone in the successful Lufthansa Express Rail programme. It offers travellers to and from the USA a convenient, comfortable journey – a real premium product.”
“We are very pleased to announce a cooperation with United Airlines through our Express
Rail agreement,” said Hans Joachim Luhm, Vice President Pricing, Revenue- and PartnerManagement, DB Fernverkehr AG. “This agreement between United Airlines, Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn offers our joint customers an easy and flexible journey with air and train seamless with just one ticket - for example from Chicago to Stuttgart.”
“We are thrilled to see our innovative Intermodal Partnership Model extend to a significant member of Star Alliance - United Airlines,” remarked Renato Ramos, Vice President of Corporate Strategy, Star Alliance. “Initiatives like this foster greater collaboration among modes of transport, providing enhanced convenience and flexibility for customers. This marks another step towards a seamlessly integrated travel ecosystem, aligning with our collective vision for the Alliance.”