Brussels Airlines and Deutsche Bahn launch joint code – economy class and beyond

Opening up new horizons in Air + Railway category, first ICE high speed train from Cologne arrived at Brussels airport station. This means that for the first time since 2015again directly connected to the international high-speed rail network, opening up rail connections to Brussels Airlines passengers who can combine flights and train travel in one booking.

German railways The first high-speed train left Cologne station at 06:11. After stops in Aachen, Liege and Leuven, the train arrived at Brussels Airport at 08:29, marking the return of high-speed trains to the airport for the first time in more than 10 years. After about five minutes, the train continued on its way to its final destination, Antwerp Central.

To celebrate the first flight, Brussels Airlines flight attendants treated all passengers on board to Belgian Neuhaus chocolate.

Since the partnership between Brussels Airlines and Deutsche Bahn was announced in February, more than a thousand tickets have already been sold, allowing travelers to complete part of their train journey with a single ticket that combines rail and air travel. New York (USA), Accra (Ghana) and Alicante (Spain) are the most popular destinations for this intermodal product.

Travelers using the partnership between Brussels Airlines and Deutsche Bahn receive guaranteed connections in case of delays and can also earn miles through the Lufthansa Group’s Miles & More program. Tickets can be purchased through brusselsairlines.com, travel agencies and all other usual sales channels.

Twice a day

There are two return flights daily between Cologne and Antwerp. Trains from Cologne arrive at the airport station at 08:29. and 16:28 Trains in the opposite direction, from Antwerp to Cologne, call at Brussels Airport at 11:29 and 14:29.

The new connection offers travelers from West Germany quick and easy access to Brussels Airport’s extensive network of more than 180 destinations around the world. At the same time, passengers arriving at the airport have easy and direct connections to West Germany.

In quotes

Nina Overdick, Chief Financial Officer of Brussels Airlines, said:

“We are very excited about this intermodal partnership between Deutsche Bahn and Brussels Airlines. We can welcome more guests to our network without having to add flights. We hope this is the start of a larger high-speed train network at Brussels Airport in the future, and we hope to see more convenient intermodal travel options in the future.”

Dr. Michael Peterson, Member of the Board of Directors for Long Distance Passenger Transport, Deutsche Bahn:

“Straight to Antwerp, straight to Brussels Airport, all on our modern trains: that’s how we make international rail travel even easier and more attractive for passengers. We connect two key transport hubs with ICE: Cologne as a hub for cross-border long-distance travel and Brussels Airport as an international hub for onward air travel.”

Arnaud Feist, Director General of Brussels Airport, concluded:

“The arrival of this high-speed rail line marks an important step in the further development of Brussels Airport as an intermodal hub. We want to offer travelers a range of eco-friendly options to travel efficiently to and from the airport across national borders. By connecting to the high-speed rail network, passengers can already complete part of their journey by train and enjoy seamless access to more than 180 destinations on our network. This new link is a great example of how, together with various partners, we are delivering a future-proof mobility”.

Creation of air + rail transport

As passengers seek cleaner and easier ways to travel, Air + Rail offers them the opportunity to ditch the car for part of their journey and switch between rail and air transport.

This has struck a chord with Brussels Airlines passengers, given that some of the seats have been filled by both long-haul and short-haul passengers, although just over 1,000 seats booked will be a bit disappointing since it was announced in February – but there is room to grow.

Frequency is needed for services like this to grow, and ICE’s two daily flights to Antwerp and Cologne, while a start, will hopefully stimulate demand for further services.

Let’s see if Brussels Airlines and Deutsche Bahn can implement this idea.

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