Home » AIRLINE NEWS » Germany Leads A New Era Of Smart, Sustainable Travel As Air Canada Enables Effortless Flight And Train Journeys In One Reservation Through Frankfurt
Monday, July 7, 2025
Germany is spearheading the way towards smooth, intelligent, and environmentally friendly traveling with the combining of air and railway traveling into one convenient booking through Frankfurt as Air Canada expands its contract with Deutsche Bahn. This innovation provides travelers with the option of booking flights and high-speed trains together in one booking and avoids individual bookings and urges environmentally friendly movement across the country. By linking major German cities with Air Canada’s systemwide network through Frankfurt Airport, this innovation shows German support for streamlined, multimodal transportation and gives overseas passengers unparalleled ease and greener traveling choices.
Air Canada has strengthened its presence in Europe by expanding its existing codeshare agreement with Lufthansa to include high-speed rail services operated by Deutsche Bahn through Lufthansa Express Rail. This strategic move allows passengers to book both air and rail travel under a single reservation, simplifying the journey experience and reinforcing Frankfurt Airport’s role as a major hub for intermodal travel. With this expansion, Air Canada continues to grow its international intermodal network across Europe and Asia, offering passengers more choice, convenience, and flexibility.
A Seamless Travel Experience Across Germany
Through this expanded agreement, passengers flying to or from Frankfurt with Air Canada can now seamlessly connect to Deutsche Bahn’s extensive high-speed rail network. The integrated booking system enables travelers to reserve air and rail segments together, eliminating the need for separate tickets and streamlining the entire journey. With this one-ticket solution, travelers can easily transition from flight to rail with a single check-in, synchronized schedules, and a guaranteed transfer—even in the event of delays.
Passengers can access up to 24 different rail destinations in Germany directly from Frankfurt Airport. Whether heading to major cities like Cologne, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, or regional hubs across the country, travelers now enjoy a more connected and efficient journey. This codeshare agreement turns Frankfurt into a true multimodal hub, linking long-haul flights from North America to regional rail across Germany.
Frankfurt Airport Anchors Intermodal Expansion
Frankfurt has long served as one of Air Canada’s primary European gateways, and the airline plans to operate up to five daily flights to the city in 2025. This high frequency not only supports growing transatlantic demand but also provides optimal connectivity for passengers continuing their journey by rail. The new codeshare agreement builds upon Air Canada’s existing intermodal collaboration with Lufthansa Express Rail and the Rail\&Fly program offered by Deutsche Bahn.
By elevating the partnership to full codeshare status, Air Canada ensures its customers receive enhanced support services. In addition to seamless booking and baggage check-in, the partnership offers rebooking assistance during travel disruptions and guarantees transfer connections between air and rail. This integration ensures that passengers enjoy a consistent and reliable travel experience from departure to final destination.
Growing Network of Intermodal Connections
This development is part of a broader intermodal strategy launched by Air Canada in 2023, aimed at integrating air travel with rail and coach networks across Europe and Asia. The goal is to provide travelers with more sustainable, convenient options for reaching secondary cities that may not be directly served by international flights.
Air Canada has established intermodal agreements with national rail operators in eight countries:
- Germany: Deutsche Bahn via Lufthansa Express Rail and Rail\&Fly
- France: TGV-SNCF Voyageurs
- Switzerland: Swiss Federal Railways (SBB)
- Austria: ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways)
- Italy: Trenitalia
- Spain: RENFE
- United Kingdom: LNER, Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway, TransPennine Express, and National Express coach services
- South Korea: KORAIL’s KTX high-speed rail network
These partnerships allow passengers to travel between international airports and their final destinations using efficient rail services, all booked through Air Canada’s platform. In many cases, these arrangements replace the need for short-haul flights, supporting more environmentally responsible travel solutions.
Booking Made Easy with Digital Tools
Passengers can access these intermodal travel options directly through the Air Canada website or by using their preferred travel agency. The streamlined system, developed in collaboration with AccesRail and WorldTicket, enables users to search, select, and book entire journeys—including flights and ground transport—under a single ticket. This eliminates the complications of coordinating separate bookings and provides peace of mind when making international travel plans.
With synchronized itineraries and automatic transfer protections in place, travelers benefit from greater efficiency and reduced stress. If a flight or train is delayed, passengers are automatically rebooked or supported without the need to manage issues across separate service providers.
Expanding Partnership Portfolio
Over the past decade, Air Canada has dramatically expanded its global partnership network, growing its codeshare and intermodal footprint across the international travel ecosystem. The airline’s current partnership portfolio includes:
- Three joint business agreements
- Forty codeshare partnerships
- One hundred and twenty interline agreements
- Thirteen intermodal rail services
- One intermodal coach partnership
These relationships enable Air Canada to offer service to more than 1,200 destinations worldwide, combining flights with seamless rail and bus options to reach even the most remote regions. By integrating with local transportation networks, Air Canada continues to deliver an end-to-end travel experience that prioritizes convenience, connectivity, and sustainability.
Preparing for International Travel
As intermodal journeys become more accessible, it is essential for travelers to stay informed about entry requirements, visas, and health documentation. Air Canada offers a dedicated Travel Ready Hub that provides real-time updates on international travel rules. Customers are responsible for verifying and meeting all entry conditions before departure, including holding valid documents, complying with health mandates, and satisfying destination-specific requirements.
This resource helps ensure travelers are fully prepared and avoid any unexpected disruptions during their trip.
Germany is pioneering smarter, greener travel by partnering with Air Canada to offer seamless flight and high-speed rail bookings in one reservation through Frankfurt, making sustainable, multimodal journeys easier and more efficient for global travelers.
Air Canada’s integration of Lufthansa Express Rail into its codeshare network marks a significant advancement in global intermodal travel. By connecting international air service with Germany’s leading rail system through Frankfurt, the airline enhances its European reach and offers passengers more efficient, flexible travel options.
With Air Canada’s continued expansion of intermodal services, it complements its leadership as increasingly innovative, environmentally conscious, and customer-centric airline. For passengers looking for access into or through Europe or into or through Germany in convenient manners, this increased alliance means it’s now feasible for them to benefit from a savvy, convenient, and modern-day solution for traveling.
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