This latest expansion follows the success of Air Canada’s intermodal program, first introduced in December 2023. Initially launched in France, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, the service enables passengers to book connecting rail and bus travel alongside their flights, all in a single, streamlined itinerary. With new partnerships in Italy, Spain, Britain, and South Korea, Air Canada now offers more destinations and transportation choices, further enhancing the convenience and flexibility of international travel.
“Following a successful launch in Europe last year, Air Canada is further growing its intermodal strategy to more European gateways and to Asia, making it possible for our customers to connect on Trenitalia, Renfe, five operators in the UK, including National Express, and KORAIL in South Korea,” said Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President of Revenue and Network Planning at Air Canada.
“The expanded offer will make it easy for our customers flying to and from our international hubs to add convenient rail or bus connections on a single itinerary. Our intermodal connections not only provide more choice, but also make available sustainable options for short-haul segments of their journey,” he added.
Through Air Canada’s partnership with AccesRail, customers can now book connecting rail or bus travel on www.aircanada.com as part of their journey. The service includes check-in for train and bus portions before departure, removing the need for separate tickets. Should any flight disruptions occur, both the air and land portions of the trip will be rebooked to ensure a smooth journey.
NEW RAIL CONNECTIONS
- Italy: Air Canada flights to Rome and Milan will offer passengers easy access to Trenitalia, Italy’s national railway. Travellers can connect to up to 30 destinations, including Florence, Naples, and Reggio di Calabria.
- Spain: From Air Canada’s winter routes into Barcelona and Madrid, customers can seamlessly transfer to Renfe, Spain’s state-owned rail provider. The service offers rail connections to 24 destinations, including popular cities such as Cadiz, Granada, Pamplona, and Zaragoza.
- Britain: From London Heathrow, Air Canada customers can access rail services with four operators: LNER, Avanti West Coast, Great Western Rail, and the TransPennine Express. Additionally, National Express, the UK’s leading scheduled coach operator, offers convenient onward travel options from Heathrow.
- South Korea: Air Canada flights to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport will connect travellers to KORAIL’s high-speed KTX trains via the AREX Express and Seoul Station. Connections are available to destinations including Busan, Gwangju, and Ulsan.
OTHER INTERMODAL CONNECTIONS
The new routes add to Air Canada’s existing intermodal network, which launched in late 2023. Through the airline’s partnership with Lufthansa Express Rail Product and new collaborations with AccesRail & WorldTicket, customers can use a streamlined booking process on www.aircanada.ca to create a seamless travel itinerary that connects their flight with trips on trains operated by France’s TGV-SNCF Voyageurs, Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, Swiss Federal Railways or ÖBB, the national railway of Austria.
The airline’s growing portfolio of transport partnerships has now expanded to include three joint business agreements, 40 codeshare, 120 interline and 13 intermodal rail options and one bus option across multiple transport systems. This makes it easier for Air Canada customers to reach more than 1,200 destinations worldwide.