SkyTeam and Trenitalia, Italy’s leading rail operator, have agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to offer customers a wider choice of destinations across Italy. The new partnership will enable customers to explore Italy using high-speed Frecciarossa train services – Trenitalia’s high-speed network in Italy – facilitating intermodal travel across the country by combining air and rail itineraries in a single reservation.
Last month SkyTeam struck a similar arrangement with Eurostar, as covered by LATTE.
With Trenitalia as part of SkyTeam’s global network, customers will be able to book a journey that connects air and rail segments. Customers will be able to fly from New York-JFK to Rome Fiumicino, collect their bags and continue their journey by Frecciarossa train.
Patrick Roux, CEO of SkyTeam said: “We are delighted to join forces with Trenitalia as our second non-airline partner, strengthening SkyTeam’s intermodal travel strategy by offering more high-quality, high-speed rail connections – supporting our mission to future-proof travel.
“Italy is an important global market for business and leisure travellers and with Trenitalia customers will have more choice and flexibility to go where they want to, how they want to, while enjoying the many benefits for which SkyTeam is known.”
Mario Alovisi, Trenitalia Marketing Director and CEO of Italia Loyalty said: “Partnering with SkyTeam takes Trenitalia closer to our vision of being one of the leading players in the European rail transportation market, offering customers high-quality, reliable train travel that complements international flight schedules. We’re excited to be on a journey together with SkyTeam in a shared mission to make travel more responsible and look forward to welcoming SkyTeam customers to our extensive network across Italy.”
Once the partnership with Trenitalia is in place, SkyTeam frequent flyers will be able to earn and spend miles when traveling on eligible Frecciarossa rail itineraries and members of CartaFRECCIA, the loyalty program of Trenitalia’s high-speed train network, will earn and burn points when flying on eligible SkyTeam flights. SkyPriority services will be offered at railway stations where possible, benefiting SkyTeam Elite and Elite Plus members and Trenitalia’s CartaFRECCIA Platinum and Gold members.
Currently, 14 SkyTeam member airlines serve Italy from markets across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Greater China. SkyTeam’s partnership with Trenitalia forms part of the global airline alliance’s commitment to making the customer journey more integrated, seamless and responsible through greater access to intermodal travel.
Trenitalia offers direct connections to/from 23 Italian airports, including SkyTeam’s Rome Fiumicino hub. The Frecce network reaches 150 destinations in Italy with over 270 daily connections, and also runs in Spain and France with Frecciarossa. Italian cities served by SkyTeam member airlines that offer Frecciarossa connections include: Rome, Milan, Turin, Venice, Genova, Bologna, Florence, Naples, Verona and Bari.
