Iryo and ITA Airways Launch Integrated Air-Rail Tickets
Spanish high-speed train operator Iryo and Italian flag carrier ITA Airways have launched integrated air-rail tickets to simplify travel between Spain and Italy.
ITA Airways air-rail tickets
ITA Airways has partnered with Spanish high-speed operator Iryo to offer integrated air-rail tickets, allowing passengers flying to Spain to continue by train on one single reservation.
Thanks to the integrated air-rail tickets, ITA Airways passengers can reach Spanish destinations previously not served by the airline, such as Seville, Córdoba, Málaga, Valencia, and Alicante.
Passengers fly to Madrid or Barcelona, where they can take an onward train to reach these secondary Spanish cities.
Similarly, Iryo passengers can take a high-speed train to Madrid or Barcelona, then fly with ITA Airways to Rome Fiumicino, where they can connect to onward flights to cities like Milan, Venice, and Palermo — all on one reservation.
The key advantage of such an integrated air-rail ticket is that if you miss your connecting flight or train due to a delay or cancellation, you are protected, as all legs are on a single reservation, and ITA Airways and Iryo must rebook you on the next available flight or train at no extra cost.
Unfortunately, neither Madrid Airport nor Barcelona Airport has its own high-speed railway station, so passengers must first transfer by metro or suburban train to Madrid Atocha and Barcelona Sants stations, which is a small disadvantage.
Iryo train just outside Madrid Atocha. ©AndyBTravels
Iryo
For ITA Airways, it’s a logical step to partner with Iryo, as this Spanish private high-speed rain company has Italian roots.
The majority shareholder of Iryo is Trenitalia, the Italian state-owned railway company, with a 51% stake, while Spanish regional airline Air Nostrum (25%) and the Spanish infrastructure investment fund Globalvia (24%) hold minority shares.
On its high-speed services in Spain, Iryo uses the Frecciarossa high-speed trains — the “red arrows” that are ubiquitous on Italian railway tracks.
These modern trains offer high comfort in all travel classes, with travellers in Iryo’s top Infinita Bistró class even receiving a complimentary meal and drinks.
ITA Airways air-rail partners
Besides Iryo, ITA Airways has many other air-rail partnerships in place, among which the one with Trenitalia is obviously the most important one.
Thanks to partnerships with AccesRail and FlexFlight, which facilitate intermodality between airlines and rail operators, ITA Airways also offers integrated tickets with Deutsche Bahn in Germany, SBB in Switzerland, SNCB in Belgium, and LNER, Avanti West Coast, and GWR in the UK, among others.
On the ITA Airways website, you can find more information on how air-rail tickets work, how to book them, and your rights if you miss your train or flight.
Trenitalia Frecciarossa high-speed trains at Milano Centrale. ©AndyBTravels
Other airlines offering integrated rail tickets
Many other airlines in Europe offer integrated tickets that combine flights with trains.
German flag carrier Lufthansa has a strong partnership with Deutsche Bahn, with train segments carrying a Lufthansa codeshare flight number.
With Frankfurt International Airport having its own high-speed train station, seamless connections between flights and trains are ensured.
This integration brings nearly all major German cities into Lufthansa’s flight network, and passengers need not worry about missing their connecting flight due to a delay on their German train, as everything is booked on a single reservation, and Lufthansa is responsible for rebooking them on the next available flight if necessary.
A similar agreement exists between Air France and French national rail company SNCF, allowing seamless transfers from the plane to inOui TGV trains at the high-speed railway station at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Along with KLM, Air France has a partnership with Eurostar, offering integrated air-rail tickets from airports in Paris and Amsterdam to Antwerp and Brussels in Belgium.
Conclusion
ITA Airways is launching integrated air-rail tickets in partnership with Spanish high-speed operator Iryo, allowing passengers to connect from the plane to the train on a single reservation.
This is a great initiative, as in case of a delay or cancellation you have the right to be put on the next available train or plane free of charge.
