Press Release: Star Alliance welcomes intermodal partner Austria’s ÖBB

Continuing its commitment to enhanced global connectivity, Star Alliance, together with 25 member airlines, welcomed ÖBB as its newest intermodal partner. This partnership allows customers of ÖBB and Star Alliance member airlines to seamlessly begin or conclude their long-distance journey on ÖBB’s eco-friendly Railjet trains, connecting from or to Graz, Linz, Salzburg, and Innsbruck.

Peter Hanke, Federal Minister for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure said: “Cooperation between various providers is crucial if we want to overcome the current challenges in the area of mobility.

“The partnership between ÖBB, Austrian Airlines, and Star Alliance perfectly symbolises my understanding of a minister’s role as a bridge-builder between the various mobility options. Infrastructure is the foundation for a functioning location, but also for domestic economy, tourism, and society.”

Delighted at the expansion, Star Alliance Chief Executive Officer Theo Panagiotoulias stated: “Air and Rail have complemented each other as transport modes for several years around the world, and we are proud to welcome ÖBB, the Austrian Federal Railways, to the Star Alliance family.

“With a single ticket, customers can now reach from Singapore to Salzburg, switching from a flight to Railjet at the Vienna airport. I am confident that not only will this partnership offer more choice, but it will also enhance the seamlessness in customer journeys.”

Andreas Matthä, CEO of ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) said: “Traveling from the main train stations in Linz, Salzburg, Graz, or Innsbruck to destinations around the world will soon be even easier. We are very pleased to take a significant step in cooperation with Star Alliance to improve the integration of rail and air travel.

“This initiative allows us to offer our passengers an environmentally friendly way to travel to and from Vienna Airport – completely car-free – making the overall journey even more comfortable. This will make train journeys an even more flexible and seamless part of air travel – not just with one airline group, but across a global network of 25 airlines.”

The partnership is founded on ÖBB and Austrian Airlines’ long-standing cooperation to offer rail-to-air connectivity, known as AIRail, which was launched in 2014. It has allowed passengers to travel conveniently between major Austrian cities and Vienna Airport by train, with integrated ticketing and check-in services.

Introduced in August 2022 with Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, the Star Alliance Intermodal Partnership model makes it possible to intelligently combine alliance-wide airline network with railway, bus, ferry or any other transport ecosystem. It further links loyalty systems and facilitates seamless airport/station/port transit. Benefits to customers include:  

• More booking convenience: In a single booking process, customers will receive a combined ticket for the flight and train journeys including seat reservation.
• More check-in convenience: Customers can check in online or at one of the ÖBB Travel Centers in Graz, Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck and receive boarding passes for both flight and train journeys.
• More choice: Customers will have even more choice based on timings, duration and prices offered.
• More benefits: With a combined ticket, customers can earn points or miles for their train journey in the preferred frequent flyer program of a Star Alliance member airline.

March 2025 also marks Austrian Airlines’ 25 years of Star Alliance membership. At present, 16 Star Alliance member airlines operate at Vienna airport offering over 1300 weekly flights to 135 destinations.

About Star Alliance 

Established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance, the Star Alliance network was founded on a customer value proposition of global reach, worldwide recognition, and seamless service. Since its inception, it has offered the largest and most comprehensive airline network, with a strong emphasis on enhancing the customer experience throughout the entire Alliance journey.

The member airlines are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines, and United.

Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers 17,500 daily flights to over 1,150 airports in 189 countries. Further connecting flights are offered by Star Alliance Connecting Partner Juneyao Airlines.

All images credited to ÖBB/Daniel Willinger

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