Since 5 May 2003, Lufthansa passengers have been able to use ICE trains as a feeder service from Cologne to Frankfurt Airport with just their flight ticket. In 2011, some 290,000 passengers travelled to and from Germany’s largest airport on up to 26 daily connections. This represents an increase of more than 20 per cent compared with the previous year.
Within the introduction of the service in 2003, the offer on the existing Stuttgart-Frankfurt route was adapted as well. Since then, two million Lufthansa customers have taken advantage of a convenient and comfortable feeder service on both routes: passengers with First and Business Class bookings have access to the DB Lounge and can enjoy a selection of daily newspapers on board. For extra comfort, a porter service is available from Cologne and Stuttgart, as well as assistance with boarding and alighting the train.
In addition to the existing flight connections, Lufthansa is planning operations of the AIRail service on the route from Düsseldorf central station to Frankfurt Airport station from 1 July 2013. With a journey time from only 1:12 hours, passengers can comfortably travel from the centre of the North-Rhine Westfalian capital to Lufthansa’s biggest hub and so enjoy an even wider range of mobility services. As in Cologne and Stuttgart, they can check-in conveniently from home, en route with a mobile device or at one of the Lufthansa check-in machines at the Deutsche Bahn travel centre. In Düsseldorf, too, customers with First and Business Class bookings can enjoy the amenities of the DB Lounge.
All train and flight numbers, along with the Deutsche Bahn seating plans, are available in the Lufthansa reservation system and the check-in channels. With AIRail, travellers benefit from a range of mobility services that is precisely coordinated with flight connections at the Frankfurt hub. Transfer times are reduced to a minimum, enabling passengers to reach even early intercontinental flights quickly and comfortably.
