From June 11, more travellers taking SWISS flights from Geneva will be able to benefit from the airline’s special Air Rail system. Passengers heading to and from cities in Valais and Vaud will soon be able to book journeys that combine Swiss public transport tickets with their flights.

SWISS announces new Air Rail expansion

In a statement, SWISS confirmed a new expansion to its Air Rail special ticketing system. The offer is a joint venture between Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and SWISS, under which travellers can combine flights and rail journeys into one ticket.

For instance, say someone wanted to travel from Fribourg to New York. Instead of booking both a train ticket to Geneva and a flight to New York, the Air Rail system allows the person to travel on one pass from Fribourg to the Big Apple and back. While Air Rail tickets usually have passengers arrive at the airport around an hour and a half ahead of departure for short-haul flights, rail connections can be booked up to a day before departure, or a day after arrival, should you want to spend some extra time in Geneva.

Air Rail offers the same delay compensation as connecting flights

What’s more, the ticket offers the same delay compensation as a connecting flight. This means that if your flight is delayed and you miss your train, you will be rebooked onto another rail service free of charge. Perhaps most importantly, if your train is delayed and you miss your flight, you will also be rebooked free of charge. 

SWISS chief commercial officer Heike Birlenbach noted that the pass helps better connect parts of Switzerland to destinations abroad and delivers “a more relaxing overall travel experience.”

SWISS and SBB to offer Air Rail tickets from Montreux, Vevey and Sion

Currently, travellers from Basel, Interlaken, Bern, Lucerne, Bellinzona, Lugano, Bregenz and Munich can use the Air Rail system to and from Zurich, while those from Bern, Fribourg and Lausanne are able to book the service from Geneva. From June 11, Geneva passengers will be able to use Air Rail to travel to and from Vevey, Montreux, Sion, Sierre, Visp and Brig.

SWISS noted that the expanded service will make it easier for travellers to access Swiss ski resorts in Valais, while also benefiting international companies and commuters from around the Lake Geneva region. For more information about the new service, check out the SWISS website.

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