For the first time, a train company is set to join a global airline alliance. Eurostar says it will enter SkyTeam in 2025, becoming the first rail member of a major airline group and pushing rail–air travel from a niche add-on to a mainstream option. It is a simple idea with big reach: align high-speed trains that already beat short-haul flying on time and emissions with a network that touches more than 630 destinations in over 175 countries.

SkyTeam’s CEO Kristin Colvile calls it a natural step for greener travel. Eurostar’s boss Gwendoline Cazenave frames it as better choice for customers who want to skip short flights, avoid airport lines, and still connect to the world. It also fits a clear trend in Europe: business travelers and big companies are under pressure to cut emissions, regulators are nudging short hops onto rails, and rail operators are adding capacity and routes.

What makes this different from past rail–air deals? Airlines have code-shared with European trains for years—think Air France’s TGV Air or Lufthansa’s Express Rail—and Star Alliance even launched an intermodal platform with Deutsche Bahn in 2022. But those were partnerships on the edge of an alliance. Eurostar will sit inside one. That means loyalty, branding, and customer experience are meant to line up like they do between airlines.

What changes for passengers in 2025

SkyTeam has 19 member airlines, including Air France-KLM, Delta, Korean Air, and China Eastern. Eurostar runs the high-speed link between the UK and France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and the wider Eurostar Group (the merger with Thalys) extends to Germany. Stitching these together unlocks practical benefits—some confirmed, some in the works, and most rolling out in phases next year.

• Miles on rails: Travelers will be able to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles on Eurostar services across SkyTeam programs. Expect earning rates tied to fare type and class, much like airline tickets. Redemption is planned to follow, with award pricing likely tied to route and demand.
• Status perks: Elite benefits such as priority lines, better seat selection windows, and possibly lounge access are on the table. Eurostar already has Business Premier lounges in key stations like London St Pancras and Paris Gare du Nord; SkyTeam elites could get access once systems align, subject to capacity rules.
• One journey, one reservation: Through-booking will reduce the shuffle between airline and rail websites. A single passenger name record (PNR) should let you see train and flight segments together, pick connections that meet minimum times, and get one set of travel documents.
• Protected connections: Miss your flight because the train arrived late? The goal is rebooking under airline-style disruption policies when you hold a through-ticket. The same goes the other way if a delayed flight jeopardizes your train.
• Clearer connections at hubs: The easiest handoffs will be at airports wired for high-speed rail—Paris Charles de Gaulle TGV and Amsterdam Schiphol already have rail stations on site. Brussels Midi and Paris Gare du Nord will offer straightforward city transfers to long-haul flights departing from BRU and CDG/ORY.

Behind the scenes, the heavy lifting is technical. Ticketing platforms must talk to each other, loyalty systems need to recognize rail segments, and disruption tools have to trigger the right protections. Both sides say engineering is underway now, with a phased launch in early 2025 and more benefits turning on across the year.

What about bags? Through-checked baggage between train and plane is complicated—border checks, rail station layouts, and customs rules make it hard. Don’t expect full through-check on day one. Instead, look for better guidance on connection times, more staff on the ground, and clearer signage. If any station-to-airport baggage transfer services appear, they’ll likely start as pilots on a few routes.

Pricing will matter. Corporate travelers will want integrated fares, not two separate tickets stapled together. Expect bundled rail–air fares and corporate contracts that reward shifting short flights to trains—especially on routes like London–Paris or Brussels–Amsterdam that see high volumes.

If you’re based in the UK, note the geography. London’s Eurostar terminal is St Pancras, while most long-haul flights leave from Heathrow or Gatwick. Cross-London transfers are doable via the Elizabeth Line or Thameslink, but they aren’t as smooth as walking upstairs from a platform to a gate. For many travelers, the smarter play will be rail to a continental hub—Paris CDG, Amsterdam, or Brussels—then a long-haul flight.

Why this matters: sustainability, network strategy, and what could go wrong

The sustainability case is straightforward. On routes like London–Paris, a high-speed train can cut emissions by up to 90% compared with flying. European governments are nudging airlines to swap short flights for rail where practical, and large companies are setting science-based targets that often force a rethink of short-haul travel. An alliance-backed rail product gives travel managers cover to make that shift without hurting productivity.

For SkyTeam, the move is strategic. With one member—Air France-KLM—sitting at Europe’s strongest rail–air nodes, and another—Delta—feeding huge long-haul networks into those hubs, formal rail integration creates stickiness. It also boxes out rivals: Star Alliance has an intermodal track via Deutsche Bahn, but not a full rail member; Oneworld has footprints at Heathrow and Madrid, yet fewer integrated rail products on the continent. Bringing Eurostar into the fold is a way to claim the sustainability high ground and deepen loyalty ties in Europe.

Eurostar also benefits. Business travel is back, but not evenly. Many firms are tightening budgets and emissions. By tapping SkyTeam’s loyalty ecosystem—Flying Blue, SkyMiles, SKYPASS, and others—Eurostar can attract high-yield travelers who won’t abandon their miles. The merger with Thalys has already extended coverage across France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. Alliance membership could push more riders onto those routes, especially for day trips where trains are faster door-to-door than planes.

There are catches. Border checks since Brexit still add friction at London St Pancras, Paris, and Brussels, and capacity constraints at stations can bite during peaks. On the airline side, airport congestion at Paris CDG and Amsterdam Schiphol is not going away fast. If connections are tight and baggage is manual, some travelers will still choose a short hop flight out of habit.

Consumer rights also get tricky when you blend transport modes. EU261 covers air passenger compensation for delays and cancellations; rail has its own rules. A true intermodal ticket needs clear terms for who pays and who rebooks when things go wrong. Expect SkyTeam and Eurostar to publish simple, unified policies as products roll out, but the fine print will matter—especially for missed last trains or late inbound long-hauls.

Then there’s capacity. European high-speed rail is adding trains, but peak-time slots are scarce and station processing (security and border controls) remains a choke point. Lounge access for thousands of new elite members will test Eurostar’s facilities unless entry is controlled. And while many travelers love rail, price-sensitive passengers will still chase the cheapest short-haul fare if the integrated ticket costs more.

Still, the trend line is clear. Airlines are rethinking short-haul networks, governments are tightening climate policies, and rail operators are investing in faster, more frequent services. SkyTeam putting a rail company inside the tent formalizes a shift that’s been building for years. In practice, it means a traveler in Atlanta, Seoul, or Shanghai could book a single itinerary: long-haul flight to Paris or Amsterdam, then high-speed rail to Brussels, Cologne, or Rotterdam—earning the same miles along the way.

What to watch as 2025 approaches: first, the scope of mileage earning and redemption (all fares or only flexible ones); second, where protected connections apply (airport stations versus city terminals); third, how lounge access is handled at London, Paris, and Brussels; and finally, whether baggage or minimum connection times get smarter at key hubs.

If SkyTeam and Eurostar nail the basics—clear fares, reliable minimum connection times, and simple disruption handling—intermodal travel will feel less like a workaround and more like the default choice in Western Europe. And that would be a real shift: not just greener trips, but better ones, with fewer airport queues and more city-center arrivals baked into the global airline playbook.