To encourage passengers to switch from plane to train, Dutch airline KLM has bought seats for the Thalys route between Amsterdam and Brussels.
The initiative is part of a pilot plan that was started in partnership with the Belgian train service in the summer of 2022.
Flights? Nee, trains!
By working with the Belgian train service, KLM hopes to limit the number of flights between Amsterdam and Brussels.
The two capitals are a short 200-kilometre distance from each other, which is a 30-minute flight (after a 3-hour wait at Schiphol 😉).
READ MORE | Dutch airline KLM may be about to scrap some big flight destinations
Last summer, KLM still operated five flights between Amsterdam and Brussels daily, but thanks to the purchase of new train capacity, this has been reduced to four. 💪
We’ve partnered with Thalys to offer train + flight tickets to passengers connecting at Schiphol. This allows us to operate one less flight a day between Brussels and Amsterdam. It also ensures that trains become a logical supplement to air travel. #KLM #partnership pic.twitter.com/EyV2ylnK0v
— KLM (@KLM) July 18, 2022
According to KLM, the airline has now purchased seats on four more trains between AMS and BRU, and will offer its extended “air/rail product” to travellers starting March 26. ✈️🚅
Smooth transfers and easy booking
As the project develops, the Dutch airline plans to phase out more flights between the two capitals. But to make the switch from plane to train attractive to passengers, the process has to be as easy as possible.
KLM offers not only smooth transfer from plane to train and vice versa (in case of connected travel), but also easy booking of the train journey through KLM’s website.
And the best part? There is no extra cost for the traveller. 🥳
The bigger picture
KLM and Thalys’ partnership is part of a bigger initiative by the Dutch government called the Action Plan for Rail and Air Services — which was drawn up in 2020.
The ultimate goal of this plan is to enhance international train travel as an alternative to flying and to encourage sustainability in aviation (— if that’s possible?!👀).
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Ultimately, the action plan envisions the train to replace planes for more transfers. In addition to Brussels, future destinations include Paris, London, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Berlin.
What do you think of KLM’s partnership with Thalys to encourage sustainable aviation? Tell us in the comments!
They say that it will be the same price, however when booking to fly with a connection in Amsterdam it is almost always €30-50 cheaper to take the connecting flight from Brussels.
Also as the trains stop at 21u from Amsterdam, if you arrive later in the evening then the flight to Brussels is the only option.
All that being said, I much much prefer connecting to Belgium with the Thalys, I just wish they sorted out the timing (more trains and also later), plus it should be cheaper than the equivalent flight, but it isn’t..