Eurostar and global airline alliance, SkyTeam, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that paves the way for integrated intermodal journeys via air and rail for millions of customers.

Travelport has signed a multi-year deal with European online rail and coach ticket provider, Trainline.

Eurostar will commence direct services between London and the Netherlands from 30 April 2020. Tickets for the direct return journey have gone on sale this week.

Rail Europe has partnered with Eurostar to launch a #TrainsBeforePlanes incentive where three agents will each win a trip to Europe, where they will document the destinations they’ll visit, as well as the differences between taking the train and flying between London and the continent.

Eurostar marked the introduction of a third daily service between London and Amsterdam on 12 June, ahead of the opening Van Gogh’s sunflower exhibition in the Dutch city on 21 June.

Railbookers is offering a unique new Around the World by Rail holiday, encompassing the USA, Europe, Russia, Mongolia, China and Australia.

Eurostar’s renewed focus on international markets has seen the 25 year-old rail operator send an executive to Australia for the first time since 2011.

In this week’s LATTE one-on-one interview, we speak exclusively with the CEO of AccorHotels Asia-Pacific, Michael Issenberg. Issenberg’s full-time hospitality career spans more than three decades and began in 1981 at the Westin St Francis Hotel in San Francisco. He has held senior positions across hotel management and property investment including Director of Development for Merlin Properties and was the CEO of Mirvac Hotels, a brand which joined the AccorHotels portfolio in late 2011.

AccorHotels and Eurostar have formed a new partnership linking their loyalty programs, Le Club AccorHotels and Club Eurostar, that will provide more choice and exclusive access to benefits as well as the flexibility to exchange points between the two loyalty schemes.

“Our agreement with Travelport demonstrates our commitment to better serve the end traveller and marks a new era of indirect distribution for Eurostar,” said Simon Tyler, Head of Sales and Business Improvement at Eurostar International.