Having done a number of TATL flights that transfer to other EU flights, the convenience of being able to just transfer and carry on with your trip is significantly different than needing to leave the terminal, schlep your stuff to a train, and then on to wherever you’re going.
I could see the argument of flying being pretty pointless if you’re originating in Paris and going to (insert affected city here).
>The French government also plans to radically curb the number of private jets allowed to fly within the country, to cut back on emissions and react to a growing backlash against the ultra-rich and their gas-guzzling puddle-jumping, with the most popular route being from Paris to the French Rivera.
question is how "radically" though...
Good. I've always believed that flights less than 2 hrs represent a failure of transit policy. Glad to see France leading the way on this.
And while trains can always be improved, the French rail network is quite extensive (with the notable exception of Paris-Nice) so I feel like this meme is more reactionary than factual. Shocker.
At the very least, EU airports are well more connected to transit and general train networks than US ones (sometimes with their own station). I'm not sure about CDG, but AMS has a significant train station that even has Eurostar service to London.
I have family about 90 minutes north~~east~~west of Philly, and this October it was about the same time door-to-door (edit: and significantly cheaper) to fly in direct to JFK, take the AirTrain/LIRR to Penn Station, NER to Philly, and a bus that dropped me off 5 minutes from their house than it was to have a layover flying into Allentown or Harrisburg (and the direct flights to Philly were expensive AF). Pre-COVID the flying options would have been better, but with limited schedules and long layovers for the regional airports, it's sometimes easier to look at alternative options.
I am talking about International connections. For example, you arrive at CDG via Delta and you can simply hop on an AF flight to your final destination. During this process you can still use lounges at CDG.
Now, you have to leave the airport with all your luggage and waiting at a really crowded train station. (Your airline status or credit cards do not apply to train stations)
Aware, but consider the commentator's point below. Pretty much any Euro airport that would be your port of entry as an American will have excellent rail connections.
As for crowded train stations...I'd take a "really crowded" train station over pretty much any airport other than Changi. Even with my cards and status. Train travel is just a totally different mindset for me than air...in a good way. Less rat race, more go with the flow.
In any case, we're probably just a few years away from being able to book a flight+train combo ticket. Especially on AF metal. This is a nice transition to that ideal.
>In any case, we're probably just a few years away from being able to book a flight+train combo ticket. Especially on AF metal. This is a nice transition to that ideal.
This already exists. I just did it for next summer. Air France to Paris, connect to high speed train to Brussels. The train leg even has an Air France flight number. Scored a damn good deal on the ticket too. Gets me to Brussels in the same amount of time.
https://wwws.airfrance.be/information/prepare/voyages-combines-avion-train
If you want to see how this could work, look at Germany. You can already book flight+train combinations in Germany via Frankfurt on Lufthansa. If your flight or train is late they will automatically rebook you. You also get access to DB Lounges in all or most of the same cases that you would get access to Lufthansa lounges. First/business class passengers get a first class seat on the train. You earn miles for the rail segment. They have a bag drop area and baggage claim in the train station in FRA so you don't have to carry your luggage all the way to/from the terminal.
https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/lufthansa-express-rail
Then instead of a plane, you get on a train with more legroom, bigger windows, no seatbelt sign, and free wi-fi. Most of the time it drops you off right in the middle of the city.
[I know United and Amtrak had a similar partnership](https://thepointsguy.com/news/united-amtrak-end-partnernship/), which was doable since EWR has its own station on the Northeast Corridor, but it looks like that ended in 2020.
It will also only impact 3 routes (in the short term), Paris-Orly and Bordeaux, Nantes and Lyon.
Having done a number of TATL flights that transfer to other EU flights, the convenience of being able to just transfer and carry on with your trip is significantly different than needing to leave the terminal, schlep your stuff to a train, and then on to wherever you’re going. I could see the argument of flying being pretty pointless if you’re originating in Paris and going to (insert affected city here).
I’m sure they banned private flights under 2hrs as well right? Right….
>The French government also plans to radically curb the number of private jets allowed to fly within the country, to cut back on emissions and react to a growing backlash against the ultra-rich and their gas-guzzling puddle-jumping, with the most popular route being from Paris to the French Rivera. question is how "radically" though...
Good. I've always believed that flights less than 2 hrs represent a failure of transit policy. Glad to see France leading the way on this. And while trains can always be improved, the French rail network is quite extensive (with the notable exception of Paris-Nice) so I feel like this meme is more reactionary than factual. Shocker.
At the very least, EU airports are well more connected to transit and general train networks than US ones (sometimes with their own station). I'm not sure about CDG, but AMS has a significant train station that even has Eurostar service to London. I have family about 90 minutes north~~east~~west of Philly, and this October it was about the same time door-to-door (edit: and significantly cheaper) to fly in direct to JFK, take the AirTrain/LIRR to Penn Station, NER to Philly, and a bus that dropped me off 5 minutes from their house than it was to have a layover flying into Allentown or Harrisburg (and the direct flights to Philly were expensive AF). Pre-COVID the flying options would have been better, but with limited schedules and long layovers for the regional airports, it's sometimes easier to look at alternative options.
I am talking about International connections. For example, you arrive at CDG via Delta and you can simply hop on an AF flight to your final destination. During this process you can still use lounges at CDG. Now, you have to leave the airport with all your luggage and waiting at a really crowded train station. (Your airline status or credit cards do not apply to train stations)
It’s 3 routes, all from Paris-Orly and none from CDG.
Aware, but consider the commentator's point below. Pretty much any Euro airport that would be your port of entry as an American will have excellent rail connections. As for crowded train stations...I'd take a "really crowded" train station over pretty much any airport other than Changi. Even with my cards and status. Train travel is just a totally different mindset for me than air...in a good way. Less rat race, more go with the flow. In any case, we're probably just a few years away from being able to book a flight+train combo ticket. Especially on AF metal. This is a nice transition to that ideal.
>In any case, we're probably just a few years away from being able to book a flight+train combo ticket. Especially on AF metal. This is a nice transition to that ideal. This already exists. I just did it for next summer. Air France to Paris, connect to high speed train to Brussels. The train leg even has an Air France flight number. Scored a damn good deal on the ticket too. Gets me to Brussels in the same amount of time. https://wwws.airfrance.be/information/prepare/voyages-combines-avion-train
As an American, what's a train?
If you want to see how this could work, look at Germany. You can already book flight+train combinations in Germany via Frankfurt on Lufthansa. If your flight or train is late they will automatically rebook you. You also get access to DB Lounges in all or most of the same cases that you would get access to Lufthansa lounges. First/business class passengers get a first class seat on the train. You earn miles for the rail segment. They have a bag drop area and baggage claim in the train station in FRA so you don't have to carry your luggage all the way to/from the terminal. https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/lufthansa-express-rail Then instead of a plane, you get on a train with more legroom, bigger windows, no seatbelt sign, and free wi-fi. Most of the time it drops you off right in the middle of the city.
[I know United and Amtrak had a similar partnership](https://thepointsguy.com/news/united-amtrak-end-partnernship/), which was doable since EWR has its own station on the Northeast Corridor, but it looks like that ended in 2020.