Air France Flyers Can Now Use Miles for High-Speed Train Tickets

Air France frequent flyers can now spend their air miles on train tickets as the French flag carrier expands its partnership with the country’s rail operator, SNCF.

Air France and the Société nationale des chemins de fer français (the National Company of the French Railways), or SNCF, first partnered up in 1995, launching the Train + Air service to allow air passengers to seamlessly connect to trains across France.

Flying Blue Miles for Rail Vouchers

To commemorate 30 years of amitié, Air France is integrating its Flying Blue Loyalty program with SNCF’s Voyageurs passenger rail offerings, making intermodal travel even easier.

Flying Blue members can now convert their air miles into electronic SNCF Voyageurs vouchers, which can be redeemed for tickets on SNCF’s TGV high-speed-rail network.

The rail vouchers can be purchased for points through the online Flying Blue store at the following rates:

• 7,700 air miles, earning through spending €1,925 ($1,997) with Air France, KLM, or Transavia = €25 SNCF voucher
• 15,400 air miles, earning through spending €3,850 ($3,993) with Air France, KLM, or Transavia = €50 SNCF voucher
• 30,000 air miles, earned through spending €7,500 ($7,779) with Air France, KLM, or Transavia = €100 SNCF voucher

The vouchers can be used on premium TGV services operating under the inOui brand or Intercités routes to more than 20 destinations across France. However, they’re not valid on discount OuiGo services or regional rail lines.

“Air France and SNCF Voyageurs are determined to continue to improve intermodality between train and air travel and are continuing their efforts to make their offers more complementary and their customers’ journeys smoother,” the companies said in a press release.

The Air France Train + Air program

Air France and SNCF’s Train + Air service has made intermodal travel seamless for three decades.

Through the scheme, air and rail tickets are combined in a single, digital booking, with a guarantee of rebooking or further assistance if travelers miss their connections. For example, if a train delay means they miss their flight, they’ll be rebooked on the next flight at no cost.

Photo: SNCF, France. Courtesy of Antoine Schibler / Unsplash

Passengers can also check luggage into their flight as they board the train.

The program has been expanded in recent years and now connects 22 French cities to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) or Paris-Orly (ORY) — a total of 41 routes.

600,000 Train + Air bookings have been made since 2019, with the most popular routes originating in Lyon, Lille, and Strasbourg. From there, travelers primarily connect to flights in North America and the Caribbean.

The Train + Air program was introduced to not only facilitate travelers’ journeys but also to encourage more environmentally friendly modes of travel.

In 2023, France banned short-haul domestic flights where passengers could otherwise take a regular train service of under 2.5 hours. However, connecting flights are excluded from the ban, and passengers are still hopping on short flights from Nantes (NTE), Lyon (LYS), and Bordeaux (BOD) to Paris to catch international flights.

Photo: Courtesy of Air France-KLM

The Train + Air program hopes to shift those passengers onto less carbon-emitting rail journeys. The ability to buy those rail tickets with Flying Blue Miles will certainly make train journeys an even simpler alternative for Air France frequent flyers.

“Wherever possible, Air France offers its customers more environmentally friendly travel solutions, including intermodal options in conjunction with the SNCF,” the airline said.

Air France aims to cut its CO₂ emissions per passenger-kilometre by 30 percent by 2030, compared to 2019 levels. To do so, it’s modernized its fleet, increased its use of sustainable aviation fuel, and introduced eco-piloting practices.