VIA Rail Canada has signed a partnership with Hainan Airlines, the first to be concluded with a company based in China. The partnership marks the first time an airline company will sell VIA Rail tickets.

Hainan Airlines’ ticket offices and other travel agencies will be able to combine air and rail segments and issue a single electronic ticket with boarding passes for both the flight and train segments. Hainan Airlines passengers from China who are planning train travel in Canada will benefit from the convenience of booking all legs of their journey at once. And vice-versa for VIA Rail passengers who plan to travel to Toronto before flying on to China!

“We are excited about our first partnership with a Chinese airline and our very first partnership of this kind, offering a combined air-rail ticket,” said Martin R. Landry, chief commercial officer, VIA Rail. “China is the biggest-spending travel market in the world, and Chinese tourism to Canada has been growing over the past few years. Canadians continue to show great interest in visiting China as well, so this collaboration is very exciting.”