Rail&Fly & Lufthansa Express Rail

Combining a train ride with a flight is the most relaxed way to start a trip - no motorway traffic, no airport parking, you arrive directly at the gate. Two products exist, and they behave very differently when the train is late. This guide explains when to choose Rail&Fly(the flexible Deutsche Bahn add-on that works with any flight) and whenLufthansa Express Rail (the integrated single-PNR product with transfer guarantee) is worth the higher fare.

Rail&Fly vs Lufthansa Express Rail at a Glance

The table below summarises the practical differences. The short version: Rail&Flyis a flexible add-on for any flight with no transfer guarantee;Lufthansa Express Rail is integrated with the flight and includes the transfer guarantee but only for Lufthansa Group flights.

What Is Rail&Fly?

Rail&Fly is a Deutsche Bahn ticket you can add to a flight booking. It is sold as part of the airline booking flow (most commonly on lufthansa.com), gives you a flexible DB ticket for ICE, IC and EC trains to and from any German airport, and uses the ticket code prefix QYG. The price is published by Lufthansa (see the FAQ above for 2026 numbers) and the ticket is loaded into DB Navigator.

Rail&Fly is open - there is no single train number. You can pick any DB train to the airport on the booked travel date (or one day before / after). That flexibility is the main upside. The main downside: when the train is delayed and you miss the flight, Lufthansa is not liable. The DB passenger rights still apply for the train leg, but you must rebook the flight yourself, usually at your own cost.

What Lufthansa publishes

• Coverage: All DB trains (ICE, IC, EC in Germany and to Basel) plus selected partner night trains.
• Validity: Flight travel date, one day before, one day after.
• Booking window: Roughly six months before departure.
• Children: 6-11 years travel at 50%, under 5 free on the lap.
• 1st class: Includes a free seat reservation on DB Navigator.

What Is Lufthansa Express Rail?

Lufthansa Express Rail (formerly branded AIRail) is the integrated sibling of Rail&Fly. You book the train leg as part of the flight - they share one PNR, one booking reference, and the train ticket uses a Lufthansa Express Rail flight number. The main practical difference iswho pays when the train is late:

• Transfer guarantee: If your ICE is delayed and you miss the flight, Lufthansa rebooks you on the next available flight at no extra cost.
• Through-checked luggage: You can check your bags at the origin station (e.g. Berlin Hbf, Hamburg Hbf, Cologne Hbf), and they are transferred to the aircraft.
• One ticket to manage: Flight changes apply to both legs - if Lufthansa moves the flight, the train leg moves with it.

The price has no separate add-on - the ICE leg is built into the flight fare. Because of the guarantee, fares are typically higher than a comparable Lufthansa fare with a separate DB ticket, but lower than booking the flight and the train leg as independent bookings.

How to Book: Step by Step

1. Choose your flight first. Pick your flight on lufthansa.com or rail-checkin.com. Note that the flight number on a Lufthansa Express Rail booking starts with a normal LH code, but the train leg carries a Lufthansa Express Rail flight number - confirm in the booking confirmation.
2. Add Rail&Fly if you only need a separate DB ticket. Add Rail&Fly during checkout if you want a flexible DB ticket for the train leg (you travel on your own risk to catch the flight). EUR 35 one-way / 70 round trip in 2nd class, EUR 59 / 118 in 1st class for 2026.
3. Keep both tickets in DB Navigator. Once booked, the Rail&Fly ticket appears as a 9-character code starting with QYG. Load it into DB Navigator to see the included train options and your seat reservation (included free of charge in 1st class).
4. Plan the buffer to the airport. Even with Express Rail, allow at least 90 min domestic / 120 min international between train arrival at the airport and flight departure. Lufthansa recommends 120 min for Express Rail arrivals.
5. Know your rebooking rights. On Express Rail, Lufthansa is liable for train delays and rebooks you on the next flight. On Rail&Fly, you rebook yourself and can claim DB passenger rights (25% / 50%) for the train leg.

Rebooking When the Train Is Delayed

This is the section most travellers want - what actually happens if the ICE arrives 30 minutes later than planned. The answer depends on which product you have:

If you booked Lufthansa Express Rail

Lufthansa treats the ICE leg like any other flight leg. On train delay or cancellation, you are entitled to be rebooked on the next available flight under the same conditions as a missed connection. Talk to a Lufthansa service agent at the airport, call the Lufthansa service hotline or use the lufthansa.com rebooking flow. EC261 (see below) applies to the flight leg the same way as for any other missed connection.

If you booked Rail&Fly

Lufthansa is not liable for train delays on Rail&Fly. You travel at your own risk to make the flight. What you can still claim:

• DB Fahrgastrechte for the train leg - 25% refund for 60+ min delay at destination, 50% for 120+ min. You can claim via our delay compensation guide.
• Lufthansa goodwill: some travellers manage a free rebooking by calling Lufthansa with the train delay confirmation, but it is not contractual.
• EC261 rights: these apply to the flight leg itself if it is cancelled or delayed 3+ hours - independent of how you got to the airport.

Liability: DB vs Lufthansa vs EC261

The clean rule of thumb:

• DB Fahrgastrechte covers the train leg, regardless of which product you hold.
• Lufthansa Express Rail extends the airline's flight liability (including the transfer guarantee) to the train leg.
• EU Regulation 261/2004 (EC261) applies to the flight leg only, no matter how you reached the airport. For short-distance cancellations within the EU you can usually claim EUR 250 per person; for long-haul, EUR 600. (Confirm on the EU passenger rights portal; amounts were unchanged as of the last Eurocontrol review.)

When Each Product Makes Sense

Choose Lufthansa Express Rail when...

• You fly Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian or Brussels Airlines (Lufthansa Group).
• You start from a city on the Express Rail map (Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Stuttgart, Munich, Nuremberg, Hannover, Dresden, Basel...).
• You check in luggage at the origin station and want a single ticket to manage.
• You want peace of mind if the train is delayed - the fare premium is usually modest compared with separate bookings.

Choose Rail&Fly when...

• You fly a non-Lufthansa airline.
• Your flight is at an unusual time and you want flexibility on the train departure.
• You do not check luggage and are comfortable managing two bookings.
• You want a cheap add-on: EUR 35 one-way in 2nd class is hard to beat for any other DB ticket.

Booking Channels and Tools

• lufthansa.com: the canonical booking flow. Both products appear during checkout when eligible.
• rail-checkin.com: Lufthansa's dedicated rail+flight booking portal. Useful to add Rail&Fly to a non-Lufthansa flight, depending on the airline's distribution setup.
• Travel agents: full-service agencies can combine all three (flight, Express Rail leg, and any other connections) and handle rebooking for you.
• DB Navigator: load the Rail&Fly ticket (QYG code) into the app for live departures, platform changes and a free 1st-class seat reservation when applicable.

External Sources

• Lufthansa Rail&Fly official page (lufthansa.com/de/en/rail-and-fly) - current prices, booking window and child fares.
• Lufthansa Express Rail product page (lufthansa.com/de/en/express-rail) - route map and transfer guarantee terms.
• DB Fahrgastrechte (bahn.de/fahrgastrechte) - file the train-leg claim after a long delay.
• EU Air Passenger Rights (EC261) (europa.eu/youreurope/.../air) - claim compensation for the flight leg if it is cancelled or delayed 3+ hours.