Some can. If you factor in the time it takes to get to the Airport and that you can bring luggage, suddenly even a long trip becomes viable.
What really sucks is that there’s no central way to book these trips that’s flexible when there’s train delays and you need to cross borders. I can book a flight from Germany to Italy that still reaches it’s destination, if delayed. I can’t book a discounted train trip, because if I lose the connection due to delays in one country, my connecting tickets are not changed. So I need to fly, even if I’d prefer to travel by train.
What really sucks is that there’s no central way to book these trips that’s flexible when there’s train delays and you need to cross borders. I can book a flight from Germany to Italy that still reaches it’s destination, if delayed. I can’t book a discounted train trip, because if I lose the connection due to delays in one country, my connecting tickets are not changed. So I need to fly, even if I’d prefer to travel by train.