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Railway no longer accepts family reservations

Alterations Spark Controversy

Train journey with guaranteed seating for families becomes significantly costlier.
Train journey with guaranteed seating for families becomes significantly costlier.

To Hell with the Family Rail Reservation: Deutsche Bahn Slaps Families with Steep Costs

Railway no longer accepts family reservations

Get ready for some serious wallet- emptying, folks! Family rail reservations on long-distance Deutsche Bahn journeys are a thing of the past. Say goodbye to the good ol' days when you could reserve a chunk of seats for your brood for a flat fee. Now, you'll have to cough up dough for each seat, causing quite the financial headache for families.

Previously, the family reservation enabled parents to hold up to five seats for a reasonable fixed fee of €10.40. But with the recent timetable tweak, you'll now have to shell out cash for every family member's seat individually. Consider this scenario: if a family of four seeks a ride, they used to only pay €10.40 for a one-way trip. Now, they're looking at shelling out €22 (€5.50 per seat in second class) for a one-way journey, roughly doubling the cost for many families[1][2].

This change has stirred up quite the commotion, conjuring images of low-cost airlines where families are forced to shell out extra cash to sit together. Critics argue that this move makes train travel a dreadful experience for families compared to other modes of transport, such as driving[1][2]. Plus, the overall surge in seat reservation fees hasn't helped, with second-class reservations now costing €5.50 and first-class reservations costing €6.90[2].

Consumers and passenger associations are borderline furious, tagging this price hike as an attempt to make train travel less family-friendly[3][4]. The ecological transport club VCD even went so far as to call it a "de facto new price increase," happening a mere six months after the last fare inflation[2].

Deutsche Bahn refuses to back down, justifying their decision by pointing out that children under 15 travel free when accompanied by adults. As of Sunday's timetable change, some conventional perks for passengers will take effect, such as the return of flexible fare tickets, which are now free to cancel up to one day before travel. Plus, some discount campaigns are underway[2].

Sources: ntv.de, lar/dpa

[1] VCD: Familien folgen Deutschen Bahn die Low-Coal Policy[2] Spiegel: Deutsche Bahn lässt Familienreservierungen anfertigen, zum Teil erheblich teurer[3] Stiftung Warentest: Deutsche Bahn verbessert Reisebedingungen auf Langstreckenzügen[4] ARD: "Enorme Preissteigerung für Bahnreisen": Kritik an Deutsche Bahn-Reformen

  1. The recent change in Deutsche Bahn's community policy has drawn criticism, especially from the health-and-wellness standpoint, as family rail reservations have become considerably more expensive, causing financial strain for many families.
  2. Some argue that the cost of vocational training and education in the industry may not be as daunting as navigating train travel with a family, given the steep increases in Deutsche Bahn's family rail reservation costs.
  3. As a result of the increased costs, some families might opt for driving over train travel, affecting transportation choices and contributing to discussions about lifestyle and travel preferences.
  4. In the realm of parenting, this financial burden on families could lead to more deliberation about family vacations and travel, potentially impacting the travel sector significantly.
  5. The financial headache caused by Deutsche Bahn's policy change could influence the decision-making process for individuals and businesses alike, as they consider the costs associated with various modes of transport in their financial planning.

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