Almost nobody knows about this limitation

Consumer advocates warn that the 49-euro ticket could lead to a restriction of passenger rights. They fear that customers will be relegated to second-class passengers. Should trains arrive late, they would not be eligible for a refund that would normally apply.

Consumer advocates warn of the details of the 49-euro ticket

The cheap Germany ticket will be introduced on May 1, 2023. Shortly before the start, the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations points out a detail that has so far received little attention. The consumer advocates fear that the 49-euro ticket will cause a kind of Two-tier society when it comes to passenger rights could develop. Marion Jungbluth, the association’s mobility expert, points this out before a hearing in the Bundestag’s Transport Committee.

The reason for their concern is that existing “IC or ICE” option, which is usually available to customers with a ticket that is only valid for local transport. You can use a long-distance train if the destination can only be reached with a delay of at least 20 minutes via local or regional transport.

This additionally required ticket must be paid for, but the additional costs can actually be reimbursed afterwards. Customers with a Germany ticket could, however, be exempted from this, since the new ticket is to be classified as a “significantly reduced fare”. At least that’s what it says in the draft for a new version of the railway traffic ordinance.

Not only with the 49-euro ticket you can save money:

Deutschlandticket could get “IC or ICE” option

According to Jungbluth, railway companies fear that Deutschlandticket users switch to higher value trains and these could become overcrowded. However, restricting passenger rights would severely damage confidence in rail transport. It is therefore calling for the Germany ticket to be included in the “IC or ICE” option (source: dpa via hot online).

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