Originally Posted by
Rambuster
On a side note, please look at this
picture to see how Deutsche Bahn solved the lack of 1st class cars on a replacement Inter-City for acancelled ICE recently... just stick a piece of paper next to the 2nd class sign and designate it 1st class...at full fare ! Customer service at its best....
Very interesting view! Do you remember what kind of car it was (open saloon with AC, or an interregio-coach with the blue seats)? If you allow, I would with pleasure post a link to this picture
here, when a good occasion comes up.
Originally Posted by
tmeyer
Isn't that about the same as European C class on LX?
No, you can compare it with the following situation: Two carriers have a codeshare-agreement, while the operating carrier has a C- and an Y-section, and the partner-airline sells F, C and Y on the very same flight. The passengers of the operating flight sit in the class they have paid, and the passsengers of the partner-airline sit all in Y (even if they have an F- or a C-ticket...)
But for being fair, such contracts need two parties...
Concerning the "service-level" of the Deutsche Bahn I can say, Ryanair might be better. Last month, I wanted to take the last train of the day from BER Hbf to Szczecin (SZZ, Poland), from where I wanted to continue with a historical special train the next morning. Due to
unannounced maintenance works, the DB-train ended in Berlin-Gesundbrunnen (never heard that before). The only opportunity for being at SZZ ontime was a "stop-over" at Pasewalk from 1 am to 6am. The agent at Gesundbrunnen told me: "At Pasewalk, there is a waiting-room, but Swiss tourists may afford a hotel
". I was watching the waiting-room of this deserted railway station, but as I didn't want to sleep on a wooden settee, freeze to death and being robbed at once (that's like the DB threats their "valuable" customers with 1st-Class-tickets
), I went to the hotel, which costed 67€.
After my letter of complain, the DB made at least a full confession and sent me a travel voucher for 67€. Now I have to find somebody who takes it for ... hmmm... 60€ (do I need to go to the station hall at MUC and ask the people at the counter whether they want a discount of 7€ ?)...
Honestly: Working at the railway industry, making rail travels all over the world and lobbying for railways in South America, I could barf when I see how the German politicians and Mehdorn are destroying this formerly valuable transportation system - and when Mehdorn says that the "DB is the best railway in Europe", it sounds like a racist attack against Swiss railwaymen in my ears...