Both valuable contributions above totally true. All the transport authorities participate in the GA scheme, except some tourist mountain railways such as Jungfraujoch and Gornergrat. What would interest me is some sort of voucher or rebate for future use, given that we can't use it just now. In my case, I have the monthly GA (which is CHF340 a month) and I usually cancel it after 4 or 5 months, when we hit the summer, because I tend to go away during summer (because we don't work in the summer in the conservatoire). It's a bit dearer this way, but it gives me ultimate flexibility. Then, when work gets busy again, I buy another GA contract (which only allows cancellation after 4 months use, which is fair enough).

As for "earning it back", or amortizing it, I think that this is only the case if you use it as heavily as I do. Usually, I calculate all my trips based on the price of a normal price ticket with the half-fare card reduction, and it comes out to CHF800-1,100 use assuming all of the tickets had been bought as flexible half-fare tickets. Super saver tickets are another matter, but I really need flexibility in what I do as teaching and rehearsal schedules change a surprising amount. But I hate to say it, that CHF340 monthly price is a drain I could do without at the moment. I still haven't paid for the next month which begins on 13th April, in the hope they allow a premature cancellation.