JDiver

(Moderator's note: N.B. Several threads dealing with American Airlines codeshares on Deutsche Bahn / German Rail - with slight mention of SNCF - have been consolidated for ease of use, since they were sequential and merging does not create a "blender" problem with readability.)

Original post title: AA codeshare EQM/EQP earning question - Deutsche Bahn!

Jawöhl, here's the question:

Say I take AA 7431 from FRA (Fraknfurt Main International Airport) to Munich Main Station (Muenchen Hauptbanhoff), 186 miles.

If it were an airline codeshare, 500 EQM / 500 EQP.

But what about Duetsche Bahn / German Rail? Is it the same? Buy it on aa.com? (I already have my tix to FRA.)

Danke!

jreichel

You only get miles if the train is booked and ticketed as an AA "flight" to a specific railway station. Buying a separate train ticket from DB or having a generic 2A segment from FRA to QYG (= any German train station) won't do the trick.

The AA flight numbers on trains can't be booked and ticketed separately. If you really want those your ticket would have to be reissued to include those segments. I doubt that the cost probably involved with doing so is justified by the few extra miles.

andrzej

And correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it's 250 QM/QPs.

yk

Planning to fly DFW-FRA-Wurzburg (QWU). If I book DFW-FRA r/t, it's the same price as DFW-FRA-QWU r/t. But I actually want to visit a few other cities and don't want to return from Wurzburg. If I don't take the return leg of QWU-FRA but just show up at FRA for my return flight FRA-DFW, will AA know that I skipped QWU-FRA and cancelled my FRA-DFW? I assume AA won't be able to figure out whether I took that train or not, right?

[The FRA-QWU leg is an AA codeshare.]

gemac

I think that AA doesn't get any reporting from the train system, so they assume you took it.

yk

I did a search and read a bunch of posts about DB. It sounds like one gets credit for the DB segments whether one actually takes the train segments or not.

jabrams72

This has been my experience as well.

cingmot

An AAgent as much as told me that on the phone a couple of months ago; she obviously wasn't allowed to say "yeah, sure, go ahead, skip your ZMU-FRA segment", but she hinted very, very strongly that it was definitely a one-way system.

dugknight

Where can I find more information on earning miles or credits with Deutsche Bahn? I'm flying to Germany tomorrow. Thanks.

AMR747

You will get 250 miles for each codeshare sector on DB booked under the respective AA flight (or rather train) number. AA currently has codeshares to 18 destinations in Germany served by DB. All other train stations are covered under Rail & Fly and do not entitle you to any Aadvantage miles.

gemac

The Deutsche Bahn segments must be booked on the same ticket as your transatlantic flight. If you have already booked your flight, you are probably too late.

dugknight

OK, thanks. It's probably not worth the extra stress tyring to figure out my train times and everything right now anyway. I'd rather just show up at the train station and get on the next available train than worry about times for 250 miles.

yk

Has anyone tried taking the DB segments on a different day than the ticket states?

I want to return to FRA from Wurzburg a day earlier, so that I don't have to fret on day of return about train strikes or accidents etc. Wonder if I can still use the AA DB ticket?

gemac

I suspect that this is OK, but would check at the train station. You might have to pay a small fee to reserve a seat on the earlier train.

I also think that if you missed your connection due to a delay on the codeshared train, that AA would protect you.

nixande

It depends.


Usually this is a absolut no. You can take the train on the day you are supposed to go.

Under German Deutsche BAhn however there is something about return tickets:
Book from a starting date say 1st of Mai and you can return on any train during the month.

Train reservations are not binding in that fact, they are just like purchased seat reservations. I usually miss out on the train I booked - last train drive I had to stand 1,5 because of that.

Regarding strike - I am not aware of any of that and German rails usually are not on strike. They run more or less like a clockwork. Accidents though can happen.

Now, for your case: As stated above, if you do have a return ticket it is valid a month. But as you do not have a usual ticket (flexible to speak in airline lingo) it IS possible that this is tied explicitly to your date.

Be prepared that conductors will probably not speak good english but know how to charge your credit card.

You may get away with playing dumb; or should be able to ask AA about this.


But all in they are NOT able to track wheather or not you took the train as there is until now no 100% reporting system.