flight delay missed DB train connection
May 24, 2025 | 11:51 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 433
flight delay missed DB train connection
We are due to arrive at 8:45 am AA70 T2 at FRA. Looking to catch a 10:49 ICE to Brussels. What happens if the flight is late (or baggage is slow) and we miss the train on a Super Sparpreis Europa or Sparpreis Europa ticket? Can I catch the next train or must I book a Flexpreis Europa ticket?
May 24, 2025 | 2:53 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: FRA/SXB
Programs: FB Silver; Accor Silver
Posts: 3,995
First of all, a 2h correspondance between a flight and train is not advisable unless it's sold together as part of an itinerary.
I'm assuming you bought the super saver train ticket separately, and thus, if you miss the train due to flight or contrle passeports or whatever, you lose the ticket and must buy another one.
Of course, you could be lucky, since DB is quite often late as well, with 4/10 long distance trains late statistically.
I'm assuming you bought the super saver train ticket separately, and thus, if you miss the train due to flight or contrle passeports or whatever, you lose the ticket and must buy another one.
Of course, you could be lucky, since DB is quite often late as well, with 4/10 long distance trains late statistically.
May 25, 2025 | 9:50 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 433
First of all, a 2h correspondance between a flight and train is not advisable unless it's sold together as part of an itinerary.
I'm assuming you bought the super saver train ticket separately, and thus, if you miss the train due to flight or contrle passeports or whatever, you lose the ticket and must buy another one.
Of course, you could be lucky, since DB is quite often late as well, with 4/10 long distance trains late statistically.
I'm assuming you bought the super saver train ticket separately, and thus, if you miss the train due to flight or contrle passeports or whatever, you lose the ticket and must buy another one.
Of course, you could be lucky, since DB is quite often late as well, with 4/10 long distance trains late statistically.
May 25, 2025 | 1:47 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 433
Problem solved was able to get an award flight arriving the day before - so for the difference between the flex ticket and the saver we will stay at the one of the airport hotels and catch the 830 am train to Brussels the next morning. Hopefully I can arrange for an early check in to freshen up and nap and we can take the s bahn to romer, mainz or just relax and eat at the squire - I see paulaner has a spot there.
Jun 1, 2025 | 9:51 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2022
Posts: 1,417
Yeah, there's a Paulaners. For some reason, their beer is considerably more expensive than at the Airbru at MUC.
Pro tip on the train ticket: Purchase yourself a ticket from Frankfurt central station to Brussels with a connection at FRA. The price is going to be exactly the same 99% of the time. However, the extra train increases the chance that the DB give you a "complimentary upgrade" to a flex ticket. DB is terribly unpunctual so you want to give them more opportunities to screw up. Of course, you do not need to take the segment Frankfurt Central Station to FRA. You can just use ICE316 (or any other train if DB obliges and removes the specified-train only requirement).
Pro tip on the train ticket: Purchase yourself a ticket from Frankfurt central station to Brussels with a connection at FRA. The price is going to be exactly the same 99% of the time. However, the extra train increases the chance that the DB give you a "complimentary upgrade" to a flex ticket. DB is terribly unpunctual so you want to give them more opportunities to screw up. Of course, you do not need to take the segment Frankfurt Central Station to FRA. You can just use ICE316 (or any other train if DB obliges and removes the specified-train only requirement).
Feb 25, 2026 | 5:19 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: YXY
Posts: 3,678
It is probably too late now, but American Airlines is part of the Rail&Fly program.
https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/rail-and-fly
Through AA or your travel agent, you could buy a ticket that includes both your flight and a train ticket to anywhere on the DB network (which includes gorgeous Salzburg in Austria). You could board almost any DB train the day or your arrival or the day after.
Rail&Fly also works in return; you could take a train from anywhere on the DB network to your German departure airport on the day of your flight or the day before.
If I am not mistaken, the IATA airport code for Rail&Fly is QYG.
https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/rail-and-fly
Through AA or your travel agent, you could buy a ticket that includes both your flight and a train ticket to anywhere on the DB network (which includes gorgeous Salzburg in Austria). You could board almost any DB train the day or your arrival or the day after.
Rail&Fly also works in return; you could take a train from anywhere on the DB network to your German departure airport on the day of your flight or the day before.
If I am not mistaken, the IATA airport code for Rail&Fly is QYG.