Apr 28, 2019, 12:01 pm
Last edit by: threeoh
Booking to QYG allows you connect from any airport in Germany to any of the 5,600 DeutscheBahn train stations in Germany. For example, if you book a ticket ORD-FRA-QYG, you will fly ORD-FRA and then connect on DB with an open, unrestricted ticket good on any train to any destination in Germany. The ticket is valid the day you land and the following day.
In reverse, bookings from QYG allow you to originate at any DB station the day before or the day of your flight.
On most trains, including ICE, you can either pay a small fee for a seat reservation on a specific train or board any train and find an unassigned seat. Some trains such as Sprinter and night trains require a reservation and special supplement. F or J flights book into 1st class on the train and Y flights book into 2nd class.
Info from DB in English: https://www.bahn.de/p/view/service/buchung/flug/rail-and-fly-english.shtml
More info in PDF form: https://www.bahn.de/p/view/mdb/bahnintern/services/mobilitaet_service/rail_fly_airrail/2018/mdb_277126_20180809_reisendeninfo_railandfly_engli sch.pdf
Info on what rail services / bus transfers serve each airport, in German and English: https://www.bahn.de/p/view/mdb/bahnintern/services/mobilitaet_service/rail_fly_airrail/mdb_252625_20170719_flughafentransfer_railfly.pdf
You must collect a DB ticket before the train portion of your journey, either print at home or mobile ticket via http://www.rail-checkin.com/ or collect from any DB long-distance vending machine.
When booking on UA's site, enter QYG as your destination or origin. When booking on LH's site, start your booking to/from the gateway airport (FRA, MUC, etc.) and then click to add rail ticket on the final screen for EUR 34 each direction.
Separate but related program: Lufthansa Express Rail, direct connections from ~15 cities to FRA flights with protected connections, checked baggage service, and mileage earnings: https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/lufthansa-express-rail
In reverse, bookings from QYG allow you to originate at any DB station the day before or the day of your flight.
On most trains, including ICE, you can either pay a small fee for a seat reservation on a specific train or board any train and find an unassigned seat. Some trains such as Sprinter and night trains require a reservation and special supplement. F or J flights book into 1st class on the train and Y flights book into 2nd class.
Info from DB in English: https://www.bahn.de/p/view/service/buchung/flug/rail-and-fly-english.shtml
More info in PDF form: https://www.bahn.de/p/view/mdb/bahnintern/services/mobilitaet_service/rail_fly_airrail/2018/mdb_277126_20180809_reisendeninfo_railandfly_engli sch.pdf
Info on what rail services / bus transfers serve each airport, in German and English: https://www.bahn.de/p/view/mdb/bahnintern/services/mobilitaet_service/rail_fly_airrail/mdb_252625_20170719_flughafentransfer_railfly.pdf
You must collect a DB ticket before the train portion of your journey, either print at home or mobile ticket via http://www.rail-checkin.com/ or collect from any DB long-distance vending machine.
When booking on UA's site, enter QYG as your destination or origin. When booking on LH's site, start your booking to/from the gateway airport (FRA, MUC, etc.) and then click to add rail ticket on the final screen for EUR 34 each direction.
Separate but related program: Lufthansa Express Rail, direct connections from ~15 cities to FRA flights with protected connections, checked baggage service, and mileage earnings: https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/lufthansa-express-rail
Rail&fly with United in Germany
Nov 27, 2018, 6:29 pm
#47
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,124
Nov 27, 2018, 6:53 pm
#48
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
I picked some random dates March 21 - 25:
ORD-QYG: $1,762 r/t (W)
ORD-FRA: $1,670 r/t (W)
You can also try on Lufthansa's website. Instead of entering QYG you enter FRA (or MUC, etc.) and click to add rail ticket on the final screen for EUR 34 each direction.
Nov 27, 2018, 7:11 pm
#49
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,124
Apr 27, 2019, 1:00 pm
#50
Join Date: May 2016
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1k
Posts: 312
I tried searching but couldn't find an answer: is it possible to do a mileage award with QYG as destination? It doesn't seem to come up for me on united.com but wanted to check if anyone had been able to do it in the past.
Apr 27, 2019, 2:12 pm
#51
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: DCA
Programs: UA 1K; *G and *A Top 1000; HHonors Diamond; *$ Gold; Global Entry
Posts: 2,270
Now, if you have a MileagePlus award with Lufthansa, there’s the possibility of booking a Rail&fly after the fact, if you call Lufthansa after ticketing and get a helpful agent...
Apr 28, 2019, 3:45 am
#53
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: DCA
Programs: UA 1K; *G and *A Top 1000; HHonors Diamond; *$ Gold; Global Entry
Posts: 2,270
Apr 28, 2019, 7:59 am
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 31,974
These count as LH flights, but I guess much like LX 'flights' from ZRH to ZDH they shouldn't be available for non M&M redemption. Could be that LH made them available since there are no longer any flights on these routes.
Apr 28, 2019, 8:12 am
#55
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: DCA
Programs: UA 1K; *G and *A Top 1000; HHonors Diamond; *$ Gold; Global Entry
Posts: 2,270
LH flies to STR. They also partner with DB for the Express Rail “flights” out of ZWS.
Apr 28, 2019, 8:22 am
#56
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
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sure, a few a day ... let me rephrase ... since STR-FRA is down to 6 flights a day which does not serve many connections in FRA it is conceivable they made 2A out of ZWS available for partner redemption. QKL is also available with UA miles. Neither should be, really and ZRH-ZDH which is a similar situation is not available
Apr 28, 2019, 11:46 am
#59
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: DCA
Programs: UA 1K; *G and *A Top 1000; HHonors Diamond; *$ Gold; Global Entry
Posts: 2,270
With QYG, you can board any train in Germany. If you’re flying out of Frankfurt and have a QYG Rail coupon, you can initiate your journey anywhere in Germany. Conversely, if you’re flying into Frankfurt and have a follow on Rail coupon to QYG, you can take the train to anywhere in Germany. The Rail coupon is good the day before the flight and the day of the flight, if flying out of Frankfurt; it’s good the day of your arrival and the day after if flying into Frankfurt.
Apr 28, 2019, 12:03 pm
#60
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
I think the trains to Stuttgart are through Lufthansa Express Rail, which is different than the QYG Rail&Fly program. With Express Rail, you can check your bags through, sit in a Lufthansa-only section of the train, your connection is protected in case of IRROPS, and you earn miles.
https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/lufthansa-express-rail
With QYG Rail&Fly you have an open-ended ticket to any DB station in Germany, but no reservations, no baggage service, etc.
On a separate note, I just added a wiki to this thread and put a few links to info on QYG and Lufthansa Express Rail.
https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/lufthansa-express-rail
With QYG Rail&Fly you have an open-ended ticket to any DB station in Germany, but no reservations, no baggage service, etc.
On a separate note, I just added a wiki to this thread and put a few links to info on QYG and Lufthansa Express Rail.