Deutsche Bahn's Family Seat Reservation Abolition: A Hornet's Nest Stirred, Pocketbooks Squeezed!
Railways under scrutiny as family reservation system faces elimination
Looks like Deutsche Bahn (DB) ruffled more than a few feathers with their axing of family seat reservations for long-haul journeys! The uproar's still going strong, even weeks later, and now there's an online petition to boot!
Here's the nitty-gritty: families used to be able to reserve seats for a gang of five (with at least one sprout) for as little as €10.40 in second-class or €13 in first-class. But now, with the axe chopping down that option, each family member needs a separate reservation, sending costs skyrocketing by up to 165% for small groups[1][3][5]!
Consumer watchdogs are up in arms, claiming this move makes train travel less family-friendly than driving[1][3]. It's yet another fare hike, coming hot on the heels of the last one, and it's not doing families' budgets any favors[3][5]. The ecological transport club VCD's even pleaded with DB to keep the family reservation option, arguing that families with little ones need a guaranteed seat[3][5].
All this boils down to: families' wallets taking a hit with DB's new policy. The petition protests the lack of affordability and accessibility for families using their services[2].
[1] [dpa] (https://www.dpa.de/): German Press Agency[2] [Petition] (https://www.change.org/p/deutsche-bahn-reinstate-family-reservation): Online petition on change.org to reinstate family reservations by Deutsche Bahn[3] [Consumer Centers] (https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/): Consumer Protection Centers in Germany[4] [VCD] (https://www.vcd.org/): Ecological Transport Club VCD in Germany[5] [transporto] (https://www.transporto.de/): Online transportation platform in Germany
- The recent decision by Deutsche Bahn (DB) to abolish family seat reservations for long-haul journeys has sparked controversy within the public-transit industry, as consumer watchdogs argue that it makes train travel less affordable for families compared to driving.
- Moreover, the new policy applies a financial squeeze on families, as each member now needs a separate reservation, significantly increasing costs in comparison to the previous discounted fare, leading to a potential 165% increase for small groups.
- In response to this, businesses in the transportation sector, such as online transportation platform transporto and ecological transport club VCD, are appealing to DB to reconsider this change, emphasizing the need for a guaranteed seat for families traveling with children due to the nature of public-transit.
