Surf & Rail

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Surf & Rail was the name of a special tariff in long-distance traffic of the Deutsche Bahn AG , which was offered for certain traffic connections on special conditions. The tickets were sold - for the first time in Germany - exclusively online, for self-printing. The offer sold between 1999 and 2007 is considered the forerunner of today's online tickets .

history

Before the introduction of the offer, DB tickets could be booked on the Internet, but were then sent or deposited in a travel agency.

The tariff was introduced on October 25, 1999. The internet sales should be expanded with the offer. Under certain conditions, travelers should receive tickets at particularly low prices and print them out themselves. Payment was made by credit card. A printout and ID card were used to check the train. At first 111 direct connections between 25 cities were offered at special conditions. In mid-March 2000 the number of available routes was increased from 111 to 254. The tickets were tied to the use of certain trains. The train attendants carried lists with them, on which all bookings for the train were recorded. Surf & Rail was only offered for long-distance trains.

The aim of the pilot project was to examine how the capacity utilization of trains could be increased, especially at times of low demand. The tickets could be purchased up to three days before departure (pre-sale period). The prices for the round trip were in four stages, between 75 and 195 DM. The reservation was included, the conditions stated explicitly that this space also had to be used. Separate surcharges for ICE and IC use were not levied. BahnCard owners received a discount of five euros. There had to be a weekend between the trip there and back. Rebookings and cancellations were not possible.

The offer was initially discontinued in 2002 as part of the new price system . On October 6, 2003 the offer was reintroduced. The number of available routes was reduced to five. Different routes were offered in weekly alternation. Up to four passengers could travel for half the price, their own children or grandchildren could drive for free up to the age of 14. According to DB information, around half of the tickets on offer were sold on the first day of sale. On March 1, 2004, the space was increased to 20,000 tickets per week and 20 routes.

The tariff, along with other offers, was replaced on June 10, 2007 by the so-called permanent special .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Train tickets from the Internet . In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . October 26, 1999, ISSN  0174-4917 , p. 23 .
  2. ↑ Bahn closes a quarter of the counters in train stations . In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . October 23, 1999, ISSN  0174-4917 , p. 2 .
  3. ↑ Report tickets from the Internet . In: Railway technical review . 48, No. 11, 1999, p. 705.
  4. ↑ Notification of new offers . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 5/2000, ISSN  1421-2811 , p. 194.
  5. ↑ Message "Surf & Rail" is back . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 11/2003, ISSN  1421-2811 , p. 476.
  6. ↑ Message More Surf & Rail . In: Eisenbahn-Revue International , issue 4/2004, ISSN  1421-2811 , p. 148.
  7. ↑ Bahn attracts customers with a new cheap tariff . In: The world . No. 128 , June 5, 2007, ISSN  0173-8437 , p. 11 ( online ).