Nightjet interrail tickets jump in price

[nwales58]

At the time of the timetable change, the prices shown in the system shot up at short notice due to a large number of price queries.

So they wrote an appallingly incompetent query mechanism to plug into the demand->price relationship.

This is one of the classic dangers of big data from operational sources being fed into unvalidated algorithms. Salesman tells you it will be brilliant, but it's not his business that gets damaged.

 

[30907]

Does that translates as 'somebody from revenue management and somebody from PR has been invited to a meeting without tea and biscuits'?

Pretty much. Though the explanation fits with the comments from Seat61 that this has been triggered by the switch of system from one that worked by varying/barring Sparschiene to one that flexed everything.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Dec 2023 ==

Pretty much. Though the explanation fits with the comments from Seat61 that this has been triggered by the switch of system from one that worked by varying/barring Sparschiene to one that flexed everything.

An update: either the system has been altered or it has settled down.

I've been checking Hamburg-Innsbruck on Friday 26/01 for some time: the Interrail supplement (for 2) in a Comfort sleeper has gone up about EUR30, which isn't at all unreasonable. OTOH the supplement for the Comfort Plus (the one with the full shower) which was a (relative) bargain at only about EUR 40 more than Comfort has gone up another EUR200.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Pretty much. Though the explanation fits with the comments from Seat61 that this has been triggered by the switch of system from one that worked by varying/barring Sparschiene to one that flexed everything.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Dec 2023 ==


An update: either the system has been altered or it has settled down.

I've been checking Hamburg-Innsbruck on Friday 26/01 for some time: the Interrail supplement (for 2) in a Comfort sleeper has gone up about EUR30, which isn't at all unreasonable. OTOH the supplement for the Comfort Plus (the one with the full shower) which was a (relative) bargain at only about EUR 40 more than Comfort has gone up another EUR200.

I tried a Nightjet sleeper booking without an interrail, and it seemed that the basic ticket was variable, but the various add-ons were a fixed amount on that route (according to couchette / sleeper berth - in a single/double/triple of course). So is it still the case that for regular non-Interrail bookings, only the underlying seat cost changes according to demand, with the supplement for the facilities not changing? Or did I misunderstand what seemed to be on the site? (If I'm right, then at least that seems an easy way for a potential passenger to get an idea of likely costs.)

Though if what I deduced is the case, and they regulate the level of berth bookings via the seat charge, then might that lead them to lose seated passengers on services which could carry more of those at least?

 

[30907]

A small further detail - there appears to be a significant premium for a single sleeper (for IR - EUR250 vs EUR200 for 2), which is possibly aimed at steering singles to mini-cabins (pods).
(For comparison, in the last year single sleepers were often unavailable, certainly the deluxe sort, when a compartment for 2 could be had - a recent development.

On the positive side, for non Railpass holders it looks as though you can now use any sort of accommodation with a Sparschiene; previously IME that wasn't the case. (In reply to the previous post by AlbertBeale, the price range of seats is pretty minimal as far as I can see, compared to those for sleepers etc.)

 

[jamesontheroad]

I'm trying to price couchette/sleeper reservations on oebb.at for an Interrail global pass but still getting inconsistent responses.

For example, on Tue, 5. Mar 2024 from Krakow Glowny to Wien Hbf an adult with Interrail global pass discount - the best price is still labelled Sparscheine incl. reservation for €64.90 for a bed in a shared sleeper compartment. This is only €20 cheaper than if there was no Interrail discount.

Does ÖBB force Interrail pass holders to purchase these Sparschiene tickets including a reservation instead of just offering a reservation fee?

 

[30907]

I'm trying to price couchette/sleeper reservations on oebb.at for an Interrail global pass but still getting inconsistent responses.

For example, on Tue, 5. Mar 2024 from Krakow Glowny to Wien Hbf an adult with Interrail global pass discount - the best price is still labelled Sparscheine incl. reservation for €64.90 for a bed in a shared sleeper compartment. This is only €20 cheaper than if there was no Interrail discount.

Does ÖBB force Interrail pass holders to purchase these Sparschiene tickets including a reservation instead of just offering a reservation fee?

On a NJ Sparschiene Komfort starting from EUR9.90 in seats is effectively the old IR/ER reservation charge.
EN406/7 isn't a NJ (the stock is PKP) so you can get seats for a normal reservation fee, or sleepers at a similar rate to NJ supplements/fares - there are no couchettes according to Vagonweb.cz.
The Sparschiene price you quote is for a non-refundable ticket, whereas Komfort has reasonable cancellation conditions - full fare is another EUR50.
I don't know if the train is bookable via PKP - not yet, I would guess.

 

[nwales58]

PKP currently bookable to 02/03/2024. I'm trying to get to grips with Poland myself.

But can international sleepers be booked online through PKP? I've only seen seats on the web site. seat61 suggests using an agent instead, which does not help with seeing supplements and availability.

 

[rvdborgt]

But can international sleepers be booked online through PKP? I've only seen seats on the web site. seat61 suggests using an agent instead, which does not help with seeing supplements and availability.

PKP can't book international pass reservations online. Depending on the train, it may be possible on the ÖBB or ČD website.

 

[Krokodil]

If you are using an agent then I recommend Ffestiniog Travel.

 

[Austriantrain]

An interview with the boss of ÖBB long distance services (in German):

On NJ pricing he admits that the changeover in December to a new structure was not optimal at the start, but says it has settled down.

He also adds that it was a goal to discourage too much advance booking so that capacity remains available for short-notice travelers (I am sure that price rises for Interrail users have something to do with that). Current occupancy is stated to be higher than at the beginning of 2023.

He says that the NJ network has always operated at a „black zero“, as we say in German, meaning that while there are no significant profits, it is not loss-making either.

ÖBB fordern mehr Engagement von den SBB

Fehlende Waggons, keine Schweiz-tauglichen Garnituren: Die Österreichischen Bundesbahnen haben zu kämpfen. Nun will ihr Fernverkehrschef andere Bahnen in die Pflicht nehmen – und macht ein Versprechen.

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