November 7, 2023, 1:54 p.m. |
Reading time: 7 minutes
Apparently there are significant price differences if you buy your train ticket from a machine instead of from the DB Navigator. TECHBOOK has checked whether this is true and how you can actually save money the next time you buy tickets.
When it comes to Deutsche Bahn, (almost) nothing surprises you anymore. But you can still get upset. The online portal Notebookcheck.com made a discovery at the beginning of November that falls into both the “That can’t be true!” and “Who’s surprised?” category. Apparently the tickets in the DB Navigator app are “sometimes more expensive” than at the machine or in the travel centers. The emphasis is on “partly”, because as is often the case with Deutsche Bahn, the situation is a little more complicated than it seems at first glance. But since Deutsche Bahn says it is generally planning a price increase of an average of 4.9 percent, it is worth taking a look at the price comparison.
Which platforms are there?
There are now a variety of platforms through which you can purchase your train tickets: completely old school in the travel center or at the machine, a little more modern via the old one Travel informationwebsite or the new one bahn.dewebsite, as well as via the DB Navigator app. Reiseauskunft.bahn.de does have a note saying that the DB has updated its sales systems and that you should please continue using the “optimized” bahn.de website. But the site is still usable and also useful because it shows the machine prices.
In a random comparison, Noteboockcheck.com has now discovered a connection that is a few euros cheaper at the ATM than its counterpart in the DB Navigator. The article mentions the “same[n] Ticket”, but it is not clear whether the same ticket category – super saver price, saver price, flex price or flex price promotion – is really being spoken of.
At the ATM, these categories are grouped together as “Available Savings Offers”, which makes direct comparison difficult. In the example from our colleagues at Notebookcheck.com we are talking about a benefit of around two euros at the ATM. The price difference cannot be explained, but any discrimination against app users is within the limit for a scoop of ice cream. That is the good news.
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Flexticket: You save better online
However, the situation is different with short-term savings prices and flex price promotions. The latter is a relatively new option that is intended to somewhat conceal the general price increases. As part of a Flexpreis promotion, the Flexticket is offered with a discount of around 15 percent – but not at the machine.
The German railway makes this transparently clear on its website and writes: “The Flexpreis promotion is only available via bahn.de (online) and the DB Navigator (mobile).” Conversely, this means that this savings option is generally not available at the ATM.
This puts Deutsche Bahn at a disadvantage to the offline platforms Automat and Reisezentrum, which annoys some users. However, this also shows that the machine is not fundamentally the better alternative for purchasing cheap tickets and that Deutsche Bahn is investing in newer technologies.
By the way, the flex price promotion is only expected to be valid until December 9, 2023. Similar to the (super) saver prices, there is only a limited contingent of discounted flex prices per connection. In addition, the offer can no longer be booked on the actual day of travel – so it’s worth buying your ticket as early as possible.
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Savings prices: No short-term purchases at the machine
On the other hand, what about savings prices and super savings prices? Basically, machines and DB Navigator show the same prices. Notebookcheck.com noticed the above-mentioned 2 euro price difference for an international connection from Berlin to Sweden. Maybe the reason for the cheaper machine prices lies in this. TECHBOOK itself tried randomly to find different prices for the same ticket on a national connection on the various platforms – but in vain, which is further good news for rail customers.
However, there are inequalities between the machine and the app that can cost money. If you buy a ticket at short notice, it can happen that the machine does not display any savings prices, even though there are still some available in the DB Navigator. Since the difference between saver price and flex price can be quite large, this is a significant and unnecessary disadvantage for everyone who cannot or does not want to use the app.
As if that wasn’t annoying enough, Deutsche Bahn is planning to make the situation worse. By the end of 2023, the savings prices at the machines are to be completely and completely abolished. This change is likely to particularly affect seniors, (foreign) tourists and all those who are frustrated by an empty battery, lack of network or a surprising system error in the DB app. If the staffing ratio in the travel centers continues to fall, Deutsche Bahn will become more frustrated. The same applies here: Internet-savvy users of DB Navigator and bahn.de clearly have an advantage.
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The trick with the starting station
Another example from Notebookcheck caused particular outrage. The search was for a connection on November 7, 2023 from Berlin (without specification) to Munich central station. The result: bahn.de and DB Navigator show several connections for 69 euros, but the machine points to a significantly cheaper connection for 24.90 euros (As of November 4th). A scandal?
Nope. TECHBOOK has recreated the example and can determine two things. The prices that the different platforms display for the connections and ticket categories on that day are the same. For example, a connection between Berlin Hbf and Munich Hbf at 2:29 p.m. is just as expensive in the travel information or at the ticket machine as in the app. The price difference in the example from Notebookcheck.com results from the fact that these are two different connections. The cheaper connection from the machine involves a change while the other one goes through. So if you want to forego some comfort, you can save a lot with a connection like this.
But how come bahn.de and DB Navigator didn’t even show the cheaper connection with a change? The cause is apparently the general entry “BERLIN”. If you enter “Berlin Hbf” directly as the starting station, the app also shows the cheaper connection with a change. So if you want to see all connection options when booking, you should specifically specify the start and destination stations.
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So how do you save when buying tickets?
All in all, it can be said that the TECHBOOK editorial team did not notice any major price differences between the various sales platforms in several random comparisons. Some supposed price fluctuations can be explained by different ticket categories and display algorithms. However, the price differences of a few euros that Notebookcheck.de found remain a mystery.
The previous statements from Deutsche Bahn do not help the matter to be more transparent either. Overall, DB Navigator or bahn.de remains the platform on which you can tend to buy cheaper tickets, as all savings and discount campaigns are offered here.
In view of the announced price increases, TECHBOOK has put together five tricks that you can use to save money when buying tickets in the future:
- Book as early as possible to take advantage of discount offers:
- (Super) saver price, soon no longer available at the machine
- Flex price promotion for Flextickets: only at bahn.de and in DB Navigator, probably only until December 9th, 2023
- Enter the specific start and destination station for the largest possible selection of connections and prices
- If necessary, test different departure points
- Compare machine / travel center / Reiseauskunft.bahn.de with DB Navigator / bahn.de
- Make short-term purchases not at the machine, but in the DB Navigator
If you follow these tips when booking your trip, you can sometimes save significantly. However, this is not a guarantee of a cheaper price.