Germany's Deutsche Bahn to end discounted family seat reservations
The price of individual seat reservations will also increase by €0.40.
As a result, a family of four will now have to pay €22 to sit together on a train ride – over twice as much as previously.
The decision has been criticised by politicians from across the political spectrum, as well as environmental groups. Many argue the new pricing structure will push families to drive instead of taking the train, undermining both environmental sustainability and the attractiveness of rail travel.
'Families with children, in particular, depend on reserved seats,' said Kerstin Haarmann, chairwoman of the VCD transport group. 'They are now facing another effective price increase.'
Advertisement
DB says the changes are necessary to shore up its financial position. Last year, the rail operator posted a €1.8 billion loss. It is now in the midst of a restructuring program known as S3, which involves investment but also cost savings.
Unlike in previous cases such as the attempted removal of printed arrival timetables from train stations, which was swiftly overturned after public outcry, DB says it will not reverse course.
What is changing from June 15th
First class reservations are rising to €6.90, up from €6.50
Second class reservations now cost €5.50, up from €5.20
The discounted family reservation no longer exists
Children up to 14 will continue to travel free when accompanied
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
Dileep Reddy Cheguri's Vision: Transforming CRM Technology with AI and AWS to Revolutionize Customer Relationships
In today's hyper-competitive business landscape, customer relationship management (CRM) is no longer just about tracking sales and interactions; it's about delivering personalized, seamless, and intelligent experiences. At the forefront of this revolution is Dileep Reddy Cheguri, a visionary technologist who is integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing to redefine CRM systems. His innovations are helping businesses build stronger customer relationships, enhance service efficiency, streamline operations, and drive revenue growth. Traditional CRM systems were primarily used for storing customer data, managing contacts, and tracking sales pipelines. While useful, these systems often lacked real-time intelligence, predictive capabilities, and automation. Dileep Reddy recognized early on that AI and cloud computing could transform CRM into a proactive, self-learning system that anticipates customer needs, automates workflows, and delivers actionable insights. By leveraging AWS's scalable infrastructure and AI-powered tools, he has built next-generation CRM solutions that go beyond basic data management. Dileep Reddy's CRM solutions utilize machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP) to analyze vast amounts of customer data, purchase history, social media interactions, support tickets, and more. Predictive Analytics : AI models forecast customer behavior, helping businesses tailor marketing campaigns and offers. : AI models forecast customer behavior, helping businesses tailor marketing campaigns and offers. Sentiment Analysis : NLP evaluates customer feedback (emails, chats, reviews) to detect satisfaction levels and potential churn risks. : NLP evaluates customer feedback (emails, chats, reviews) to detect satisfaction levels and potential churn risks. Hyper-Personalization: AI-driven recommendations provide customized product suggestions and content, increasing engagement. By integrating AWS Lex (for conversational AI) and Amazon Connect (for cloud-based contact centers), Dileep Reddy has enabled businesses to deploy 24/7 AI chatbots that handle routine inquiries, freeing human agents for complex issues. Traditional CRM systems often struggle with scalability, data silos, and security risks. Dileep Reddy's AWS-powered CRM eliminates these challenges by: Elastic Scaling : AWS allows businesses to expand CRM capacity during peak seasons without infrastructure headaches. : AWS allows businesses to expand CRM capacity during peak seasons without infrastructure headaches. Unified Data Ecosystem : AWS services like Amazon Redshift (data warehousing) and S3 (storage) ensure all customer data is centralized and accessible. : AWS services like Amazon Redshift (data warehousing) and S3 (storage) ensure all customer data is centralized and accessible. Enhanced Security: AWS's compliance certifications and encryption protect sensitive customer information. Dileep Reddy's AI-driven CRM automates repetitive tasks, enabling sales and marketing teams to focus on strategy. Some of his key integrated solutions are: Lead Scoring & Prioritization : AI ranks leads based on engagement, likelihood to convert, and revenue potential. : AI ranks leads based on engagement, likelihood to convert, and revenue potential. Automated Email Campaigns : AWS-powered CRM triggers personalized emails based on user behavior (e.g., abandoned cart reminders). : AWS-powered CRM triggers personalized emails based on user behavior (e.g., abandoned cart reminders). Workflow Automation: Routine tasks like data entry, follow-ups, and reporting are handled by AI, reducing human error. Dileep Reddy envisions a future where CRM systems become fully autonomous, leveraging: Generative AI (like AWS Bedrock) for dynamic content creation and customer interactions. IoT Integration to connect CRM with smart devices for real-time customer insights. Blockchain for Secure Customer Data Exchange**, ensuring transparency and trust. Dileep Reddy's integration of AI and AWS into CRM technology is not just an upgrade, it's a complete transformation. Businesses adopting his solutions are seeing faster decision-making, deeper customer relationships, and higher profitability. As AI continues to evolve, Dileep Reddy remains at the cutting edge, ensuring that CRM systems don't just manage relationships, they enhance and predict them. For industries and organizations looking to stay ahead, embracing AI-powered, cloud-based CRM is no longer optional, it's essential. And with pioneers like Dileep Reddy leading the charge, the future of customer engagement has never looked brighter.
Local Germany
12-06-2025
- Local Germany
Germany's Deutsche Bahn to end discounted family seat reservations
From June 15th, families of up to five will no longer be able to reserve seats together for just €10.40 in second class. The price of individual seat reservations will also increase by €0.40. As a result, a family of four will now have to pay €22 to sit together on a train ride – over twice as much as previously. The decision has been criticised by politicians from across the political spectrum, as well as environmental groups. Many argue the new pricing structure will push families to drive instead of taking the train, undermining both environmental sustainability and the attractiveness of rail travel. 'Families with children, in particular, depend on reserved seats,' said Kerstin Haarmann, chairwoman of the VCD transport group. 'They are now facing another effective price increase.' Advertisement DB says the changes are necessary to shore up its financial position. Last year, the rail operator posted a €1.8 billion loss. It is now in the midst of a restructuring program known as S3, which involves investment but also cost savings. Unlike in previous cases such as the attempted removal of printed arrival timetables from train stations, which was swiftly overturned after public outcry, DB says it will not reverse course. What is changing from June 15th First class reservations are rising to €6.90, up from €6.50 Second class reservations now cost €5.50, up from €5.20 The discounted family reservation no longer exists Children up to 14 will continue to travel free when accompanied
Local Germany
03-06-2025
- Local Germany
Germany's Deutsche Bahn to offer raft of discount rail tickets for summer
The offers are aimed at different groups of customers, from short-distance travellers to young people and seniors. Deutsche Bahn's Stefanie Berk said: "In the future, we want to score even more points with offers that are precisely tailored to individual customer groups. We focus on the needs of bargain hunters as well as those who appreciate comfort and want to travel flexibly. There's something for everyone." The discounts include: Short-distance travellers: The lowest price for the super savings price for short distances will be reduced from the current 9.99 euros to 6.99 euros from June 15th. Young people: MyBahnCard 50 for under-27s reduced to €49.99 instead of €79.90 euros from June 15th to December 13th, which DB says could make ICE trips as cheap as €9.74. Seniors: A Seniors BahnCard Plus will, for an extra charge, offer passengers free drinks on board, eight day lounge passes and preferential care in DB travel centers. Advertisement Commuters: Between June 15th and 28th, 25% discounts for commuters on personal monthly long-distance tickets. Flexible travellers: Flexpreis bookings made between June 15th and July 31st for travel over 28 days in advance will be cheaper. It will also be possible to cancel Flexpreis tickets up to one day before departure, rather than eight. However, as well as enjoying discounts, travellers will face extensive disruption this summer, with works across the country causing delays and cancellations. For more information in German visit Deutsche Bahn's website .
