Seniors' trip canceled: Deutsche Bahn refuses to accept cancellations!

Seniors' trip canceled: Deutsche Bahn refuses to accept cancellations!

In the small country of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, an unpleasant episode involving Deutsche Bahn has caused a stir. Gabriele Skiba, the chairwoman of the SPD working group “60plus”, had organized an excursion for seniors, which included a visit to a museum and a retreat. But a heat wave in July brought an unexpected snag to the project: two participants, both over 80 years old, had to cancel. Skiba wanted to show responsibility and decided to cancel the entire trip.

However, this is where the problems started. After she bought an online group ticket for 247 euros, canceling it turned out to be more difficult than expected. At the Wolfratshausen S-Bahn station, Skiba learned that the digital tickets offer other cancellation options. In principle, cancellation of group tickets can depend on various factors. As Deutsche Bahn explains, Sparpreis Europa group tickets booked online can only be canceled up to seven days before departure for a fee of 19 euros per ticket. Bookings made via local sales points or by telephone can save you from unpleasant surprises, as cancellations are possible up to 14 days before departure without any additional costs.

Goodwill and terms and conditions

Nevertheless, Skiba's goodwill request remained unanswered. Despite contacting the railway ticket service, they only received a general response that referred to the general terms and conditions. “There's something going on,” thought the experienced organizer, who had to admit that she hadn't read the conditions in detail. Her experience shows that communication about cancellation options sometimes doesn't provide the clarity travelers want.

Particularly striking: While the city guide in Memmingen reacted with understanding and without any cancellation fees, Deutsche Bahn refused to be accommodating. A further insight into the confusing cancellation options shows that when booking via bahn.de, a refund is not possible for individual participants. The railway also explains that changes or cancellations of super saver prices are not possible at all. This will probably not please travelers.

The social responsibility

At a time when health care is often a priority, the discussion surrounding these cancellation policies raises important questions. The legitimate question arises as to how social responsibility can be exercised without consequences for travelers. Gabriele Skiba sees a clear contradiction between caring for older people and the strict guidelines of Deutsche Bahn.

The story of Gabriele Skiba and her failed trip shows that - especially for older people - the freedom to travel meaningfully is often complicated in the context of health and safety. It remains to be hoped that Deutsche Bahn will consider a more flexible approach to canceling group tickets in the future.

The fact that canceling and rebooking tickets simply needs to be made more understandable could also stimulate discussion. In a time full of uncertainty, such steps are necessary, but they also require a certain amount of goodwill, especially when it comes to the health of older citizens.

Would you like to find out more about the cancellation policy? Then take a look bahn.de Stop by and find out about the current regulations!