I had to pay the upgrade fee for travelling in 1st class with a 2nd class ticket

z7z

I was in Switzerland for the first time, and I noticed a strange money-making method on your trains. I bought my ticket online and boarded. Just before arriving at my destination, a staff checked my tickets and stated that my ticket was second class, but I was sitting in first class, and charged me an additional 10CHF. This shouldn’t be handled this way. If you’re checking tickets, do so during boarding and alert passengers if there’s an error. The staff member told me that a seat with a “1” on it means “First Class.” How do I know this? “1” could mean anything, like first floor or first compartment. Also, because I was late, I boarded through the first open door. It was a completely bad experience on the Swiss train. You need to stop setting traps to make money.

RolandP

Hello z7z

Welcome to the SBB Community.
We are a customer support page run by volunteer travel experts. We are not the SBB.

Are you from the U.S.?

On long-distance trains in Switzerland (IC, IR, EC, TGV, ICE, RJX), you can legally board the first class with a second class ticket, but you will have to pay the surcharge when the ticket inspector arrives. SBB is offering the possibility to upgrade on board the train; it is a service in favour of their customers.

Please refer to the SBB website for further details:
https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/tickets/point-to-point-tickets-switzerland/class-upgrades-supersaver-class-upgrades/class-upgrade.html

All over Europe, with any railway company, 1st class coaches are marked with a big “1” at the entrance door, and 2nd class coaches with a big “2”. At multiple places inside the coach, you can find the “1” or “2” indicating the travel class. That’s how it works on our continent.

In addition, the house rules are displayed prominently on every boarding platform, informing passengers that 1st class can only be used with a 1st class ticket.

In my opinion, as a tourist, you would be well advised to find out about local customs and traditions before you travel to a country. Thus, even as a tourist, it is your responsibility to be in possession of a correct ticket.

In Switzerland, 99% of the railway customers who travel in 1st class want to travel in 1st class and also have a ticket for the ride in this class. People here would not appreciated if everyone is being asked whether they want indeed travel in 1st class. Our railway system is mass transit.

CHF 10 was a bargain. Normally, you have to pay the difference between a first-class and second-class ticket, and on local trains there is an additional surcharge of CHF 75 as the on-board upgrade option does not exist.

Kind regards,
Roland

Krist

I really would be interested in knowing how you would do this:

z7z If you’re checking tickets, do so during boarding and alert passengers if there’s an error.

Imagine: Train stops for 50 seconds. 120 people get on. And the conductor should check everyone’s ticket?
During the station stop the conductor’s job is to observe the boarding, so that he can give the signal that the trrain can leave as soon as everyone is on board, and the doors are clear. Then when the train is moving, he goes about checking tickets. That is efficient.

And again, it is how pretty much all railways in Europe do it.

z7z

It’s not important where I am from.

Waste of time. You didn’t get the point.

Also, why did you change the title? Trying to blame me 🙂 Arrogant

Krist

z7z Waste of time. You didn’t get the point.

You are actually missing the point. You made a mistake. And you actually got away quite well, as the conductor could just handed out a 100,- CHF fine.

So just take it as a lesson and do not make that mistake again, and do not suggest that we make our railways worse because you made a mistake the first time you rode a train here.

z7z Trying to blame me 🙂 Arrogant

You were indeed the one to blame, as you made the mistake.

z7z

Krist
Railway advocates🙂)) I doubt no one in the world defends the railways more than you do. You’r showing off your arrogance by thinking you’re giving advice here.

I don’t say why I did pay additional fee. If there is a mistake, everyone must pay the consequences.

The point I don’t understand and find strange is why they do the job last when they should have done it first.
No one knows that 1 represents first class except those living in central europe.

Changing the title as you please is another nonsense, are you a dictator? Ahh sorry, you are the best people in the world, you know better than others

RolandP

Hello z7z

I have changed the title, to help others better understand the content of the topic. There is no offense, whatsoever.

Kind regards,
Roland

Krist

z7z The point I don’t understand and find strange is why they do the job last when they should have done it first.

If you had been sitting at the other end of the train you would have been checked first. The conductor starts at one end, and proceeds to the other. This is dictated by simple facts of geometry. And on the way they have to deal with lots of passengers. So yes, it may take time for them to reach you where you are in the train, or they even not turn up at all. If you travel regularly on trains you will know that you do not always see a conductor.

z7z No one knows that 1 represents first class except those living in central europe.

Its not just in central Europe. It is in all of Europe like that. And there are in fact signs in the train explaining this. Are you telling that, upon the 1st time you were on board an SBB Train that you did not bother reading the information on the trains?

If I get fined in your country because I break a rule I will also not be able to claim that “I did not know”.

z7z

Krist

It’s NOT like that in all of Europe.

If you are not from SBB, please do not speak so confidently about things we do not know.

RolandP

z7z

Next time, simply don’t expect everything to be and work as in your country, as we do not expect things to be the Swiss way when visiting your country. The latter would indeed be arrogant.

Krist

z7z It’s NOT like that in all of Europe.

Using the number “1” to designate first class is pretty much standard for conventional trains all over Europe. I know there are exceptions. But the use of a numeral 1, and the colour yellow is widespread. Furthermore there is a poster in the entrance area of every train that explains how to recognise 1st and 2nd class, at least on Swiss trains.

z7z If you are not from SBB, please do not speak so confidently about things we do not know.

I am not from SBB. But I am a regular train traveller, and have travelled all over Europe for all my life. I have been travelling internationally on trains by my own since I was 14.

I know how the system works. This is why I can confidentially tell you that the problem is your expectations, not how the SBB operates its trains.

What should the SBB do differently in your opinion?

You really expect them to inspect every passenger’s ticket before boarding?
The system here is based on “self control”. The principle is that you, as a passenger, are expected to take care of having the right ticket. That is how it works here. That allows the SBB to do away with annoyances like barriers and pre boarding ticket inspections.

And that is how we like it.

z7z

RolandP
Nothing says humility like calling other people arrogant for noticing the POTHOLES.. Good luck

z7z

Krist You really expect them to inspect every passenger’s ticket before boarding?

They can’t inpect every ticket in first class before boarding the train, but they CAN when the journey is almost complete 🙂)
This is an incredibly efficient method. It’s a fantastic way to get extra money, and other countries should try it too.

Krist

z7z They can’t inpect every ticket in first class before boarding the train, but they CAN when the journey is almost complete 🙂)

Think about it. Do you really expect the train conductors to be able to check all tickets simultaneously? Why would you be the first person they check? Train conductors are human. They cannot be at multiple places at once.
Again, you have the wrong expectations. The expectation is that the train conductor will come at some time during the trip, and that can indeed be towards the end. At no time is it expected that he will be there immediately after departure, as that is just impossible.

z7z This is an incredibly efficient method. It’s a fantastic way to get extra money, and other countries should try it too.

It is very efficient. And yes, most railwaysdo it like that. On pretty much all trains in Europe your ticket is checked at some time during the trip, if at all, but not necessarily at the beginning of the trip.

z7z Nothing says humility like calling other people arrogant for noticing the POTHOLES..

People complaining about potholes when there are no potholes are indeed arrogant.

Again, the problem is your expectations, not the way the railways are run. The SBB is probably the best run railway in Europe.

z7z

Krist
“No Potholes”

“the best”

Considering yourself superior is also a pothole

Krist

z7z Considering yourself superior is also a pothole

Insisting that you are entitled to special treatment because of unrealistic expectations is also something ending in “hole”…

z7z

Krist And again, it is how pretty much all railways in Europe do it.

Good, at least we came from “It is in all of Europe like that” to “pretty much” 🙂

z7z

Krist Insisting that you are entitled to special treatment because of unrealistic expectations is also something ending in “hole”…

Congrats. You spelled your “title”…

Krist

z7z Good, at least we came from “It is in all of Europe like that” to “pretty much”

Oh, you can read? Good.

But still you have not answered our question: What are your expectations? What should SBB have done? Should they create a special service where, for the extra fee of 10,- CHF you can request to have your ticket checked as soon as the train is moving?

z7z

Krist What should SBB have done?

I would expect my beer during boarding. A Swiss beer.. Please add this to suggestions and complaints

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