At the start of sales of the nine-euro ticket, the servers at Deutsche Bahn went to their knees: the rush to the online version of the bargain offer, which is saved in the DB Navigator app, was too great. In any case, the smartphone is becoming more and more important as a digital wallet when travelling, not only for train tickets, but also for flight tickets, hotel vouchers, pre-purchased admission tickets for the museum and the booking confirmation for the exclusive tour of the Eiffel Tower under the full moon.
After all, the mobile phone is always with you, which is a practical thing – as long as the battery doesn’t give up the ghost, the booking confirmation was accidentally not saved or the mobile phone is lost altogether. And then? The most important questions and answers about online bookings and tickets – and their pitfalls.
The battery is empty when the ticket is checked on the train. Do you become a fare dodger because you can’t show your online ticket?
If you choose the mobile ticket option, you are responsible for ensuring that the ticket is visible on the device. If you cannot present a valid ticket, you are actually a dodger. At Deutsche Bahn, the booking is registered in the system, but cannot be called up by the train attendants. This entails a lot of work for the passenger: he has to have a “fare levy” issued and subsequently prove that he had bought a ticket, for example with the booking confirmation that he received by e-mail. “A processing fee is still due,” says Karolina Wojtal, a lawyer at the European Consumer Center Germany in Kehl.
And: The passenger must be able to identify himself on the train, because the online tickets are personalised. An online ticket cannot therefore be passed on to a partner, child or colleague. The name of the traveler is already entered when booking.
Similar rules apply in many cities for online tickets in buses and trains – and thus also for the nine-euro tickets. If you want to use it, you should definitely take a look at the small print in advance and pay attention to the charge level of your battery. With the Munich Transport and Tariff Association (MVV), for example, “an increased fare is due if the mobile phone ticket cannot be checked”. Anyone who can subsequently prove that they had a valid ticket at the beginning of the journey will only be reimbursed part of it.
At least the passengers don’t have to be afraid of a bad mobile network. The tickets are usually loaded onto the device and can also be shown offline.
When checking in at the airport, the email with the booking code cannot be opened. Does the passenger have to stay on the ground?
Anyone who can show an identity card or passport at the counter will usually still be allowed to fly: the booking is stored in the airline’s system. Nevertheless, Karolina Wojtal advises to always pack a printout of the booking confirmation or the e-ticket – and to have the phone number of the airline at hand in case further questions are necessary or the airline counter at the airport is closed. Problems also loom if a traveler’s name is misspelled when booking – this can easily happen on a smartphone’s mini-keyboard. Many airlines charge a fee for the correction. If the error is not noticed until check-in, the ticket may not be valid.
Can travelers cancel the online hotel booking?
The 14-day right of withdrawal that is granted for online purchases – such as clothing – does not apply to hotel bookings. It is not a purchase contract, but an accommodation contract. It makes no difference whether the room was booked online, in a travel agency or on site. In the event of a cancellation, cancellation fees will apply. “They are usually staggered and are based on the time at which you cancel,” says the consumer advocate. Some booking portals now also allow cancellations at very short notice. “But that doesn’t have to mean that a hotel offers the same conditions for direct bookings,” says Karolina Wojtal. Travelers can protect themselves with travel cancellation insurance. She steps in when a trip cannot be started due to an acute illness or a death in the family – but not if you suddenly no longer feel like going to the travel destination. An empty mobile phone battery shouldn’t be a problem when you check in at the hotel: your ID card is enough.
You were in a hurry to book your summer vacation online – and got the date wrong. Can I cancel the purchase of the trip?
Booked is booked: This gives the traveler the security that the seat on the plane and the room in the hotel are actually reserved for him, but also obliges him to be careful when filling out the booking forms. “There is no right of withdrawal for travel and transport contracts,” emphasizes Wojtal. Similar to a hotel booking, part of the travel price must also be paid in the event of a cancellation.
If the trip was booked online, all further steps are usually paperless: the booking confirmation comes by e-mail, as well as information about changed flight times or a payment reminder – overlooked information can not only be annoying, but also expensive. “Sometimes the booking confirmation ends up in the spam folder, the customer can’t find it and books a second time,” reports the consumer protection lawyer. “That’s very bitter for the customers, because the companies can prove to us that there were two separate bookings that also have to be paid for.”
The pre-booked visit to the museum doesn’t fit into the schedule. Can you get the money refunded?
There is no right of cancellation for scheduled events such as a visit to a museum or concert. If the ticket is not used, it expires. Consumer advocate Wojtal advises finding out exactly where and when you book a tour beforehand: “If you miss the group, the ticket can often no longer be used as a normal admission ticket.”
A reservation in the restaurant, on the other hand, is usually non-binding. If the table is not used, it only annoys the landlord. However, if personal data and a credit card number are requested when making a reservation, it is advisable to take a closer look at the terms and conditions – for some restaurant owners that is enough: they charge cancellation fees for reserved tables that remain empty.