Lufthansa- Intercity train travel experience
An experience I remember!
The Lufthansa's combined air-rail tkt:
I experienced it. It is distinctly terrible when you change from air mode to rail mode even in Frankfurt! The life and glitter in air line areas distinctly contrasts with what you see in railway portion- persons slowly dragging their feet, dull lights, bleak surroundings in comparison with what the airport is just 100m across! You can see efforts to be different but lack of budget is visible. Ok then you board the 300 kmph inter-city. Fine train again with visible less than perfect maintenance in toilets as comapred to an aircraft. Even the Lufthansa stewardess specially provided to look after me , as I was I class pasenger- sounds a bit apologectic offering the coffee and limited snacks from the train service.
Between rail and air tremendous attitudinal problems persist. The portion of the I class coach reserved and nominated as such by the railway- they try to create a separate identity but it is not effortless.
The ride is enjoyable of course- truly excllent ride.
Return trip was the bad one. Went to Cologne station to Board the train-flight - and the office of Luftnasa was not open. Waited at the glass doors and the passing railway personnel look sneeringly at us few looking like air passengers and hanging around closed doors. early in the morning. OK they arrive, open doors switch on the computers. They try to draw the Boarding card cum train ticket reservation- nothing happens. Crisis chat starts- it seems the railway changed the train number and introduced a new service not covered in the Lufthansa computers- so nothing happens. Old boarding card stubs, were hand written by the Lufthansa staff and we were advised apologetically to proceed to the platform. The signage too needs improvement, it does challenge a new comer.
Then one wonders whether the hand written stub works- but anyway the coach runs empty so I travel The result is I did not credit for the miles I travelled on the return trip ex Cologne to Frankfurt! All this in Oct-Nov 2007!
There are issues and concerns and somehow the railway guys do not cooperate so easily with other modes!
The Lufthansa's combined air-rail tkt:
I experienced it. It is distinctly terrible when you change from air mode to rail mode even in Frankfurt! The life and glitter in air line areas distinctly contrasts with what you see in railway portion- persons slowly dragging their feet, dull lights, bleak surroundings in comparison with what the airport is just 100m across! You can see efforts to be different but lack of budget is visible. Ok then you board the 300 kmph inter-city. Fine train again with visible less than perfect maintenance in toilets as comapred to an aircraft. Even the Lufthansa stewardess specially provided to look after me , as I was I class pasenger- sounds a bit apologectic offering the coffee and limited snacks from the train service.
Between rail and air tremendous attitudinal problems persist. The portion of the I class coach reserved and nominated as such by the railway- they try to create a separate identity but it is not effortless.
The ride is enjoyable of course- truly excllent ride.
Return trip was the bad one. Went to Cologne station to Board the train-flight - and the office of Luftnasa was not open. Waited at the glass doors and the passing railway personnel look sneeringly at us few looking like air passengers and hanging around closed doors. early in the morning. OK they arrive, open doors switch on the computers. They try to draw the Boarding card cum train ticket reservation- nothing happens. Crisis chat starts- it seems the railway changed the train number and introduced a new service not covered in the Lufthansa computers- so nothing happens. Old boarding card stubs, were hand written by the Lufthansa staff and we were advised apologetically to proceed to the platform. The signage too needs improvement, it does challenge a new comer.
Then one wonders whether the hand written stub works- but anyway the coach runs empty so I travel The result is I did not credit for the miles I travelled on the return trip ex Cologne to Frankfurt! All this in Oct-Nov 2007!
There are issues and concerns and somehow the railway guys do not cooperate so easily with other modes!
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