Nightjet Launches New Insanely Expensive Ticket Prices
Nightjet launched insanely expensive new ticket prices, with a single sleeper on the Vienna-Amsterdam night train now costing up to €1030.
New trains, new prices
The debut of the sleek new Nightjet sleeper trains on European tracks coincided with an update in ticket prices by the Austrian railway company for these overnight journeys.
In the new pricing structure, ticket prices for Nightjet sleeper trains are yield-managed in order to maximise revenue, which leads to extremely high tickets for passengers.
The international press and social media are directing most of their attention to the launch of the innovative new generation Nightjet trainsets, which boast comfortable sleeping cabins and mini pods reminiscent of those found in capsule hotels.
Although the new Nightjet product admittedly looks great, the updated ticket prices are so expensive that they are unaffordable for the majority of ordinary travellers.
So, before I totally miss the boat, it’s #NewNightJet #NightJet time. I’ve got settled in and most of the YouTubers are done capturing footage now, so let’s talk about the new trains and what they mean for night journeys in Europe. Also: photos! pic.twitter.com/60TEtqONW4
— Jeremy Harris (@jeremyjh) December 10, 2023
Example
The new generation Nightjet train made its debut on the Vienna-Hamburg route, so let’s take a look at this overnight rail journey to see the effect of the updated ticket prices.
On a random date (Wednesday 21st) in the off-peak month of February, the prices for the Vienna-Hamburg night train are as follows:
– Mini cabin (capsule hotel-like sleeping pod): €114.90
– Berth in a 4-passenger couchette compartment: €129.90
– Single (private) compartment with en-suite toilet: €599.90
Note that the single compartment isn’t even the most expensive accommodation offer on these new Nightjet trains, as there is also a ‘single plus’ compartment with en-suite toilet and shower, although this was already sold out on the date I searched for.
To provide some context to this massive price increase, my previous Nightjet journey in a single sleeper did only cost €149.90.
There’s no denying that these new prices represent a massive increase!
And it’s certainly not the case that I picked the most expensive travel date – the same prices can be found for pretty much all the weeks before and after.
Comparison
The new Nightjet prices bring into question who would be willing to pay them, as it appears that only a small segment of affluent leisure travellers, as well as business travellers and government officials on expense accounts can afford such fares.
For the Average Joe, such prices are completely out of bounds.
It means that they will simply never see the Nightjet as a viable option for their regular trips or annual summer holiday, but only as something for a one-time splurge, if they can already afford it.
Indeed, if you have even one brain cell you would spend your money on some flights or on daytime trains, which is a bit painful for me to say as I do love to travel by night train.
For the cost of a €600 private sleeper compartment on a Nightjet train, you could opt for an Austrian Airlines flight from Vienna to Hamburg in business class and stay a night at the luxurious 5-star Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in the heart of the city.
For just a little more money, you could bring a friend and fly together from Germany to the sunny shores of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean – and turn back as well!
A savvy rail traveller will opt for daytime trains from Vienna to Hamburg, readily available for €120 return in second class or €200 in first class.
That leaves you with a surplus of at least €400 to splurge on a comfortable hotel stay in Hamburg for a few days, in contrast to the cost of a single Nightjet trip at €600.
Fare table
The revised prices apply not just to the new generation Nightjet trains on the Vienna-Hamburg route but to all sleeper trains across the entire Nightjet network.
Let’s take a look at the Vienna-Amsterdam Nightjet route, which is operated using the older generation sleeper trains.
Below, you can see the updated fare table for Nightjet journeys between Austria and the Netherlands in all categories, starting with seats (‘zitplaats’), couchettes (‘ligplaats’), standard sleepers (‘bedplaats’) and finally the en-suite sleepers (‘bedplaats plus’).
As you can see, yield management means that ticket prices can differ greatly according to demand.
If you’re fortunate, you might secure a standard sleeper for €99.90 when sharing with someone else (or €199.90 for sole occupancy), but these prices can quickly rise, all the way up to a maximum of €399.90 and €799.90 respectively.
The highest ticket price on the Nightjet is now €1,029.90 for a single sleeper with en-suite bathroom!
Interrail
Not only are travellers paying full-fare prices affected by the new Nightjet pricing structure, but also those using an Interrail or Eurail pass will feel its impact as supplements are now also yield-managed.
In the above table, you can see the Interrail supplement for the Nightjet train under “pass”.
That means that even with an Interrail pass that is good for unlimited travel across Europe, you might still have to pay a supplement of up to €694.90 for a sleeper compartment.
It’s like the word “supplement” has lost all its meaning as there are first class Interrail passes that are cheaper than the sleeper supplement!
Worst of both worlds
While ÖBB (the Austrian Federal Railways, which owns the Nightjet brand) may face the majority of anger over the price hikes, the actual responsibility lies with certain national governments, other state railways, and particularly the EU.
Let’s not overlook the fact that ÖBB was the driving force behind reviving night trains in Central and Western Europe after the German Railways ended their sleeper train network.
Particularly during that period, it was a risky business venture that eventually proved successful.
Of course, ÖBB has every right to ask whatever price they want for tickets on their Nightjet trains, as it’s a railway company after all, not a charity shop.
I’m quite convinced they’ve done their research, revealing a substantial demand for overnight rail travel, with affluent leisure travellers and corporate/governmental business travellers readily willing to pay these higher prices.
Indeed, the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Scotland proves that there are many people willing to pay high fares for such journeys.
Sustainable travel
If national governments and the EU are genuinely committed to promoting sustainable travel, it’s crucial that it remains affordable for everyone, and not just the elite.
As transport policy expert Jon Worth explains on his blog, Nightjet passengers are now “stuck between an undeveloped market and the hangovers of state monopolies” and “face the worst of both worlds”.
His analysis is well-worth reading as it delves into the reasons why we suddenly see such crazily expensive Nightjet tickets and explores potential solutions for establishing a well-developed, affordable night train network across Europe.
If we really want people to take the train, this situation really must be addressed soon.
Otherwise, the recent Nightjet price hikes might deter an entire generation from choosing night trains, as they could automatically perceive sleeper trains as excessively expensive and not worth taking compared to the cheaper prices of car or plane travel.
Conclusion
Nightjet has restructured its fares, resulting in significantly more expensive ticket prices and Interrail supplements.
Due to the introduction of yield management, a private sleeper compartment on the Nightjet can now reach exorbitant prices of up to €1,029.90, while even an Interrail sleeper supplement potentially costs €694.90.
Needless to say, this is an extremely bad development as these high prices will push away a significant portion of travellers from night trains as they will no longer be able to afford these crazy fares.
Eram gata să atac articolul tau înainte să-l fi citit. Dar you make a good point. Eram gata gata să spun că economia de piață reglează preturile și dacă este cerere, de ce nu ar cere OBB mai mult?
Însă îți dau dreptate. Ideea de tren de noapte nu trebuie sa devină exclusivistă.
Țin minte că am întrebat la vagonul restaurant MAV de pe Dacia, Transilvania și Corona de ce sunt preturile atât de mici, iar ospătarul mi-a răspuns că interesul lor e ca pasagerii să consume la restaurant în primul rând, să fie plin, nu vor ca cineva să nu folosească serviciul doar că e prea scump pentru buzunarul lor. El nu vrea sa se întoarcă la Budapesta cu keg-ul de bere plin, ci gol.
La vagonul “restaurant” al CFR (ce a mai rămas din el) au mărit recent prețurile și stau doi angajați acolo cu covrigei, bere și suc rece toată distanța între Budapest/Viena – București cu nici un client. E un sweet spot în pricing pe care se pare că nici CFR și nici OBB nu l-au înțeles. PKP și MAV reușesc.
We sat down today 1st Jan 2024 to book our nightjet to Vienna from Amsterdam. Our holiday in June travelling round Europe was delayed from 2020. We were shocked to see how expensive it now is (wanting a cabin for 2) and we will now rethink our trip.
So thank you for your article explaining what is going on.
Very disappointed, but it’s not worth it for us.
Cheers.
Jane
It’s a disappointment to many, Jane.
Unfortunately OeBB knows that many people want to book their summer holidays well ahead of time. This is why you see such high prices with the new yield management system. They got it from airlines, as most of them won’t file any cheap deals for the summer holidays in advance, knowing that there are always plenty of people who book regardless as they want the assurance of having all their tickets booked as early as possible.
Now the good thing is that June isn’t exactly peak high season – so you may see some lower prices if you are willing to wait for a few months with booking. If there are many people like you who aren’t willing to book for these incredibly high prices, OeBB has no other choice than to lower their fares for the Nightjet on the dates where bookings are lagging behind.
However, this is not without risks, as there still is a high demand for travel. The peak summer travel season is slowly extended well into June and September at many destinations across Europe, with few differences in tourist numbers and prices compared to July and August…
Good luck with your travel planning!
I used to take the single sleeping cabin from Vienna to Rome or Venezia for around 200E and now it costs 450E, this is totally insane! I am an Italian immigrant in central Europe and because I own a medium dog now I don’t have any acceptable mean to travel back home. I refuse to sit for almost 23 hours on day trains, I am too old to travel so long uncomfortable! and I cannot afford the new fares…how will I go back home? I warmly hope Nightjet bankrupts, how can they be so greedy! There is really nothing that justfies these new fares, especially because they still use the old trains and the journey takes too much, anyway.
It is quite sad that this is the case for nightjet. I absolutely love travelling by train as I’m quite tall so airplanes just suck most of the time, but taking a train for hundreds of euro’s instead of flying for 20 bucks just isn’t worth it.
I tried to normal cabins for nightjets, and those are just plain horrible. Six people crammed into a cabin with foldable seats which barely fit a person who’s 160 cm. And then a journey of 14 hours. Love the idea, but untill it gets affordable I am not doing it any longer