Buying a 1st class upgrade for a specific trip
A traveler from Montreal, LeVoyageur, is preparing for a trip to Switzerland with their wife and has booked 1st class seats on the Gotthard Panorama Express using the Swiss Travel Pass Flex. They have questions about upgrading their tickets and want advice on discounts, purchasing options, and whether first class is applicable on both train and boat portions of the journey.
- You get a 50% discount on the upgrade with your Swiss Travel Pass Flex by presenting it at the ticket window or using the SBB App.
- You can buy the upgrade online, but ensure you set the fare status to half fare in the app.
- It's sufficient to buy the upgrade just before departure, but purchasing in advance is recommended if you know your train time.
- The boat does have a 1st class section; you can buy an upgrade on the boat before entering the first-class area.
- If you don't want to deal with upgrades for the boat, you can stick to 2nd class on that portion and upgrade if necessary.
AI-generated summary-
Bonjour from Montréal,
I have read about this matter on your forum but I can’t find it anymore…
My wife and I have Swiss Travel Pass Flex for our trip. I have already booked and reserved 1st class seats on the Gotthard Panorama Express and I know I need to buy an upgrade for this specific trip. My questions are:
- Is there a discount on the upgrade with my pass? If so, I’m not quite sure on how to link it to our passes.
- Can I buy it online? Is it better to buy it at any station in Switzerland?
- Is it better to buy it ahead of time?
- Is First Class applicable only on the train portion (I remember reading that the boat portion doesn’t have First Class anymore)? If it’s the case, as we will be leaving from Bellinzona, I will only need an upgrade from there to Flüelen, is this accurate?
Many thanks!
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Bonjour, LeVoyageur!
>> My wife and I have Swiss Travel Pass Flex for our trip. I have already booked and reserved 1st class seats on the Gotthard Panorama Express and I know I need to buy an upgrade for this specific trip. My questions are: Is there a discount on the upgrade with my pass? If so, I’m not quite sure on how to link it to our passes.
Yes, you get the upgrade at 50% of the difference in cost between the 1st and 2nd class fares. If buying at a ticket window, just present your Swiss Travel Pass Flex.
>> Can I buy it online? Is it better to buy it at any station in Switzerland?
Yes, you can also buy online or in the SBB App. Buying online, you will need to print it out. Buying in the App, you will need to show it on screen to the conductor when asked.
If using the app, to pay the right price, you need to set the status of the travellers to 1/2 (half fare) instead of 1/1 (full fare) before buying the upgrade. Remember to reset it to 1/1 if you later buy any point-to-point tickets for travel not covered by your Swiss Travel Pass Flex!
I assume you can do something similar online (i.e. use the half-fare option), but I have not done that myself.
Buying at a staffed station is always an option.
>> Is it better to buy it ahead of time?
As long as you buy it before the train departs, that is sufficient, but you can buy it earlier if you like, as you already know the exact train you will be taking.
>> Is First Class applicable only on the train portion (I remember reading that the boat portion doesn’t have First Class anymore)?
No, the boat will have a 1st class section as well, usually upstairs. You can buy an upgrade on the boat, but you must buy your upgrade before entering the first class section. You can’t buy a reservation for the boat though.
>> If it’s the case, as we will be leaving from Bellinzona, I will only need an upgrade from there to Flüelen, is this accurate?
This is certainly an option – just get an upgrade for the train, for which you have booked a first class reservation. There’s no need to get an upgrade for the boat as well, if you are happy to travel on the lower deck. Views are just as good on the lower deck in my opinion.
However, I believe you are travelling in June/July, which will probably be pretty busy. If the boat is crowded, you might find first class more congenial. However, as you can buy your upgrade on the boat, you can wait and see how busy it is, and just buy the upgrade if you find 2nd class too crowded.
Alpenrose
Hi LeVoyageur,
The GPE was the only trip I had trouble working out how to upgrade on. See my post at 11:30 26.05.2017 on this thread http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/around-switzerland-via-stp-flex-and-sbb-mobile-app
On the boat I would say the 1st Class was just as full as 2nd class. We never saw a conductor and I spent a good deal of time wandering about the boat to get better perspectives of the views.
Thanks for your answers!
I am investigating the upgrade with the App and came up with more questions:
- If you ask for an upgrade for the complete journey between Bellinzona and Luzern via Flüelenn (See), you get an upgrade discounted with at CHF 16.50 via Gotthard-Flüelen-Bus-Pagstens or CHF 20.00 via Gotthard
- if you ask for an upgrade between Bellizona and Flüelen (See), you get an upgrade discounted at CH 14,50 (this would be the train portion)
- if you ask for an upgrade from Flüelen (See) to Luzern, you get an upgrade Discounted at CHF 11.50 (this is the boat portion)
The first option option doesn’t seem to be what I want (both train and boat in first class). In fact, I do not quite understand what this is!
My understanding is that I need to buy options 2 and 3 separately if I want the entire journey in 1st class.. Is this accurate?
For sake of clarity, my GPE ticket is for the train portion with reserved seats in 1st class. I also have another document that describe the entire journey including the boat schedule. These reservation were bought through HappyRail.
Thanks!
>> I am investigating the upgrade with the App and came up with more questions:
If you ask for an upgrade for the complete journey between Bellinzona and Luzern via Flüelenn (See), you get an upgrade discounted with at CHF 16.50 via Gotthard-Flüelen-Bus-Pagstens or CHF 20.00 via Gotthard
CHF 16.50 via Gotthard-Flüelen-Bus-Pagstens
This is actually “Gotthard-Flüelen-Bus PAG-Stans“, and refers to a route from Flüelen to Luzern utilising the PostBus between Flüelen and Stans railway station. PAG stands for PostAuto Schweiz AG, the legal name for the PostBus company. You probably got this option because you asked for a route via Flüelen (See).
CHF 20.00 via Gotthard
Cost is actually CHF 20.50. This is the standard route, and fares cost the same whether you travel via the Gotthard-Basistunnel, on the Gotthard Panorama Express, or along the Gotthard Panorama Express route on normal trains: so the class upgrade will cost the same regardless of which of the trains/train routes are utilised.
The Gotthard Panorama Express of course requires an additional reservation fee/supplement, which is the same regardless of class of travel, so is not factored in to a class upgrade.
>> if you ask for an upgrade between Bellizona and Flüelen (See), you get an upgrade discounted at CH 14,50 (this would be the train portion)
Yes.
>> if you ask for an upgrade from Flüelen (See) to Luzern, you get an upgrade Discounted at CHF 11.50 (this is the boat portion)
Yes.
>> The first option option doesn’t seem to be what I want (both train and boat in first class). In fact, I do not quite understand what this is!
The option via PostBus from Flüelen to Stans is not what you want. Hopefully I have explained what this is above.
>> My understanding is that I need to buy options 2 and 3 separately if I want the entire journey in 1st class.. Is this accurate?
No: The option Bellinzona to Luzern via Gotthard, costing CHF 20.50 ,will provide you with a first-class upgrade for the whole trip from Bellinzona to Luzern with a 2nd class Swiss Travel Pass, including the boat.
Alpenrose
Thanks Alpenrose666, this upgrade was perchased ans is now ready to be real!
we will be in Wengen very soon!
so excited!
Have a wonderful trip!
Alpenrose
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