Bad news for SNCF users who have subscribed to the Avantage card. According to the newspaper Libération, new price caps have been applied since July on the Paris-Angers lines; Paris-Mâcon; Paris-Aix-les-Bains; Paris-Morlaix and Marne-la-Vallée-Chambéry, going from 49 euros to 69 euros. “SNCF Voyageurs has had to adjust the capped prices on ten journeys since the start of the year,” a company spokesperson also confirmed to BFM Business. An increase justified by the calculation of the average journey time, but which would not have been reported to customers.
For a price of 49 euros per year, the Avantage card allows SNCF users to obtain train tickets at capped prices. The railway company previously guaranteed a maximum price of 49 euros for a journey lasting less than 1h30, 69 euros for a journey between 1h30 and 3 hours and 89 euros for a journey lasting more than 3 hours.
Change of calculation mode
Since February, on certain lines, the calculation is based on the average travel time observed on a journey without connections, taking into account any stops. Thus, a ceiling change was made in February for the Paris-Rennes lines; Paris-Lorient; Paris-Poitiers; Lille-Lyon and Lille-Starbourg.
This same method of calculation has been applied since July for the Paris-Angers lines; Paris-Mâcon; Paris-Aix-les-Bains; Paris-Morlaix and Marne-la-Vallée-Chambéry.
These increases “only concern the highest 2nd class price levels. The majority of travelers with the Avantage Card travel at a price lower than the capped price,” further specifies SNCF at the microphone of BFM Business. Furthermore, the company assures that no other price increase is planned for the time being.