The PKP Intercity upcoming Christmas 2025 decided to celebrate with a peculiar promotion, offering a number of discounts for rail crossings. Although the offer is aimed at a wide scope of passengers, we should ask ourselves whether everyone truly will take advantage of this opportunity. The introduction of discounts is an excellent marketing movement that aims to attract customers to the railway, but the details of the promotion may origin any disappointment. Are discounts truly as beneficial as it seems? Or is it just another marketing trap that offers minimal savings, but subject to strict requirements? It is worth taking a closer look at the details of these promotions and considering who will truly benefit from them.
Discounts that may be a trap
As part of this year's promotion, PKP Intercity prepared a number of offers to attract passengers during the vacation period. 1 of the loudest introductions is the promotion of "Tear with the Near", which offers a 30% discount from the basic home ticket prices on TLK and IC trains. The offer concerns groups of 2 to 6 people travelling together. Although this seems to be a very attractive offer, there is simply a certain regulation that may surprise passengers. Tickets for travel under this promotion must be purchased at the latest the day before departure. For those who like spontaneous travel, the request to buy tickets earlier may prove to be an insurmountable barrier.
The discount is intended for people travelling in groups, but what about those who plan to travel alone or with 1 companion? specified passengers will not be able to benefit from this promotion, which may be a large disappointment. It is besides worth noting that although the discount itself is 30%, not all passenger will benefit from it, especially if the ticket is already comparatively cheap. In practice, these discounts can mean savings of respective zlotys, which on any routes may be a tiny difference compared to the price of the standard ticket.
The second promotion, which is controversial, is called weekend tickets. They shall let multiple journeys within 1 ticket, which shall be valid from 19:00 on the working day preceding the day off from work to 6:00 on the first working day after the day off. Although it seems to be a favorable offer, it should be noted that its availability is limited to certain days. This means that passengers who plan to travel on another dates will not be able to benefit from this promotion. In fact, this means that only any passengers will benefit from this offer, and the remainder will not be able to full exploit the possible of discounts.
Big household Card – is the discount truly worth it?
The large household card is another discount offered by PKP Intercity, which is intended to encourage travel by families. The card entitles to 30% discount on tickets, provided that at least 2 people who hold this card travel. Although this discount is available, it is worth considering whether it will actually be profitable. As it turns out, the value of the discount depends mostly on the price of the underlying ticket. In the case of short routes where ticket prices are already comparatively low, savings due to the large card Families can be minimal.
Moreover, this offer is only available on circumstantial routes, which means that passengers wishing to benefit from this promotion must adapt to the courses available. In practice, this may mean choosing little convenient travel hours, which may be a major obstacle for any passengers. It is besides worth noting that not all household will be able to benefit full from this discount, especially if household members do not meet age requirements, which may be uncomfortable for people who usage another loyalty programs or have another travel needs.
When is the discount not profitable?
Although PKP Intercity offers a number of discounts on rail crossings, in fact not all of them will be cost-effective for passengers. For example, discounts available as part of the early-Tear promotion can only benefit those who plan to travel well in advance. This promotion offers 30% discount on tickets purchased from 30 to 21 days before the scheduled trip. This discount can be perfect for those who carefully planned their holidays in advance. However, for those who decide to travel at the last minute, this promotion is completely unavailable.
In fact, these discounts can be beneficial mainly for people who travel regularly, planning their trips in advance. For those who like flexibility or decide to travel spontaneously, these discounts may not be attractive. In addition, even if the price of the ticket is reduced by 30%, there are inactive many another costs that should be included in the travel plan, specified as parking fees, food on the train or transportation at the train station.
Although PKP Intercity offers a number of discounts on rail crossings during the vacation period, not all of them are available for each passenger. Many offers require certain conditions, specified as early acquisition of tickets or group travel, which may limit their availability. Discounts specified as "Tear with the Near" can only be beneficial if passengers meet certain conditions, which in practice may exclude a large proportion of possible travellers.
In addition, discounts specified as Early-Tear and Weekend Tickets require prior travel planning, which is not always possible for people who do not have the flexibility to set a departure date. Therefore, before planning a trip, you should carefully read the terms of the promotion to avoid disappointments. PKP Intercity discounts can prove beneficial, but only for those who know how to usage them.
Read more:
PKP Intercity introduces discounts on vacation travel
