Starting next year, NS is going to cut its subscription range in half to make their offering less complex and more flexible. The decision to do so was made after advice from passengers and consumer groups.
NS is going to cut its 22 subscriptions down to just 11 and make NS Flex, which allows you to travel without having put money on your OV-chipkaart, standard for the majority of subscriptions. NS Flex users instead receive an invoice for their travels at the end of the month. Additionally, instead of having a subscription period of a year, all options will become terminable monthly. You'll get an email from NS explaining the changes to your subscription.
Discount during peak times is going to be scrapped in the hopes that those still travelling during these hours will be able to find a seat. From 2021, the 40 percent discount subscription holders with the Voordeelurenabonnement receive during the afternoon rush hour period will expire. This subscription hasn’t been sold since 2011 and once the discount is removed from rush hour, it will become seven euros cheaper, making it five euros per month, like the Dal Voordeel subscription.
With the changes NS is implementing, they hope that passengers will be better distributed across the rush hour period and will have a better chance of finding a place to sit. “It is getting increasingly busier during the rush hour period, we are doing everything we can to offer a seat to as many passengers as possible,” said Tjalling Smit, director of business and commerce at NS.
Passengers’ organisation Rover is pleased with the plans, especially when it comes to having NS Flex as standard, as this means that passengers no longer have to load their OV-chipkaart with large amounts of money or have the required 10 euros on the card to be able to check in. They are, however, not happy with NS’ decision to get rid of the 40 percent afternoon rush hour discount from the Voordeelurenabonnement.