Thalys Non-Flex issue

[Goatboy]

Hi all,

I am looking to book some Thalys Non-Flex tickets from Brussels to Amsterdam and return. You can't book Thalys more than 3 months in advance, so my plan is to book the day they become available for the lowest possible fare.

Trouble is looking 3 months in advance now - ie the first half of February - there appear to be only Semi-Flex tickets available at rather more than the Non-Flex price which was showing up as available 3 months after I checked prices last month.

They can't possibly have sold out - even if I check the trains that have become available to book only from today, 11th February, they are not available on the afternoon services. All I am offered is Semi-Flex with free Wifi.

Its the same story with Comfort 1/First Class - zero non-flex, all available prices even months in advance are Semi-Flex.

A month ago I did a price check and there were numerous Non-Flex tickets even on services departing in a few weeks let alone months in advance. It was this I based my total journey cost on and thus elected to go Eurostar/Thalys rather than via British Airways.

What gives? The price of the semi-flex ticket takes my total journey price - including the Eurostar tickets I've already purchased - to significantly above the price of flying which is a massive nuisance

 

[1E05]

The tickets may not be on sale within the normal time frame so I would suggest to keep checking back, possibly daily if time permits.

 

[Goatboy]

Thats what I thought so I picked 2 months in advance, same story

Every so often you get a Non-Flex for a departure at 10pm or 6am but otherwise it's Semi-Flex only. It seems bizarre, I've tried all sorts of dates in 2014 each time the same result.

When I checked prices for 3 months in advance a month ago (Which is when I booked the Eurostar component) there was widespread availability of Non-Flex at all times of the day.

The price offered for 3 months time is pretty much the same as the price offered if I pick to travel next week.

 

[blackfive460]

If time isn't critical why not give Thalys a miss and use ordinary services?
It'll take about an hour longer and cost 36€ each way.

 

[Goatboy]

It's already taking pretty much all day to get there so I'd rather at least have the evening to enjoy, Thalys gets us there at 18:44 after setting off at 10am.

It was already a tough sell to her versus the plane when it was the same price :eek:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Today they have just opened bookings for 12th February.

Despite this almost no trains have non-flex available They can't have sold out, have they just pretty much stopped offering them on most trains?

 

[30907]

Curiously, fares from Paris appear to be available at EUR25. The T&C do not forbid starting short.

Or book through from London on the Thalys site at EUR79 if you avoid the 10:58 - almost as cheap as splitting)

I wonder if they are taking advantage of the lack of competition and heavy loadings on B-A? Brussels to Rotterdam is available mid-morning for EUR29

 

[Goatboy]

Interesting - do the T&C's definately not prohibit starting short? What about if my Eurostar is late and I pitch up at Brussels with a Paris to Amsterdam ticket..

It seems very odd that they are suddenly not available from Brussels but remain available from everywhere else.

Annoyingly I've already booked Eurostar, i did that at 4 months out to get the £34.50 each way lowest tier tickets. When I did my test dates a month back every daytime train had £23.60ish (Presumably 25 euro) tickets from Brussels to Amsterdam.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Just been checking the Thalys website - there is LOADS of Non-Flex availability on the SAME TRAINS if you travel from Paris, but no Non-Flex from Brussels.

Really weird - the booking page for Paris looks like it did for Brussels when I checked the prices a month ago.

 

[dutchflyer]

Thalys is really cashing in now on the lack of Hispeed trains BRU-AMS. In fact often the 35 eur ''normal'' cheap Ams-Paris fare is lower as AMS-BRU on same train.
Since a few monthes Thls. now offers 30 or 25 eur very cheap very much advance (only from 90 days before for 1 week) singles Par-Ams, only on low-use days and during low-use hours. You might justy have hit such a thing.
It is often cheaper to book the normal trains in 2 parts-as Roosendaal is now also a BE-tariffpoint (with surcharge). Both legs BE-Rsdl and from Rsdl into NL can easily be bought from b-rail.be with self print-read seat61.com. However, Megabus (not very comfy!) is quicker and runs nonstop BRU (beside Central) to Ams (a P+R lot in suburbia beside a tram).

 

[30907]

Interesting - do the T&C's definately not prohibit starting short? What about if my Eurostar is late and I pitch up at Brussels with a Paris to Amsterdam ticket.

Annoyingly I've already booked Eurostar, i did that at 4 months out to get the £34.50 each way lowest tier tickets.

You have a point about the late Eurostar, sorry I hadn't thought of that, and the same might apply on the return if your Thalys was late. Railteam might not be totally chuffed in those circumstances.

It's no help to you, but for other readers, IME the £69 returns to Brussels are still available at 3 months notice except on the busiest trains/days.

There do seem to be some Economy (non-flex) fares on the return leg, but EUR45 out seems as good as it gets (and you might have to cost in a coffee break in Brussels!). It's a bit more than the through fare I mentioned but not too bad.

Or you could decide on Cologne instead '

 

[Goatboy]

The accomodation is already booked sadly!

Looks like I'm going to have to pay the 100 EUR each for the return trip, it's not exactly life changing but given the entire thing was costed and justified to her against 'just flying' based on the readily available 50 EUR return tickets it's a bit of a shock.

It's now taking all day *and* costing more than flying British Airways, which is really regrettable and probably going to get me into trouble

It's so annoying - I can book EXACTLY the train I want from PARIS to Amsterdam for 25 euro. But from Brussels it's 45?!

So they are going to make me pay 20 euro more for travelling less distance and occupying the same seat.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The more I think about this, the more I am tempted to purchase the ticket from Paris and simply alight/disembark in Brussels.

I have scoured the T&C's and can find nothing prohibiting this. Presumably getting funny about using less of a service than you have paid for is a typically British railways thing and is not an issue on the continent?

Are tickets on Thalys inspected pre-boarding or on-train?

Can't find any wording which would remove my right to catch a later Thalys or Eurostar service if my outbound/inbound train is delayed either, it seems that I am purchasing the right to travel on that service between Paris and Amsterdam and it's up to me where I chose to join or depart?

I really wish I could just pay them the same for a ticket from Brussels, grr.

Also, how annoying is the double post prevention system? It's obviously not a double post as I'm posting a DAY after my previous post!

 

[30907]

The more I think about this, the more I am tempted to purchase the ticket from Paris and simply alight/disembark in Brussels.

1. I have scoured the T&C's and can find nothing prohibiting this.

2. Presumably getting funny about using less of a service than you have paid for is a typically British railways thing and is not an issue on the continent?

3. Are tickets on Thalys inspected pre-boarding or on-train?

4. Can't find any wording which would remove my right to catch a later Thalys or Eurostar service if my outbound/inbound train is delayed either, it seems that I am purchasing the right to travel on that service between Paris and Amsterdam and it's up to me where I chose to join or depart?

1. I agree

2. Certainly DB has no problems, but I am not sure about countries/services where compulsory "free" reservations apply and bookings are point-to-point (Thalys being an example).

3. On-train only - I hasten to say that I'm no expert on Thalys, but you might find you have problems occupying a seat ex Brussels, if they adopt the TGV practice of "surreservation" (issuing last minute tickets without a guaranteed seat) - will this cause domestic trouble and/or trouble with the on-board staff? Obviously no probs coming back!

4. Technically yes, but the Railteam guarantee applies to through journeys, and I could imagine Thalys counter staff at Brussels being unwilling to rebook you with a ticket from Paris. Anecdotally, they are less co-operative than Eurostar.

All in all I think I'd be more confident with the Economy fare option on the return journey (especially if there was more than a minimum connection) than on the outward.