Fee for change of advance ticket - guidance

[joke2711]

I was at Euston on Tuesday with a work colleague who was scheduled to travel back on the 1730 service to Preston. The ticket which had been ordered the previous day cost £117.50.

Our appointment finished earlier than expected and we arrived back at Euston at 16:20. We both went down to the platform for the 16:30 service to seek the train manager. He was undertaking the ticket checks and she politely asked if she would be allowed to travel on that service. He refused which is acceptable and then stated that he could allow her to travel on the train for an additional fee of £58. She politely declined but thanked him and started to walk back up the ramp. After a few seconds he called out and caught up with her on the ramp and said the he could change the ticket for a charge of £10, which she gladly accepted.

This has got me thinking as to whether there is a clear policy on this or is it left up to the train manager. I personally often travel to London on advanced tickets so would be extremely interested!

Thanks in advance for any guidance offered.

 

[bb21]

Advance tickets can be amended before departure on the day of travel for a £10 fee plus the difference between the fare paid and the cheapest walk-on fare which would be valid on the service used. In this case the difference is £48.50 (£166 being the Anytime Single London Terminals - Preston), so the £58 quoted initially was correct.

Of course guards have discretion in these circumstances.

 

[LexyBoy]

The policy is that Advance tickets can be amended at any point prior to the booked departure for £10 plus the difference in fare. That would be £58.50 in this case (to the Anytime Single).

I've not heard anything about Virgin having "special" rules for this. I'm not sure what change the guard could have made officially to the ticket which would cost £10. Do you know if she was issued a new ticket or let on with her existing one?

 

[joke2711]

The policy is that Advance tickets can be amended at any point prior to the booked departure for £10 plus the difference in fare. That would be £58.50 in this case (to the Anytime Single).

I've not heard anything about Virgin having "special" rules for this. I'm not sure what change the guard could have made officially to the ticket which would cost £10. Do you know if she was issued a new ticket or let on with her existing one?

I don't but will ask the question and get back to you!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I have had confirmation that he issued an new ticket to the value of £10 which stated change of journey London Euston to Preston.

Hope this helps?

Thanks

 

[gazthomas]

I've noticed Virgin Trains staff being quite entrepreneurial of late 2 for 1 on Weekend First as an example

 

[hairyhandedfool]

....
I have had confirmation that he issued an new ticket to the value of £10 which stated change of journey London Euston to Preston.

Hope this helps?

Thanks

Sounds like they just issued the change of travel plan supplement.

 

[island]

Sounds like the guard applied discretion, something which members of this forum seem to regularly demand

 

[furlong]

Enterprising customer service win/win: once it's clear £58 isn't acceptable to the passenger, the company still gets an extra £10 instead of nothing, and the passenger gets home earlier too.

 

[Lucky63]

I don't but will ask the question and get back to you!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I have had confirmation that he issued an new ticket to the value of £10 which stated change of journey London Euston to Preston.

Hope this helps?

Thanks

The guard definitely issued a Manual Supplement or APS (Advance Purchase Supplement) - both equally the same thing.
The guard has taken the rules in to his own hands there to be honest and been very lenient to your work colleague, saving him £48.50.

 

[IanD]

The guard definitely issued a Manual Supplement or APS (Advance Purchase Supplement) - both equally the same thing.
The guard has taken the rules in to his own hands there to be honest and been very lenient to your work colleague, saving him £48.50.

He could have let them on for nothing, that would have been "very lenient".

 

[bb21]

He could have let them on for nothing, that would have been "very lenient".

I have witnessed a number of cases where the guard took pity on a passenger who missed his/her booked service and allowed travel without any additional charge (when the passenger was at fault). I have never witnessed any guard doing so when the passenger wished to travel earlier than the booked train, in the small number of cases I saw. The only case I can recall where the passenger was not charged for travelling earlier is one where the pax obtained endorsement from the help desk prior to departure and it was partly due to adverse weather conditions.

Of course not entirely representative, but imo the Virgin guard was being very lenient.