Ticketing changes to Southern franchise?

[Bletchleyite]

I think it is about time for a proper challenge over using Southern tickets on Gatwick Express.

The only outcome of that within the rules is going to be the Gatwick Express fare on all trains, is it not?

 

[323235]

I was also looking for this ticket today. There's a notice on the website that says DaySave is temporarily unavailable online. I'm hoping therefore to buy one at the ticket office on Monday.

Can anyone confirm if there are plans to withdraw the DaySave?

DaySave was withdrawn by Southern quite some time ago, way before the new franchise started. It looks like the Downlander might also have gone as well now.

Edit: realised after posting it is the Downlander I was thinking of not the Daysave but Alex C beat me to it

 

[Alex C.]

DaySave was withdrawn by Southern quite some time ago, way before the new franchise started. It looks like the Downlander might also have gone as well now.

DaySave is still available - although temporarily unavailable online.

 

[gray1404]

The only outcome of that within the rules is going to be the Gatwick Express fare on all trains, is it not?

I think if they could do tht then they would have on it already

 

[Bishopstone]

I thought the big win in extending GatEx to Brighton was supposed to be better use of line/train capacity, in filling off-peak airport shuttles which ran 75%-90% empty.

Not many leisure or expense account travellers will pay an extra ten quid to arrive in London nine minutes earlier than the next Southern train, I would have thought.

What does that leave? Season ticket holders - but we're talking about off-peak - and those making through journeys beyond London. Some pass/Priv holders; some folk for whom money is no object, and some who are ignorant of the restrictions or willing to take a chance on not getting pulled-up. I'm not convinced the sum total of these categories will amount to very much.

 

[Stats]

I thought the big win in extending GatEx to Brighton was supposed to be better use of line/train capacity, in filling off-peak airport shuttles which ran 75%-90% empty.

Not many leisure or expense account travellers will pay an extra ten quid to arrive in London nine minutes earlier than the next Southern train, I would have thought.

What does that leave? Season ticket holders - but we're talking about off-peak - and those making through journeys beyond London. Some pass/Priv holders; some folk for whom money is no object, and some who are ignorant of the restrictions or willing to take a chance on not getting pulled-up. I'm not convinced the sum total of these categories will amount to very much.

The Super Off-peak travelcard is an any permitted ticket so they'd be foolish to pay an extra £10. Anyway, Southern have said the premium fare does not apply to passengers travelling to/from Brighton on these services.

 

[MikeMundy]

I would like to see one fare for London to Gatwick, Any Permitted, in order to stop air passengers from being encouraged to pointlessly clog up commuter trains with their luggage when there is a perfectly good service there with provision for that intended specifically for their use.

That was the whole purpose of the "Rail-air" services when they were introduced.
It was 100% successful in removing airline passengers from domestic services. Then somebody had the idea of calling them Gatwick Express and charging a premium fare. Result, as you see, air passengers again clogging up domestic services.

 

[Bishopstone]

The Super Off-peak travelcard is an any permitted ticket so they'd be foolish to pay an extra £10. Anyway, Southern have said the premium fare does not apply to passengers travelling to/from Brighton on these services.

So why isn't the Super Off Peak fare being offered for point to point Brighton-Victoria journeys?

IT glitch, policy reversal, or an attempt not to overload GatEx by steering infrequent rail users onto the Southern trains?

 

[LBSCR Times]

This is a screen scrape for Tuesday (15th) morning.

Offering Day Returns on the Southern trains for £17.80, but £27.90 on the GatEx services. Or have I mis-understood something?

View attachment 24816

Strangely enough you chose the same date as me.....
On the NRES App, there is a link which also indicates which services are available / not available, and it clearly indicates that the cheap tickets are NOT available on the Gatwick Express service from Brighton.

 

[Stats]

So why isn't the Super Off Peak fare being offered for point to point Brighton-Victoria journeys?

IT glitch, policy reversal, or an attempt not to overload GatEx by steering infrequent rail users onto the Southern trains?

Because the services are entered into the system as GX and online systems will exclude the not valid on GX/southern only unless an easement has been entered. GTR must not have entered any easements to allow booking sites to recognise it is valid* to/from Brighton on these services.

Even if there was, easements are not publicised anywhere and it is immensely confusing for passengers. I have no problem with a premium airport service or the differential in fares for that service, but when you then, in GTR's words, integrate that into the BML service and extend it to run it in place of an existing service resulting in an increase in fares then I do take issue with that.

*assuming the intention is for it to be valid.

 

[Fortitude]

Currently only available to be purchased from the tourist information centres at Eastbourne, Lewes & Seaford (unless Southern have changed them again since Thursday).

Probably a plot to redraw the ticket citing 'lack of usage'.

You may be right about a plot. It seems strange to me, that they wish to run their business this way.

I wonder whether the tourist information centres, will post the DaySave tickets out through the post?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

DaySave is still available - although temporarily unavailable online.

What I have never understood is why Southern Trains stopped the purchasing of the DaySave tickets through this website;

http://www.southernrailwaytickets.com/index.php

Click on the link for DaySave on the left hand side and it announces;

"DaySave tickets are available to buy from our main website at www.southernrailway.com/DaySave"

Which you now can't do, which IMHO, is a backwards and retrograde step...

 

[talldave]

I notice that in their usual incompetent style they give two differing messages on the same page:

Please accept our apologies that DaySave is temporarily unavailable for purchase on our website. In the meantime you can still buy Off-Peak DaySave tickets in person from the tourist information centres at Eastbourne, Lewes, Seaford and Hastings*.

or

Please accept our apologies that DaySave is temporarily unavailable for purchase on our website. In the meantime you can still buy DaySave tickets from the tourist information at Eastbourne, Lewes and Hastings*.

So is it just Off-Peak or all flavours? Is Seaford included, or not?

Come on Southern, stop being incompetent idiots and get your act together. This is really simple stuff. And if you hadn't decided to slaughter your website for a crap alternative, things could have been left as they were.

 

[JaJaWa]

First Capital Connect changed Thameslink DaySave to only being available at Tourist Information Centres - hopefully GTR won't do the same to the Southern one. It would be nice if GTR could bring the Thameslink one back online actually.

 

[JamesRowden]

So why isn't the Super Off Peak fare being offered for point to point Brighton-Victoria journeys?

IT glitch, policy reversal, or an attempt not to overload GatEx by steering infrequent rail users onto the Southern trains?

The Hastings/Bexhill-London `Via Haywards Heath' Super Off-Peak Day Returns are offered for journeys using Gatwick Express services between Brighton and Victoria, and are the same price as the `Not Gatwick Express' tickets from Brighton

The Hastings/Bexhill-Victoria `Not Gatwick Express' Super Off-Peak Day Returns are offered for journeys via Tunbridge Wells and Bromley South (even though they're cheaper than the tickets offered by Southeastern who operate the trains along that route)

Therefore the GTR ticketing system is clearly in a bit of a mess and needs to be fixed

 

[infobleep]

What about other stations served by Gatwick Express? Do they get a higher fare to Victoria as well?

 

[talldave]

Therefore the GTR ticketing system is clearly in a bit of a mess and needs to be fixed

Dream on! GTR couldn't organise a p155 up in a brewery if their franchise depended on it!

 

[Fortitude]

I notice that in their usual incompetent style they give two differing messages on the same page.

Come on Southern, stop being incompetent idiots and get your act together. This is really simple stuff. And if you hadn't decided to slaughter your website for a crap alternative, things could have been left as they were.

Therefore the GTR ticketing system is clearly in a bit of a mess and needs to be fixed

Dream on! GTR couldn't organise a p155 up in a brewery if their franchise depended on it!

I hereby nominate the Southern Trains new booking website for the Barney Gumble ticketing platform of the year Award, where the winner receives a bottle of Duff Beer, to match the Duff website…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney_Gumble