Over-distance excess, NUN-MAN becoming NUN-LIV?

[MKB]

1) Any reason why I can't get a £0.00 over-distance excess on a NUN-MAN Off-Peak Return (price £32.40 each with Two Together railcard) to convert it to NUN-LIV (same price), in advance of travel? (NUN-LIV via MAN is a valid route).

2) If this is possible, can I then use it to travel directly NUN-LIV without going via MAN?

NUN: Nuneaton
MAN: Manchester Piccadilly
LIV: Liverpool Lime Street

 

[Bletchleyite]

The fact that you will find it very hard to find anyone to issue it, whether it is valid or not?

 

[MKB]

Really? If it's valid, surely any ticket office can do it? What am I missing?

 

[yorkie]

Zero fares can be very difficult to get hold of. Good luck; you'll need it!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Oct 2021 ==

The fact that you will find it very hard to find anyone to issue it, whether it is valid or not?

Nuneaton - Liverpool is valid via Manchester, so will be valid if anyone can be persuaded to issue it...

 

[gray1404]

Have you collected the ticket already? Where did you book it? I'm wondering if refund and rebook will be easier if admin charges can be avoided.

 

[Merseysider]

You’ll possibly come across staff who assume you’re trying to change the destination, rather than travel further - it’s not immediately obvious that via Manchester is in fact a permitted route & you may want to have an itinerary handy in case it’s questioned. Good luck!

 

[MKB]

Have you collected the ticket already? Where did you book it? I'm wondering if refund and rebook will be easier if admin charges can be avoided.

Not collected yet. Booked on Avanti's website.

I was due to travel to Manchester this weekend, but plans changed. I hadn't appreciated that Avanti's Book-with-Confidence policy didn't extend to fee-free refunds on flexible tickets. So, to avoid the £10 charge, I was hoping to re-use the ticket for a Liverpool trip next month.

Nuneaton to Liverpool via Manchester is not an unreasonable route. I've done it many times because, on the pre-pandemic timetables, there were times of the day when that was the quickest route.

If this is going to be impossible to do in practice, then my next trip to Manchester is going to be in April. Presumably, a fall-back option might be to do multiple date changes until April is within the booking window? But there's no guarantee that will be before the Book-with-Confidence free-date-change policy finishes (on 31 Dec I think?)

 

[yorkie]

You’ll possibly come across staff who assume you’re trying to change the destination, rather than travel further - it’s not immediately obvious that via Manchester is in fact a permitted route & you may want to have an itinerary handy in case it’s questioned. Good luck!

Agreed, and it's hard enough without that complication!

It may be easier to exchange it rather than excess it

 

[Haywain]

Not collected yet. Booked on Avanti's website.

I was due to travel to Manchester this weekend, but plans changed. I hadn't appreciated that Avanti's Book-with-Confidence policy didn't extend to fee-free refunds on flexible tickets. So, to avoid the £10 charge, I was hoping to re-use the ticket for a Liverpool trip next month.

Nuneaton to Liverpool via Manchester is not an unreasonable route. I've done it many times because, on the pre-pandemic timetables, there were times of the day when that was the quickest route.

If this is going to be impossible to do in practice, then my next trip to Manchester is going to be in April. Presumably, a fall-back option might be to do multiple date changes until April is within the booking window? But there's no guarantee that will be before the Book-with-Confidence free-date-change policy finishes (on 31 Dec I think?)

You can’t change the date of the ticket, so you would still have to travel this weekend or refund the ticket.

 

[voyagerdude220]

It might not be relevant to the OP, but I know the ticket issuing system which my TOC uses in ticket offices point blank refuses to process excess tickets for tickets purchased with the two together railcard discount, which can be a pain at times.

 

[Haywain]

It might not be relevant to the OP, but I know the ticket issuing system which my TOC uses in ticket offices point blank refuses to process excess tickets for tickets purchased with the two together railcard discount, which can be a pain at times.

Yes, that is a challenge but hopefully resolved quite soon.

 

[Merseysider]

FWIW I would avoid booking flexible tickets until shortly before travel - in case such a situation arises again - most train operating companies are happy to make seat reservations for you via social media or telephone, normally without needing to see your ticket.

 

[MKB]

You can’t change the date of the ticket, so you would still have to travel this weekend or refund the ticket.

On Avanti's website here: https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/help-and-support/change-journey
if you expand the section "I have an Anytime, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak ticket", it says:

Up to the departure time of your train, you can amend the date and time of your ticket without an admin fee.

There's a link to a form to request the date change, which I've done.

 

[Haywain]

On Avanti's website here: https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/help-and-support/change-journey
if you expand the section "I have an Anytime, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak ticket", it says:

There's a link to a form to request the date change, which I've done.

It will be a new ticket though.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It will be a new ticket though.

It will, but at no fee.