Finding TPE Sale Tickets

[lyesbkz]

When using a promotion code on the TPE website, e.g. the current TPESALE code for 25% off, I find it difficult to find reduced fares.

This is because (for example) the Sheffield-Newcastle route is permitted via Doncaster, and I tend to buy TPE & Connect Advance tickets (as they are usually the best value option) to change to East Coast at Doncaster. Whilst the TPE & Connect tickets are reduced using the current promotion, no other ticket types are.

Using The Train Line booking websites such as TPE, it's always difficult to find a certain ticket type, and the search results are usually dominated by direct XC trains and Northern Rail/East Coast services.

There is an hourly TPE service from Sheffield to Doncaster, and the East Coast services from Doncaster to Newcastle are hardly in short supply, so is there any easier way to search for trains with a certain operator? For example I only want to see TPE & Connect fares.

The main problem is that using the TPE website returns the matrix of trains which only shows the 4 recommended trains after the time you enter. If none of these are TPE & Connect, the search fails as none of those 4 trains are valid for the promotion and the whole search has to be done again entering a new time. If I could filter the search for TPE trains only, then I'd be able to see the next 4 journeys the promotion applies to instead of a failed search.

Is there any way to search more specifically using TPE's booking website? Alternatively could I use the promotion on WebTIS websites, or will the TPE code only let me book through TPE?

 

[yorkie]

The code will only work on TPE (or possibly other Thetrainline sites; the codes used to generally work on any of them but I've not tried for ages!) not WebTIS sites.

Unfortunately there are many options that, despite being available to staff at stations, are not available on online booking sites, such as multiple via/avoid points, restrict to/exclude specific TOC(s), etc. I would normally say "go to the station" but for online promotions this, of course, will not work!

You could exclude Northern results between Sheffield & Doncaster by specifying avoid Rotherham, as TPE generally avoid Rotherham.

Note that if you specify to exclude a station that is a timing point and the train passes through non-stop, that train will not show in the results. Likewise if you specify a via station where the train does run non-stop through, if that station is a timing point, the train will show.

 

[tony_mac]

you can usually do it on tpe, but it is painful.

Firstly, find a suitable journey, then at the bottom choose where it says 'Click here to check if slower routes with cheaper tickets are available.'
From there you can choose a TP & connections fare, and can then go through the day earlier / later to try and find others.

You can only check one specific fare at a time, and it does show services for which there aren't any available (I don't know why, I don't think it used to!).

 

[lyesbkz]

What I find interesting is how it decides which services are suitable for my request, i.e. it usually lets me get the 1411 from Sheffield, which arrives into Doncaster at 1440, to connect to the EC train departing at 1503.

However there's also for example a 1211 TPE from Sheffield which calls at Doncaster at 1240, and a 1315 East Coast from Doncaster to complete my journey, so what logic does the Journey planner use to not suggest that as an option? Is it based on the connection time being too long?

Firstly, find a suitable journey, then at the bottom choose where it says 'Click here to check if slower routes with cheaper tickets are available.'

This is the problem, I can't usually get to that screen because no promotional fares are available, and even when I do reach it, this still only checks for the services that were shown in the matrix.

 

[tony_mac]

This is the problem, I can't usually get to that screen because no promotional fares are available,

You only need to find one advance ticket, at any time of the day, then you should be able to change the times later (unless there is a really big gap without tickets).

and even when I do reach it, this still only checks for the services that were shown in the matrix.

I don't know what route you are looking at, I had no problem trying this with Sheffield to Newcastle.
e.g. I can get these tickets on the 12:11, which don't show on the matrix (obviously start off with an earlier time if you need to, to find a valid ticket first).

The 12:11 won't normally show as the 12:21 arrives much earlier, and it won't show overtaken trains by default.

When I have written to TPE in the past about this, they have said that I could book with another website, and they would refund me the difference. I don't know if they will still do that, as it should now be possible on their website.

 

[lyesbkz]

Ok I have found many more tickets using your suggested approach, by finding the 1411, selecting a specific ticket type then using 'Earlier' and 'Later' buttons to find the 1211 and other services.

Thanks for this advice, and we can but hope that one day these booking engines will be more flexible when searching for tickets!