Random thought / question: why are season tickets non-transferable?

[Jimini]

I'm sure you'll all tell me why but if we buy a weekly pass here so the missus can do (as is the case last / this week) last Thursday, Friday, today and tomorrow -- not that I would but why shouldn't I theoretically be able to use it on the Saturday and Monday for example, given that the ticket is priced and valid for seven days of travel?

As I said and just to be clear, neither of us would even contemplate trying to do this (share a ST), but just piqued my idle interest as to why they're locked to one person only when you're paying for all seven days regardless.

Cheers ~ Jim.

 

[alistairlees]

I'm sure you'll all tell me why but if we buy a weekly pass here so the missus can do (as is the case last / this week) last Thursday, Friday, today and tomorrow -- not that I would but why shouldn't I theoretically be able to use it on the Saturday and Monday for example, given that the ticket is priced and valid for seven days of travel?

As I said and just to be clear, neither of us would even contemplate trying to do this (share a ST), but just piqued my idle interest as to why they're locked to one person only when you're paying for all seven days regardless.

Cheers ~ Jim.

You're not paying for 7 days. You are paying for (depending on the route) for between 2 and 4 days, usually. They are non-transferable to prevent exactly what you are thinking of, and causing revenue loss.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You're not paying for 7 days. You are paying for (depending on the route) for between 2 and 4 days, usually. They are non-transferable to prevent exactly what you are thinking of, and causing revenue loss.

Strangely, bus companies often don't care.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Fairly sure that "transferable" rail season tickets were once available, these were primarily for business use, but were slightly higher priced to reflect the likely greater usage.

 

[Jimini]

You're not paying for 7 days. You are paying for (depending on the route) for between 2 and 4 days, usually. They are non-transferable to prevent exactly what you are thinking of, and causing revenue loss.

But you are specifically paying for seven days of travel, to be pedantic.

Surely you wouldn't buy a weekly season ticket for two or three days of travel? If you go back to 2019 (pre-Covid and all the associated shenanigans), I would have thought a lot if not most would have used their season ticket Monday through Friday, as that's the exact reason they opted for one?

 

[alistairlees]

But you are specifically paying for seven days of travel, to be pedantic.

Surely you wouldn't buy a weekly season ticket for two or three days of travel? If you go back to 2019 (pre-Covid and all the associated shenanigans), I would have thought a lot if not most would have used their season ticket Monday through Friday, as that's the exact reason they opted for one?

Why not, if it’s cheaper than buying a separate ticket each day?

Season tickets are assumed to have 240 return journeys per year, if I remember correctly.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Season tickets are assumed to have 240 return journeys per year, if I remember correctly.

Thought it was 464 single journeys. Not much in it, though, if what you say is actually the correct figure.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Fairly sure that "transferable" rail season tickets were once available, these were primarily for business use, but were slightly higher priced to reflect the likely greater usage.

If Knowledgebase is to be believed, such tickets (formally known as "Impersonal Season Tickets" or "Bearer Passes") are still available from most TOCs (except c2c, East Mids, Greater Anglia, LNER, the Southern part of GTR, and what appears to be London Overground) at a 50% premium.

However, the relevant page hasn't been updated for some time as it still refers to Arriva Trains Wales, First ScotRail and Virgin CrossCountry, among others, and issuing such a ticket on a modern TIS would likely involve some fudging.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Feb 2023 ==

Why not, if it’s cheaper than buying a separate ticket each day?

Season tickets are assumed to have 240 return journeys per year, if I remember correctly.

Almost. Under the old Passenger Charter compensation scheme (still applicable on Chiltern for tickets starting up to 30th April 2022), the calculation for payment of a "void day" refund was 1/5th of the price for a Weekly ticket, 1/22nd for a Monthly, and 1/260th for an Annual. ("Odd" period seasons were calculated as 22 days for each full month, 5 days for each full week, and any odd days. So 5 months 17 days would have been 22 x 5 + 5 x 2 + 3 = 123 days.)

Thought it was 464 single journeys. Not much in it, though, if what you say is actually the correct figure.

Under Delay Repay that's correct (and, for completeness: 10 single journeys for a Weekly, 16 for a Flexi-Season, 40 for a Monthly, and 120 for a Quarterly.)

 

[JonathanH]

If Knowledgebase is to be believed, such tickets (formally known as "Impersonal Season Tickets" or "Bearer Passes") are still available from most TOCs (except c2c, East Mids, Greater Anglia, LNER, the Southern part of GTR, and what appears to be London Overground) at a 50% premium.

What distinguished a "bearer pass" from the usual personal type of season ticket? Was it printed on different stock?

 

[CyrusWuff]

What distinguished a "bearer pass" from the usual personal type of season ticket? Was it printed on different stock?

The photocard box is crossed through and it's endorsed as being issued to "A representative of..."

 

[SargeNpton]

A long-standing issue.

Prior to season tickets having to be used with a photo-card, BR used to put a "W" stamp on those issued to women (bottom left-hand corner in this picture).

This was to stop wives using their husband's season ticket at the weekend to go shopping - if a lady turned up at the station with a season ticket not bearing the W stamp they were turned away.

 

[johntea]

Northern recently compared it to the railway equivalent of the Netflix password sharing saga!

Northern pre-empts season ticket ‘scam’ akin to ‘Netflix password sharing’ | Northern News

Northern has made it more difficult for fraudsters to cheat ticket checks on its trains in a scam the train operator says would have been akin to ‘Netflix password sharing’.

media.northernrailway.co.uk

Northern has made it more difficult for fraudsters to cheat ticket checks on its trains in a scam the train operator says would have been akin to ‘Netflix password sharing’.

By introducing new Barcode Season Tickets, which ‘live’ within the Northern app and update repeatedly throughout the day, they have stopped fare evaders from being able to ‘screenshot and share’ season tickets for others to use.

Customers are also required to upload a profile photograph when purchasing a Barcode Season Ticket, which displays alongside the barcode within the app and forms part of the ticket inspection.

Barcode Season Tickets offer up to 33%-off the regular cost of commuting between two stations on the Northern network and are available to adult customers as weekly or monthly options.

For more information and details of how to buy a Barcode Season Ticket, please visit: www.northernrailway.co.uk/tickets/barcode-season-tickets

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: “Our season tickets are no different to people’s gym memberships, store loyalty cards or indeed their Netflix account - they’re designed for use by the person whose name is on the bill.

“Whilst upwards of 95% of the journeys made on our network are by customers who do the right thing and buy a ticket before they travel – for the remaining 5% that are made by people who attempt to travel without paying their way, switching these particular sales to Barcode Season Tickets will ensure only the device that made the purchase is able to satisfy checks by our conductors and ticket gatelines.”

For customers travelling less frequently, Northern offers ‘Flexi Season Tickets’ which offer any eight days travel in a 28-day window.

For the benefit of all customers, Northern has invested in the largest network of digital ticket infrastructure of any train operator in the country, making it easier than ever to buy a ticket via their app, website or one of more than 600 ticket machines across the network.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with nearly 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.

 

[setdown]

Netflix password sharing? Even after the upcoming crackdown, it will still be entirely valid to share your password with those you live with. Imagine being able to share your season ticket with those you live with...