Grand Central - West Yorkshire promotion

[John @ home]

GC are repeating the promotion from their West Yorkshire stations to Kings Cross, this time at £39 return. Details are:

Promotional, but flexible ticket type, only available for sale between 4 April 2011 and 22 May 2011 and for travel between10 April 2011 and 22 May 2011.

TICKET TYPE: Grand Central Promotion

VALIDITY:You must make your outward journey on the date on the ticket, the return journey must be made within one calendar month of the outward journey. Travel must be made on services operated by Grand Central between Bradford Interchange, Halifax, Brighouse, Wakefield Kirkgate, or Pontefract Monkhill towards London Kings Cross.

BOOKING: Seat reservations are not compulsory, but this offer may be booked in advance if a seat reservation is required by passenger, or purchased on the day of travel. May also be purchased on board the GC train.

REFUNDS: No refunds will be applied.

AMENDING YOUR BOOKING:No amendments will be allowed with this offer.

DISCOUNTS: No further discounts are available, inlcuding child and railcard.

BREAK OF JOURNEY: Not valid for break of journey.

OTHER CONDITIONS: This offer is not valid on Grand Central services between Doncaster and London Kings Cross, nor on services between Sunderland and London Kings Cross.

ROUTE: This ticket allows travel on Grand Central services only

 

[CaptainHaddock]

"OTHER CONDITIONS: This offer is not valid on Grand Central services between Doncaster and London Kings Cross."

Once again Grand Central really are doing their best to put off potential travellers from South Yorkshire. Where's the logic in not offering this deal from Doncaster, thus meaning travellers from this station have to pay a higher fare for a shorter journey?

 

[island]

"OTHER CONDITIONS: This offer is not valid on Grand Central services between Doncaster and London Kings Cross."

Once again Grand Central really are doing their best to put off potential travellers from South Yorkshire. Where's the logic in not offering this deal from Doncaster, thus meaning travellers from this station have to pay a higher fare for a shorter journey?

I assume it's a case of price elasticity of demand, as with everything else on the network. If they think people will pay £75, why charge £40? (figures are randomly pulled from the air rather than representing any genuine ticket)

 

[Jonny]

"OTHER CONDITIONS: This offer is not valid on Grand Central services between Doncaster and London Kings Cross."

Once again Grand Central really are doing their best to put off potential travellers from South Yorkshire. Where's the logic in not offering this deal from Doncaster, thus meaning travellers from this station have to pay a higher fare for a shorter journey?

Is this because the GC services are not picking up as many as planned and don't want to be seen to be abstractive?

 

[DarloRich]

Is this because the GC services are not picking up as many as planned and don't want to be seen to be abstractive?

I would imagine so. Also most of the passengers for the WY services seem to get on/off at Donny ( at least on the ones i have been on)

 

[paul@skegby.org.]

Can anyone post a link for the promo tickets, had a look can't find.

 

[yorkie]

Can anyone post a link for the promo tickets, had a look can't find.

Just board the train and ask for a ticket, these are walk-on fares

It's not clear if someone can do outward travel from King's Cross on this offer, though?

Oh, and avoid Mobitix! (unless going for the first London-Sunderland train on a weekday)·

 

[John @ home]

Can anyone post a link for the promo tickets, had a look can't find.

Curiously, I found the lead to it when using competitor East Coast's site. I needed to plan a Wakefield - London journey and the lowest fare offered by EC's booking engine was a £39 GC promo return. The details in the first post were available during the purchasing process. Note that you don't need to buy one of these tickets in advance - they are available on-board.

It's not clear to me whether GC intend these tickets to be available for returns from London to West Yorkshire.

I couldn't find any publicity on the GC site earlier today, although their booking engine did offer the promo tickets. Today is the first day of booking, so promotional material may yet appear.