LNER "Transfer Fee"

[Bletchleyite]

Does anyone know what the LNER "Transfer Fee" fares are?

For London to Edinburgh there are two, one First Class at £152 (1TF) and one Standard at £97 (2TF).

Is this another concept that's about to appear for the trial or something else?

They can be seen on brfares:

Look up fares for any train journey in Britain

Full details of all British rail Single, Return & Season tickets and Travelcards. Built-in Season Ticket Calculator.

www.brfares.com

 

[SargeNpton]

They are the fees paid for upgrading an existing ticket. I have no idea though in what circumstances they are used.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It appears, having looked further, that these exist only for the "trial" routes. I'm intrigued...

 

[Wallsendmag]

On train X/S I believe

 

[OscarH]

On train X/S I believe

Potentially stupid question, but for excessing from what to what?

 

[Wallsendmag]

Potentially stupid question, but for excessing from what to what?

A non valid ticket to a valid ticket

 

[Bletchleyite]

A non valid ticket to a valid ticket

I suspect it's a bit more specific than that?

 

[Wallsendmag]

I suspect it's a bit more specific than that?

So do I but unfortunately that's as much as I know.

 

[MrJeeves]

My first thought would have been some workaround for super off-peaks bought in advance of their removal (not sure what the process for excesses are for LNER's on-train sales), but the numbers don't add up for that.

 

[Bletchleyite]

My first thought would have been some workaround for super off-peaks bought in advance of their removal (not sure what the process for excesses are for LNER's on-train sales), but the numbers don't add up for that.

Super off peaks issued before their removal remain valid. You can't retrospectively remove validity of a ticket already sold; that would be breach of contract and challengeable in Court.

 

[MrJeeves]

Super off peaks issued before their removal remain valid. You can't retrospectively remove validity of a ticket already sold; that would be breach of contract and challengeable in Court.

I meant if they were used on an Anytime service, and the on-train ticketing solution didn't have a way to select the current ticket to excess from as it's gone from the fares data.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I meant if they were used on an Anytime service, and the on-train ticketing solution didn't have a way to select the current ticket to excess from as it's gone from the fares data.

They aren't the same fare (about £10 higher in the Standard case) so it can't be that.

 

[MrJeeves]

They aren't the same fare (about £10 higher in the Standard case) so it can't be that.

Yes, that's exactly what the second part of my message said...

 

[CyrusWuff]

I suspect it's a bit more specific than that?

Someone travelling on the wrong train with an Advance ticket, at the discretion of on-board staff. Alternative options being an Excess (plus £10 Change of Journey Fee) or new ticket (if travelling later than the booked train.)

 

[Bletchleyite]

Someone travelling on the wrong train with an Advance ticket, at the discretion of on-board staff. Alternative options being an Excess (plus £10 Change of Journey Fee) or new ticket (if travelling later than the booked train.)

I did wonder if it was that - presumably it's so they aren't slapped with an Anytime off peak?

 

[CyrusWuff]

I did wonder if it was that - presumably it's so they aren't slapped with an Anytime off peak?

Looks like it, given they're priced at half the Anytime fare. No Railcard or Child discounts, however, so an Excess could be cheaper in some cases.

 

[robbeech]

Super off peaks issued before their removal remain valid. You can't retrospectively remove validity of a ticket already sold; that would be breach of contract and challengeable in Court.

Try telling that to anyone caught by the published timetable of the day and not being allowed to board a different train.

 

[island]

I came across these yesterday and my first thought was that they were some class of dummy product used when a passenger holding a 70min flex ticket rebooked themselves on the LNER app to use a different train, with the app programmed to suppress the fare difference. This would allow a ticket and reservation to be generated for the new train.

The other answers (that it is yet another form of half baked penalty fake for people on the wrong train) are however far more likely.

 

[Benjwri]

I came across these yesterday and my first thought was that they were some class of dummy product used when a passenger holding a 70min flex ticket rebooked themselves on the LNER app to use a different train, with the app programmed to suppress the fare difference. This would allow a ticket and reservation to be generated for the new train.

The other answers (that it is yet another form of half baked penalty fake for people on the wrong train) are however far more likely.

Yeah unless a change in policy is in the pipeline you don’t need to even change your ticket for a 70min flex at the moment, but can book a seat reservation if you want.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yeah unless a change in policy is in the pipeline you don’t need to even change your ticket for a 70min flex at the moment, but can book a seat reservation if you want.

They encourage you to change it (which is done for free) because that frees up the previous reservation for someone else. However you can just book another one or just board if you want, which is probably pragmatically necessary because some retailers make it really awkward to change Advances on the day of travel.

TBH I think this is a really good idea - there are too many unclaimed reservations all over the railway due to it being made unnecessarily difficult (impossible in many cases) to cancel them. No reason it couldn't be an option for Anytimes and Off Peaks to do it this way if the passenger wishes.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Yeah unless a change in policy is in the pipeline you don’t need to even change your ticket for a 70min flex at the moment, but can book a seat reservation if you want.

I suspect the wrong train was meaning outside the 140 minute window

 

[Benjwri]

I suspect the wrong train was meaning outside the 140 minute window

Yeah I was referring to the comment in the first paragraph that it could be a way to change tickets to a new train.

 

[Starmill]

If you have a Sale ticket at just under £30 you could actually come out on top by agreeing with the train manager to pay this "transfer fee" to an earlier departure. Of course, unless you wanted to travel on a service that doesn't take Super Off Peak, you would still be well down on your luck compared to simply buying a new ticket for the non-trial journey.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Feb 2024 ==

that it is yet another form of half baked penalty fake for people on the wrong train

How clever of LNER to dovetail the price of this new non-penalty "penalty" charge for being on an incorrect train for an advance or 70 min advance with the new far higher charge for last-minute bookings. Removes the option which is oft relied upon by the train manager to charge at Super Off Peak rate (if the train the customer is on takes it, obviously) at their discretion, if they perceive honest error. Some also used to go further and charge manual excess in the customer's favour, but presumably offering that is to be clamped down on too...