Avanti website ticketing issue - is this unusual?

[pnepaul]

Hello all

I have just booked a single ticket from Crewe to St Albans ( on a Thursday off-peak) and from St Albans to Carlise the following day - also off-peak. I wasn't given the option of both tickets going to my mobile, the only option I had was collection at a station. Also, there was no option for Standard Premium. I am booking 11 days in advance. As I said above - is this unusual? I have never had this problem before.

 

[JoeM1V]

If the tickets are valid via London including a tube transfer, they can’t be issued as e-tickets because tube barriers can’t read them.

 

[jfollows]

Via London?
If so, you need a paper ticket to use the tube, of course you might actually walk. I would. But your ticket will include the tube transfer.

No idea about Standard Premium.

 

[pnepaul]

Yes, my tickets are via London. That explains it - thanks.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Sep 2024 ==

Via London?
If so, you need a paper ticket to use the tube, of course you might actually walk. I would. But your ticket will include the tube transfer.

I have an Oyster card which should help.

 

[yorkie]

Hello all

I have just booked a single ticket from Crewe to St Albans ( on a Thursday off-peak) and from St Albans to Carlise the following day - also off-peak. I wasn't given the option of both tickets going to my mobile, the only option I had was collection at a station. Also, there was no option for Standard Premium. I am booking 11 days in advance. As I said above - is this unusual? I have never had this problem before.

What's the exact itinerary?

I think Standard Premium may only be offered if the whole journey includes Standard Premium accommodation.

When you say off peak, do you mean you were looking for and/or sold an Off Peak Return (SVR)?

There isn't any sort of Off Peak Return available for Standard Premium, as far as I know.

 

[Watershed]

Did your chosen itineraries involve travel via London? If so, the reason for not having the option of an eTicket will be because the tickets are valid on the Tube between St Pancras and Euston.

TfL don't have barcode readers on their barriers and thus don't want to accept eTickets, fearing the queues that manual checks would cause. They accordingly veto the rail industry from issuing eTickets for journeys where a cross-London transfer by Tube is envisaged.

There are still journeys where you can get an eTicket valid on the Tube (or at least, on the Elizabeth line or Overground), however these are generally the exception to the rule. The fact that you may prefer to walk between St Pancras and Euston (I find it's far quicker, especially to/from the Thameslink platforms) is neither here nor there; a through ticket across London will typically be valid on the Tube and thus TfL's eTicket veto applies.

As for Standard Premium - SP Advances are only available for journeys entirely on the Avanti network. Once you go beyond Euston/Glasgow etc. you only have the choice of standard or first class Advances. It's not entirely obvious to me why they don't roll out SP Advances more widely, but for now that's the way they've chosen to do it.

You can, however, still upgrade to SP through the SeatFrog app or by paying the supplement to the Train Manager on board.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Via London?
If so, you need a paper ticket to use the tube, of course you might actually walk. I would. But your ticket will include the tube transfer.

Yes, my tickets are via London. That explains it - thanks.

I have an Oyster card which should help.

Your having (or not having) an Oyster card is irrelevant in this case.

Your through rail ticket includes a transfer via the Tube (regardless of whether you want it or will make use of it).

The only benefit having Oyster card would bring - and a contactless card would offer exactly the same benefit - would be if you wanted to catch the bus from Euston to St Pancras.

But like others have said, it's best to just walk it!

 

[yorkie]

Our ticketing site has the option to use contactless/oyster for the cross-London element (which in practice you can easily walk), however it wouldn't help in this particular case, as the through Off Peak Return including the tube is cheaper than splitting.

However, if Advance tickets were a possibility, then it may help for this journey.

The Avanti site doesn't offer that option, so the tube is always going to be included in such a journey, and therefore e-tickets won't be available.

 

[pnepaul]

Thanks for all your replies. They were all very helpful. I will probably take my chances in Standard Premium on the days in question. it is getting very popular, but that's another thread!