PRIV cards and Rover tickets

[fulshaw]

Hi

Can a PRIV card be used on a Bicester Village Day Rover? NRE says it can't be used with a concession card but doesn't define what that actually means in reality http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/promotions/pr3cd52291e8468480148e71dbd0c1fa/details.html

I know PRIV cards can be used to purchase All Line Rail rover products so IN THEORY I can't see why the BVDR would be any different.

Can anyone enlighten me?

Thanks

 

[First class]

There's nothing in "The Manual" about this product, however the TIS won't allow a PRIV version.

Generally any rovers that contain a "non rail" element (in this case taxibus) will not allow PRIV discount.

 

[fulshaw]

That's what I assumed. However, I recently purchased a Kentish Town to Luton Airport ticket with a PRIV card and this includes a bus ride from Luton Airport Parkway to Luton airport portion. I realise one is an Anytime, the other is a Rover product but one seems to include PRIV discounts on bus travel, the other not which is strange and confusing.

The bus portion on the Bicester Rover is £4 and last time they offered to issue me with about 4 splits to make it cheaper - almost as cheap as just buying the combined Rover with a PRIV card. Absurd.

 

[Mojo]

I don't think it is anything to do with the bus component; the bus to Luton Airport is a special through ticketing arrangement as that service is operated in conjunction with FCC and it used to be free.

Up until a few years ago no Rangers used to offer Priv, it was only Rovers. Now the number of Rangers with Priv discount has increased, but it is still far from all of them.

 

[185]

Many of them are enabled, many not.

The only way of finding out if they are not is through trial and error if the machine will issue it. On the flip side, found some good discounts that way.

 

[fulshaw]

Thanks. Very useful explanations. Is anyone able to check the system and see whether this Rover is available with PRIV?

 

[Minilad]

Maybe It might be an idea for anyone who is able to post here all the Ranger tickets than can be bought using PRIV

 

[First class]

Thanks. Very useful explanations. Is anyone able to check the system and see whether this Rover is available with PRIV?

I tried with a Fujitsu STAR TIS and the PRIV option was not there. Normal railcard discounts were available, but no PRIV sorry.

I can post a list of discountable (PRIV) rovers/rangers by tomorrow afternoon.

However, top of my head (ones I've used or seen):

Cheshire Day Ranger
Lancashire Day Ranger
Merseyrail Off Peak Day Saver (although not Saveaway)
Freedom of North West 4 in 8 as well as the 7 day
All Line Rover 7 and 14 day
West Midlands Day Ranger (probably the best value for money rover going!)
Thames 3 Day Rover
Devon Day Ranger
Freedom of Devon & Cornwall
Freedom of Severn & Solent
Freedom of South West
Coasts and Peaks 4 in 8
East Midlands Day Ranger
East Midlands 7 Day Rover

The Freedom of Scotland Travelpass is a strange one. The Manual says PRIV discount okay, and Fujitsu STAR will show (and issue) one from the list so I can only assume it is valid. However, some staff I've spoken to from other TOCs say they are unsure and they've heard otherwise...

- in fact the more I think about it, the only rovers you can't really get with PRIV are ones that include a non-rail element (with a couple of exceptions, normally little branch line day rangers).

 

[fulshaw]

Thanks.

Will just have to split the ticket as they suggested last time.

 

[Minilad]

I tried with a Fujitsu STAR TIS and the PRIV option was not there. Normal railcard discounts were available, but no PRIV sorry.

I can post a list of discountable (PRIV) rovers/rangers by tomorrow afternoon.

Would be very useful thanks

 

[barrykas]

The Bicester Village Day Ranger is a bit of a fudge to make it quicker to issue "bulk" tickets to the huge numbers of tourists who go there, with the added benefit of saving on ticket stock.

It's also the only way to "persuade" FasTIS to issue a Bicester Village ticket with a Network Railcard discount without having to issue separate London - Bicester North and Bicester North - Bicester Village tickets.

PRIV discounts are NOT available, nor are Railcard/GroupSave discounts available for the Bicester Village Shuttle (£4.50 Return for Adults, £2.25 for Children) element of the ticket.

HTH,

Barry

 

[fulshaw]

Thanks. But am I correct in thinking that I can split the rail portion of the journey in a few places to save a bit more??

 

[185]

North and Mid Wales Rover 3/7 or 7 and Nth Wales day ranger were definately in last year. Bus & Train too. I hear Ffestiniog is not in rover/ranger anymore but it's still cheap as chips with a Priv.

 

[First class]

As promised, here is the full list of valid rangers/rovers that allow PRIV. For archive purposes, this list was valid as of NFM09.


All Line Rover 7/14 day 75%
Anglia Plus 75% (Season Only)
Cambrian Coaster Ranger 75%
Central Scotland Rover 75%
Cheshire Day Ranger 75%
Coasts & Peaks Rover 75%
Cumbria Day Ranger 75%
Cumbria Coast Day Ranger 75%
East Midlands Day Ranger 75%
East Midlands Round Robin 75%
East Midlands Rover 75%
East Yorkshire Round Robin 75%
Explore North & Mid Wales Flexi Rover 75%
Explore South Wales Flexi Rover 75%
Explorer Wales Flexipass 75%
Ffestiniog Round Robin 75%
Freedom of Devon & Cornwall Rover 75%
Freedom of Scotland Travelpass 75%
Freedom of Severn & Solent Rover 75%
Freedom of the South West Rover 75%
Freedom of the North East Rover 75%
Freedom of the North West Rover 75%
Heart of England Rover 75%
Highland Rover 75%
Lancashire Day Ranger 75%
Lincolnshire Day Ranger 75%
North Country Rover 75%
North West Round Robin 75%
Settle & Carlisle Day Ranger 75%
South Pennines Day Ranger 75%
Thames Rover 75%
Tyne & Tees Day Ranger 75%
Valley Lines Day Explorer 75%
West Midlands Day Ranger 75%

 

[MidnightFlyer]

To the best of my knowledge, any ticket that offers a railcard discount also gives PRIV discounts. For ones where you cannot get an RCD reduction, you similarly cannot get a PRIV reduction.

 

[First class]

To the best of my knowledge, any ticket that offers a railcard discount also gives PRIV discounts. For ones where you cannot get an RCD reduction, you similarly cannot get a PRIV reduction.

Not the case at all unfourtunately.

I've just been through The Manual entirely and it makes a distinction between staff travel and railcards.

The way the TIS is also set up does not allow you to "add" the various discounts. If a discount option is available it appears automatically.

 

[fulshaw]

I thought this one was wrapped up but, lo and behold - 2 weeks after e-mailing the train company to ask if I can use my PRIV card to buy a Bicester Day Ranger, I got an e-mail back - contradicting everything I heard on here so far!

They write:-

"Thank you for taking time to contact the Customer Services department.

As far as I am aware you van (sic) use your PRIV staff card to purchase a ticket to Bicester Village. You will however need to purchase this from a booking office as your PRIV card will need to be seen by member of staff. Please visit your local booking office who will be able to help you with your requirements."

So the nice caveat of "as far as I am aware" is included but one would think that after waiting 2 weeks for an answer that she would have checked this with revenue? Surely? Or is my trust in human (toc) nature unfounded and misguided?? Can anyone from Chiltern here shed any light on this response and whether it fits with what they know?
Ta

 

[Mojo]

They write:-

"Thank you for taking time to contact the Customer Services department.

As far as I am aware you van (sic) use your PRIV staff card to purchase a ticket to Bicester Village. You will however need to purchase this from a booking office as your PRIV card will need to be seen by member of staff. Please visit your local booking office who will be able to help you with your requirements."

So the nice caveat of "as far as I am aware" is included but one would think that after waiting 2 weeks for an answer that she would have checked this with revenue? Surely? Or is my trust in human (toc) nature unfounded and misguided?? Can anyone from Chiltern here shed any light on this response and whether it fits with what they know?
Ta

This answer reads to me as if they are answering whether you can buy a normal single/return Priv ticket to Bicester Village

 

[fulshaw]

Yes, I noticed they didn't mention the Ranger - which is very annoying as my initial question was quite specific and clear - can I buy the Ranger with a PRIV card?

 

[Sleepy]

Usual Customer Relations crap - send a letter admiting nothing and passing the buck ! :roll: