'Excessing' a railcard ticket to a non-railcard ticket

[tram21]

Hi folks,

I have booked Advance tickets from London to Nottingham via Grantham, booked with LNER on the 2nd March in the afternoon, for 2 adults and 1 child with a family and friends railcard (and 1 adult with a 16-17 saver, but he will still be travelling so is irrelevant to this question).

Unfortunately it has come up that on this day my daughter is needed for a school event, and it will be necessary for her and one adult to travel back earlier.
I will be travelling later. Is it possible to excess my ticket with a railcard to a ticket without a railcard? Or is it best just to buy a new ticket. E.g. could I pay the bit extra to make it a full adult fare if I contact LNER?

Thanks in advance.

 

[WirralLine]

In theory it is possible, I'm on shift now and just had a look on my machine and I am able to excess an adult ticket with a family and friends discount into an undiscovered walk up adult fare.

Whether others would be willing to is another matter..

 

[tram21]

In theory it is possible, I'm on shift now and just had a look on my machine and I am able to excess an adult ticket with a family and friends discount into an undiscovered walk up adult fare.

Whether others would be willing to is another matter..

Thanks, that is helpful. I might try calling LNER and see what they can do.

 

[yorkie]

Thanks, that is helpful. I might try calling LNER and see what they can do.

See what LNER say first.

If they won't do it, a ticket office might, but you may have to 'shop around'; in some cases an excess may only be possible if there is availability at the tier point of your Advance fare.

 

[tram21]

in some cases an excess may only be possible if there is availability at the tier point of your Advance fare.

Unfortunately there's no more Advance availability for that train.

I just called LNER and they said if I rebook with just an adult ticket they can cancel the railcard one with a £10 admin fee. Is this correct? Is there anything more I can say to them to ask them to change it?

With an LNER e-ticket could a ticket office help? What would be best to ask them?

 

[yorkie]

Unfortunately there's no more Advance availability for that train.

I just called LNER and they said if I rebook with just an adult ticket they can cancel the railcard one with a £10 admin fee. Is this correct? Is there anything more I can say to them to ask them to change it?

With an LNER e-ticket could a ticket office help? What would be best to ask them?

In that case I think some retail systems won't let the ticket clerk do an excess, even if they are willing to do it.

Edit: or maybe not, if there is quota on the replacement train; that may suffice, perhaps depending on the ticket issuing system.

I think itay be a challenge to find someone who is willing to do it, and knowledgeable enough, and for their system to allow it.

Someone who is familiar with retail systems used by ticket offices may be in a position to advise which retail systems would allow it, and which TOCs use those systems; you may then be able to 'shop around' by visiting various ticket offices in the hope of getting the excess.

It may be better to just take the hit and pay the £10 to get the retailer (LNER) to change it, rather than to see if you can get a ticket office to exchange and excess it.

 

[tram21]

It may be better to just take the hit and pay the £10.

If it were just £10 I definitely would do it, but due to there being no more advances it's likely to cost a lot more, which I am willing to pay if needed but was seeing if there was an alternative.

Thanks for your help, I'll see if the rail sale tomorrow changes anything, hopefully I can get it cheap using split rail sale fares!

 

[Haywain]

Someone who is familiar with retail systems used by ticket offices may be in a position to advise which retail systems would allow it, and which TOCs use those systems; you may then be able to 'shop around' by visiting various ticket offices in the hope of getting the excess.

As I recall, it wouldn't be possible to excess away the railcard discount on an Advance ticket on the ticketing system used by LNER. What LNER have offered is probably as good as it gets - the same as excessing to the currently available (walk-up?) ticket.

 

[CyrusWuff]

As I recall, it wouldn't be possible to excess away the railcard discount on an Advance ticket on the ticketing dystem used by LNER. What LNER have offered is probably as good as it gets - the same as excessing to the currently available (walk-up?) ticket.

I believe you can only do a like-for-like Excess on Worldline @station where the same ticket type is available. If it's not, you have to Excess to the next available ticket type at the same time or to a walk up fare (though the TOC restriction would remain in place and only the Excess would normally be refundable unless there was disruption.)

 

[yorkie]

I believe you can only do a like-for-like Excess on Worldline @station where the same ticket type is available. If it's not, you have to Excess to the next available ticket type at the same time or to a walk up fare (though the TOC restriction would remain in place and only the Excess would normally be refundable unless there was disruption.)

Which goes against the terms of the Ticketing Settlement Agreement (TSA), but sadly there is no regulator, watchdog or Ombudsman to enforce such matters!

I'll see if the rail sale tomorrow changes anything, hopefully I can get it cheap using split rail sale fares!

Yes; do that. Our site may find some good splits.

Also if you do book a new ticket, and if any train in the original itinerary is cancelled, you would be entitled to a fee-free refund of the unused ticket.

 

[Haywain]

I believe you can only do a like-for-like Excess on Worldline @station where the same ticket type is available. If it's not, you have to Excess to the next available ticket type at the same time or to a walk up fare (though the TOC restriction would remain in place and only the Excess would normally be refundable unless there was disruption.)

We are in agreement!

 

[tram21]

I believe you can only do a like-for-like Excess on Worldline @station where the same ticket type is available. If it's not, you have to Excess to the next available ticket type at the same time or to a walk up fare (though the TOC restriction would remain in place and only the Excess would normally be refundable unless there was disruption.)

I assume this would include an admin fee (probably £10?) making LNER's offer similar to this?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Jan 2025 ==

Also if you do book a new ticket, and if any train in the original itinerary is cancelled, you would be entitled to a fee-free refund of the unused ticket.

That's a good point, thank you. It's quite likely with a 3 train journey (the ticket is actually to Beeston!).

 

[pwharley]

Thanks for your help, I'll see if the rail sale tomorrow changes anything, hopefully I can get it cheap using split rail sale fares!

The Rail Sale starts on Tuesday.

 

[tram21]

The Rail Sale starts on Tuesday.

Ah thanks so much, I had thought it was tomorrow!!