Do *super* off-peak tickets tend to disappear?

[lpgm]

Do super off-peak tickets tend to disappear the closer you get to the travel date? Or can you normally book them at the last minute?

Thanks.

 

[Mike395]

Super Off Peak tickets are, as far as I'm aware certainly, all walk-up. That is, you can buy them any time before travel

It's a good idea to check the restrictions before booking them however if travelling Mon-Fri, as some of the Super Off Peak tickets about have quite strict restrictions on weekdays.

 

[Failed Unit]

The only disappearing the do is when the TOC changes the validity restrictions or withdraws them altogether!

 

[AlterEgo]

They're a "walk-up" fare, so they are available at the station, right up until the time of travel.

HTH.

 

[DJ737]

G'day

I was looking at Super Off Peak tickets today from Elsenham to Lamphey.
The cost was £80, but a Anytime single to Paddington is £17.10 including the tube plus Super Off Peak Paddington to Lamphey is £43 making a total of £60.10 for exactly the same trip, saving £19.90, why isn't the fare from Elsenham £60.10?

DJ737
Melbourne, Australia

 

[John @ home]

Do super off-peak tickets tend to disappear the closer you get to the travel date? Or can you normally book them at the last minute?

Which journey did you have in mind?

Almost all Super Off-Peak tickets are available for purchase immediately before travel. The only exception I know of is Virgin's Super Off-Peak Day Travelcard, available for travel on Saturdays only.

"Saturday Day Travel card is a Standard Class product allowing customers to travel from a number of Virgin Trains stations to London and enjoy unlimited travel throughout London Fare Zones 1-6.
Reservations are compulsory for the outward journey and customers must travel on this service. The return journey can be made at any time on the same day, although it is not reservation compulsory, reservations are recommended.
Please note that the ticket is quota controlled on the outward journey".

This product is quota controlled and therefore does not fit the description for Super Off-Peak. See http://www.bestvaluefares.co.uk/guide-to-tickets/off-peak-tickets

 

[lpgm]

Which journey did you have in mind?

Thanks for the replies. I'm looking at London Liverpool Street to Cambridge day return on a Sunday in July. I don't want to book yet until I know for sure I'm going. That's why I wanted to know if the Super Off-Peak tickets might disappear.

(I was going to use Southern's Rainy Day Guarantee, but the Super Off-Peak tickets don't appear on its site for some reason - just the normal Off-Peak ones.)

 

[dzug2]

G'day

I was looking at Super Off Peak tickets today from Elsenham to Lamphey.
The cost was £80, but a Anytime single to Paddington is £17.10 including the tube plus Super Off Peak Paddington to Lamphey is £43 making a total of £60.10 for exactly the same trip, saving £19.90, why isn't the fare from Elsenham £60.10?

DJ737
Melbourne, Australia

Because long distance fares are not derived by adding up the components - and short distance ones are not derived by splitting up long distance ones.

The fares may not be set by the same rail company

There may (and only may - I haven't looked it up) be a slight difference in validity

 

[Mojo]

Thanks for the replies. I'm looking at London Liverpool Street to Cambridge day return on a Sunday in July. I don't want to book yet until I know for sure I'm going. That's why I wanted to know if the Super Off-Peak tickets might disappear.

Having a look at Avantix Traveller, it seems that NXEA withdrew the Super Off-Peak Day Return for London to Cambridge back at the change to NFM09, as it appears in NFM08, however oddly enough it is available for purchase from the NXEA website.

As there is no advantage to buying this ticket in advance, I wouldn't bother.

 

[bnm]

Would the ticket not showing as available in NFM09 mean that it is unlikely to be available from a station?

My advice would be to purchase online as it is available from most TOC booking engines. Sadly not from Southern though, so no Rainy Day Guarantee.

If you're not sure of your plans, just book online on the day, or night before, before heading off to Liverpool Street. You can collect your tickets from a Ticket Vending Machine. Best allow a minimum of two hours between booking and collection.


(This is a bit of a weird one. The Sat/Sun/BH only Super Off Peak Day Return (NXEA trains only) is in most booking engine databases but not listed in Avantix Traveller or 'The Manual')

 

[Hullboy]

London Midlands Super Off Peak fares are definitely walk up - I use these regularly at the weekends!