According to informed sources, Avanti are going to be simplifying their fares, as follows:
- Outdated "Off Peak" and "Super Off Peak" fares will be abolished
- Passengers can upgrade Advance fares to 60-minute Flex for an additional fare, depending on length of journey, e.g. £10 (London - Birmingham), £15 (London - Manchester/Liverpool), £20 (London - Glasgow)
- Passengers can upgrade Advance fares to 90-minute Flex for an additional £15/£20/£25
- Standard Premium will be simplified to become Standard Plus, with fares increased by a further £5
- Anytime Single fares will become 55% of the cost of existing Return fares
- Return fares will be abolished
An Avanti insider said, "The DfT have instructed us that LNER's fare's trial will be deemed a total success; therefore, Avanti will follow suit. However, our fares will be even better, with a choice of simple 60-minute or 90-minute flex fares available"
The new 60/90 minute flex fares will further increase revenues, and reduce the financial burden of subsidising Avanti on taxpayers and car drivers, and onto fare payers.
Avanti will be further improving the experience at Euston, by announcing trains at least 10 minutes prior to departure, and removing them from boards 5 minutes prior to departure. Trains will continue to depart Euston one minute before advertised. This ensures Avanti services will arrive at their destinations promptly.
Avanti are also rumoured to be following the hugely successful changes BA made to their loyalty scheme; a trusted source within the company divulged that the company is considering introducing tier points, along with Bronze, Silver and Gold status levels. If adopted, the company may charge for seat selection to non-status holders; Bronze would get free seat selection 7 days prior to departure, while Silver and Gold would be able to select their seat at the time of booking.
Furthermore, Avanti will be reintroducing the Avocado Railcard on a trial basis, which was briefly introduced by Virgin Trains in 2018. In order to be consistent with other Railcards, the Avocado Railcard will have a minimum fare of £15 between 0630 and 0945 Mondays to Fridays, except during December and January, when the minimum fare will not apply.
If this trial is successful, the company may introduce other railcards, such as the Car Owners Railcard, Pet Owners Railcard and more. It is envisaged that the Car Owners Railcard would require the holder's car to be parked at the origin station (minimum stay 2 hours, except during June and July), while the Pet Owners railcard would be valid for up to 2 adults and 4 children, though a well-behaved pet must be present for the Railcard to be validated.
