LNER Simpler Fares

[modernrail]

Hi. I have tried to find the existing thread but failed. What is the current workaround to avoid the stupid LNER Simpler Rip Off to Newcastle. I am heading up this weekend and shock horror am not completely sure which day/time I will be heading back next week and so would dearly love an off peak return.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Hi. I have tried to find the existing thread but failed. What is the current workaround to avoid the stupid LNER Simpler Rip Off to Newcastle. I am heading up this weekend and shock horror am not completely sure which day/time I will be heading back next week and so would dearly love an off peak return.

Look for fares from places around London to Newcastle, or from London to places around Newcastle. I would suggest not posting specific ones as likely the loopholes will just be closed, the obvious ones already were.

You can't however get an Off Peak Return, these do not exist for any LNER long distance flow. Two Super Off Peak Singles are what you can get.

 

[redreni]

Look for fares from places around London to Newcastle, or from London to places around Newcastle. I would suggest not posting specific ones as likely the loopholes will just be closed, the obvious ones already were.

You can't however get an Off Peak Return, these do not exist for any LNER long distance flow. Two Super Off Peak Singles are what you can get.

Or, indeed, one Advance single London to Newcastle and one Super Off Peak Single from wherever to wherever might be a better bet, if it's only the return leg where the flexibility is wanted.

 

[Puffing Devil]

Or, indeed, one Advance single London to Newcastle and one Super Off Peak Single from wherever to wherever might be a better bet, if it's only the return leg where the flexibility is wanted.

But don't buy the single until the actual day, as the new refund rules have kicked in.

 

[Deerfold]

But don't buy the single until the actual day, as the new refund rules have kicked in.

In which case, it may end up cheaper buying an advance on the day...

 

[Mainline421]

In which case, it may end up cheaper buying an advance on the day...

I don't see why anyone would encourage buying Advances. For a tiny saving the loss of rights is massive, and LNER will obviously use that to claim "nobody wants Off-Peak tickets they want a £200 Advance instead"

 

[Deerfold]

I don't see why anyone would encourage buying Advances. For a tiny saving the loss of rights is massive, and LNER will obviously use that to claim "nobody wants Off-Peak tickets they want a £200 Advance instead"

For a tiny saving, no. But many LNER advances are a lot cheaper. I'm not arguing that LNER's policies are customer-friendly - it would be great to have an Off-Peak return, but we don't. I'm Just pointing out that if the OP decides on their train an hour before travelling, they may still save with an Advance. They are free to decide they don't want to or it's not the case when they look.

This is not "encouraging buying Advances", it's suggesting looking at what the comparison is at the time.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I don't see why anyone would encourage buying Advances. For a tiny saving the loss of rights is massive, and LNER will obviously use that to claim "nobody wants Off-Peak tickets they want a £200 Advance instead"

The savings are often substantial. "Simpler Fares" isn't great, but not every fare has increased, at quiet times (and around times when Lumo run) there are some absolute bargains and still were even before the Super Off Peaks went. If you buy it 10 minutes before departure it hardly matters that it isn't flexible because you know which train you're getting and know if there are any issues that might make it a bad choice e.g. short formation.

 

[modernrail]

Thanks all, much appreciated and some good nuance I hadn’t thought about!

 

[Wallsendmag]

With 3 trains per hour to London some of the xx27 services can be cheaper EG 1427 on 7th May for £38.20.

 

[Hadders]

And it can sometimes be cheaper to buy a 70 Minute Flex ticket for a train you don't intend to travel on and use it on a train where Advance tickets are more expensive, as long as it departs within 70 minutes of your booked train.

 

[MikeWh]

I would suggest not posting specific ones as likely the loopholes will just be closed, the obvious ones already were.

Please adhere to this advice.

 

[johntea]

Depending on your travel plans using Grand Central rather than LNER can often...although not always...be a cheaper option for advances (I say that as someone from Yorkshire but you could use the direct service to Sunderland then the Tyne and Wear or Northern to Newcastle which will obviously require an additional fare but still work out cheaper)

The only downside being they only operate around 6 services a day compared to the 40 or so LNER which also becomes a bit of a headache if your service is cancelled but I've never had an issue that hasn't been resolved quickly by them

 

[Haywain]

The only downside being they only operate around 6 services a day compared to the 40 or so LNER

Isn't the extra hour and a half or so of journey time also a downside?

 

[Kite159]

And it can sometimes be cheaper to buy a 70 Minute Flex ticket for a train you don't intend to travel on and use it on a train where Advance tickets are more expensive, as long as it departs within 70 minutes of your booked train.

Agreed there, can be cheaper to buy a 70 minute flex for one of the Newcastle terminators and use it on the Edinburgh fast service departing a few minutes earlier.

---

As for using Grand Central, the time penalty probably isn't worth it, especially when you need to factor in the extra time from Sunderland to Newcastle.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Isn't the extra hour and a half or so of journey time also a downside?

And the unreliability of the 180s meaning a cancellation is more likely.

I wouldn't unless it was wildly cheaper. Lumo perhaps if not taking a big bag.

 

[yorkie]

Agreed there, can be cheaper to buy a 70 minute flex for one of the Newcastle terminators and use it on the Edinburgh fast service departing a few minutes earlier.

Yes; LNER fares are so "simple", it can indeed be the case that the cheapest valid fare for the desired journey is to buy a Flex for the wrong train.

There are some journeys in particular where there are big savings to be made, and I have shown people the LNER journey planner, and see if they can figure it out. People are shocked when they realise, and I am yet to find anyone who genuinely thinks this is "simple".