Aberdeen - Glasgow

[Chew Chew]

Hi guys.

Looking for a bit of advice re some tickets I want to book between Aberdeen and Glasgow. Apologies in advance for not using the shorthand terminology most of you guys use but to be honest I don't know what most of it means.

I'm heading down with a mate to see Peter Kay at the SECC in Glasgow on 14th April so looking to go to Glasgow on that date and returning to Aberdeen the following day.

When I input the dates into the firstscotrail site I forgot to change the number of passengers to 2 so was only getting responses for 1 person travelling and it said that I could get the 1342 from Aberdeen to Glasgow on the 14th and the 1241 from Glasgow to Aberdeen on the 15th for £10.30 single each way. Here is a screengrab for that.

Thinking I was onto a good thing I went back to the initial page and corrected the details so that it was showing for 2 people instead. Now I see that the price has went up from £10.30 per single each way to £24.10 per single each way. Here is a screengrab of that.

I then went and checked thetrainline website and it gave the same results.

I appreciate that there are a limited number of advance tickets available at the lowest price but it is that likely that on both the trains I picked there was only 1 tickets left at the lowest price? Even if it was the case that one 1 ticket was available at the £10.30 single price why is is not offering to sell me 1 ticket at £10.30 single each way for both journeys and another at £24.10 single each way?

Sorry for waffling on, all help gratefully appreciated.

 

[LexyBoy]

It certainly does happen that there can be just one ticket left - it has happened to me a few times.

If I were you I would just buy the cheaper ticket for one person, both ways, then go back and book again for the second person.

I'm not sure why the systems can't sell one of each ticket type, I think that the software wants to put all travellers together on the same ticket type so puts you in whichever Advance 'band' there are enough tickets left in. The software was probably developed before Advance tickets became as widespread as they are, so it made sense to do this.

 

[passivepassion]

I second the suggestions by LexyBoy to book the tickets in two transactions to get the best deal.

As for the more expensive ticket, which you quoted as £24.10 single ABD-GLQ, it is worth splitting at Dundee (or you can try different places along the route). There seems to be plenty of lowest tier advance tickets between Aberdeen and Dundee (@£6.20) on both of your preferred departures (1342 from Aberdeen and 1400 from Dundee). For Dundee-Glasgow, the train you want (1452dep from Dundee, 14/Apr) seems to have jumped to the next tier of advance @£15.10. That adds up to £21.30 and saves you £2.80 one way.

The above search was using the EC website.

 

[Chew Chew]

Cheers for the replies.

If I was to order the tickets in different transactions would I be able to change the seat reservations so I'd be able to sit next to my mate?

From what I can remember this train is normally pretty busy with a fair amount of offshore workings using it to get back to Glasgow.

I hadn't thought about splitting the tickets so will have a look at that just now.

 

[island]

The seat reservations will be random unfortunately and can't be changed. If you think you can get to a train station before someone books the last ticket, then they can choose seats for you.

 

[Chew Chew]

The seat reservations will be random unfortunately and can't be changed. If you think you can get to a train station before someone books the last ticket, then they can choose seats for you.

I booked the £10.30 tickets pretty much as soon as I finished my last post as I'd told my mate it would be £20.60 return for the train and I didn't want to end up only getting £20.60 off of him and me paying the extra for his ticket through my laziness as I'd feel bad telling him his ticket had doubled in price when it was my fault.

 

[LexyBoy]

If I was to order the tickets in different transactions would I be able to change the seat reservations so I'd be able to sit next to my mate?

As island says, no, but as you're getting on the train at its starting point on both occasions, you shouldn't have a problem sitting together if you can get on the train a while before it's due, just find two unreserved seats together (there may well be a free seat next to one of your reservations anyway).

Or, if you haven't got them already, get your tickets from the station or telesales and they should be able to put you together.

(Technically you must sit in your reserved seat on Advance tickets, but I've never seen it enforced).

 

[Chew Chew]

That's all the tickets booked now.

I took passivepassion's advice for the journey south and on the way back I did look at splitting the journey but they added up to more than the £24.10 it was for a Glasgow to Aberdeen ticket so I just got that. All in all it cost £45.40 which I can't moan too much about as it is a reduction on the Off Peak return price of £52.50.

I'll certainly make sure I book as soon as I know dates in future though as it has ended up costing me £25.

Cheers for the help and advice.