Advance more expensive than flexible

[Mcr Warrior]

For which journey?

Think we're still talking about Alsager to London Euston.

 

[nanstallon]

He was literally doing his job, and shouldn't be demonised for that.

Britain - the land of Mr Jobsworth.

 

[modernrail]

Legally it is not theft.

It is not as uncommon as people sometimes think to have Advance fares priced higher than flexible walk up fares. Or, much more commonly, Advance fares to be only a nominal sum lower, which is extremely poor value given the loss of contractual rights.

I don't think there is anything that cancan realistically be done about such sharp practice, however.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Feb 2023 ==


Some booking engines present Advance fares at the top of the results, regardless of price, and don't offer a warning if a cheaper flexible fare is available.

However, if presented with the choice in a manner that is easy to understand, no customer would make that choice.

It is well beyond sharp practice.

This is a heavily publicly subsidised infrastructure for which the public purse carries performance risk. It is not far off nationalised no matter what the unions might think. The public has a right to expect fairness in return for its substantial subsidy.

Operating companies should not be doing it and the DfT should be making sure they are not doing it.

I use the bookings engines a lot and have nearly been caught out on a few of them a number of times because of confusing if not full on underhand ways of presenting results with badly priced advance fares coming out as the top result.

The results should always have a ‘you can buy a more flexible fare for x more’ result. If it is actually less, then of course it should not even be shown as a fare.

 

[yorkie]

It is well beyond sharp practice.

This is a heavily publicly subsidised infrastructure for which the public purse carries performance risk. It is not far off nationalised no matter what the unions might think. The public has a right to expect fairness in return for its substantial subsidy.

Operating companies should not be doing it and the DfT should be making sure they are not doing it.

The DfT should be putting a stop to it, but good luck getting them to do anything about it!

Please do contact them, and let us know how you get on.

I use the bookings engines a lot and have nearly been caught out on a few of them a number of times because of confusing if not full on underhand ways of presenting results with badly priced advance fares coming out as the top result.

The results should always have a ‘you can buy a more flexible fare for x more’ result. If it is actually less, then of course it should not even be shown as a fare.

My suggestion would be to switch to a different booking engine. Have you tried the forum's?

 

[modernrail]

The DfT should be putting a stop to it, but good luck getting them to do anything about it!

Please do contact them, and let us know how you get on.

My suggestion would be to switch to a different booking engine. Have you tried the forum's?

Maybe I can get somebody in the press worked up about it. Time the DfT took responsibility for itself on this sort of easy to fix thing. Won’t sit well with the cost of living crisis narrative.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Feb 2023 ==

The DfT should be putting a stop to it, but good luck getting them to do anything about it!

Please do contact them, and let us know how you get on.

My suggestion would be to switch to a different booking engine. Have you tried the forum's?

I haven’t! I didn’t know there was such a thing.

 

[yorkie]

Maybe I can get somebody in the press worked up about it. Time the DfT took responsibility for itself on this sort of easy to fix thing. Won’t sit well with the cost of living crisis narrative.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Feb 2023 ==


I haven’t! I didn’t know there was such a thing.

Check this out:
Introducing RailUK Tickets - support the forum when booking your rail tickets!

There are no booking fees, though a share of the savings (if there are any) is charged, if the site finds a cheaper combination of tickets than the through fare would have cost. The vast majority of any such savings are passed onto the customer. If there are no savings to be had, there is no fee.

 

[modernrail]

Check this out:
Introducing RailUK Tickets - support the forum when booking your rail tickets!

There are no booking fees, though a share of the savings (if there are any) is charged, if the site finds a cheaper combination of tickets than the through fare would have cost. The vast majority of any such savings are passed onto the customer. If there are no savings to be had, there is no fee.

Thank you!