Advance tickets Perth to Manchester

[DRH]

Good afternoon,
First post here, I didn't know there was such a forum so looking forward to lurk for a bit.

However, I did have a question: I do a weekly commute Perth to Manchester. Since January my rail fares have more than doubled in cost as I can no longer choose an advance ticket for the first part of my journey: this has a knock on effect that I don't pay Advance ticket prices for any of the journeys (even though they are available) hence the increase in price. I've since found a half way house at booking 4 singles, but it is still more expensive.

I can't find anybody at First Scotrail who can confirm or deny that the Perth to Edinburgh/Glasgow routes (1st two trains on a Monday) have had the Advance tickets removed. I can't find notification of this anywhere. I keep getting told the Advacne tickets have sold out..... but for trains at 05:12 or 05:18 in the morning for 3 months???

Is any kind soul able to shed light on this change, or (hopefully) state they have managed to keep Advacne tickets on either of those early trains?

 

[bb21]

I suspect that they may indeed have removed any available quota on the 0512 and the 0518 as I am getting consistent results testing out different days that the first train for which an Advance ticket is sold is the 0715.

 

[Deerfold]

I can't find anybody at First Scotrail who can confirm or deny that the Perth to Edinburgh/Glasgow routes (1st two trains on a Monday) have had the Advance tickets removed. I can't find notification of this anywhere. I keep getting told the Advacne tickets have sold out..... but for trains at 05:12 or 05:18 in the morning for 3 months???

There'll be very few people at Scotrail who will know what the allocations are - and they're unlikely to tell anyone what they are for commercial reasons.

 

[Romilly]

I certainly can't see Advances going south from Perth on a Monday on any train earlier than the 0615.

I don't know how much DRH was paying before, but Advances between Perth and Manchester at peak-time seem to start at around £23, although many at that time are more like £35.

Looking at w/c 31 March, going out I might combine a Perth-Glasgow £15.60 Anytime Day Single on the 0518 with a £27 Glasgow-Manchester Advance on the 0709. Coming back on the Friday afternoon, there's a £25 Manchester-Perth advance on the 1616, or £35 Advances on the 1446 or 1646. That gives a total of £67 to £77 compared, presumably, with a previous total of something like £45 to £55. This suggestion is, I guess, similar to DRH's halfway house.

 

[WelshBluebird]

There'll be very few people at Scotrail who will know what the allocations are - and they're unlikely to tell anyone what they are for commercial reasons.

Off topic, but I think that is a bit of a joke really.
If a company can claim to offer advance fares, then IMO they really should have to say what specific services they are available for (and preferable the numbers etc too).

 

[Deerfold]

Off topic, but I think that is a bit of a joke really.
If a company can claim to offer advance fares, then IMO they really should have to say what specific services they are available for (and preferable the numbers etc too).

Just for TOCs or for National Express's Coach funfares, airlines etc? Unless everyone's revealing everything it's unfair for one to be put at a disadvantage.

I have noticed an increase in TOCs saying they have at least x fares below price y available between certain dates but not saying which services they are available on.

 

[afyutr]

I suppose Easyjet etc seem to say "only 3 seats left at this price" and such like, although whether this is a ploy to get you to book it quickly we'll never know.

 

[DRH]

Thanks for the replies. All your testing matches my own which means I can now stop chasing the old prices!

Previously was paying 45-55 and so monthly price has just. Jumped about £100.

Very frustrating that there was no announcement or even knowledge at customer support to confirm.

I think I can get slightly better prices with a return middle journey but unfortunately my favourite train times are via Glasgow on Monday and Edinburgh on Friday. Perhaps a return to Carlisle will help but I'll have to test, I don't have high hopes.

Did I read the franchise is up for renewal? You'd think First would want to drive profits into the ground to reduce the available bids.

 

[Francis]

For Mon 3rd March Scotrail website is showing £25 for the 0615 Perth-Manchester via Edinburgh. Maybe they are just putting the Advance tickets up later for sale? Say 8 wks instead of 12 wks?

 

[DRH]

Yes, that's the train I've been getting this month (my colleagues have been reasonably understanding). It's each of the previous two trains I'd prefer to get (only a few mins between them) and they are a leap in price.

It's a shame my total journey hasn't only gone up by a few pounds, i.e. I can still access the Advance prices on the other 3 parts of my journey.

 

[D6975]

The first cheap advance from Stirling is on the 06:23, £16.50 arriving Picc at 10:53.
Add a 12.60 anytime from Perth to get you into that and it's £29.10 for the outward, getting you to Picc about half an hour after your previous normal time.

 

[yorkie]

For Mon 3rd March Scotrail website is showing £25 for the 0615 Perth-Manchester via Edinburgh. Maybe they are just putting the Advance tickets up later for sale? Say 8 wks instead of 12 wks?

I don't think that's it, no.

The 0615 is a non-reserveable connecting service for a Perth-Manchester Advance ticket.

The way I read the original post was that it is (only) the first part (ie, Perth-Glasgow) of the journey that is no longer available for Advance tickets.

The two early trains mentioned from Perth are both reserveable, and if there is no quota available on these trains it will not only prevent a Perth-Glasgow Advance being issued, but also a Perth-Manchester or, indeed, anywhere else.

 

[DRH]

I've found if i stretch my purchases 6 weeks in advance, I can still get pretty affordable single journeys which minimises the increase from Scotrails change. That was always the case however it has a greater impact now.

Thanks to all that helped!