Caledonian Sleeper

[HST274]

I'm booked for August and am now wondering if a family and friends discount could have been applied? The person on the phone said no, but it was possible on the Night Riviera

 

[ashkeba]

Hire a car to go from Crewe to Norwich for 3 days, £200 return by car assuming you're hiring from outside Crewe station (car hire prices are really high at the moment, probably because people are still avoiding the train), but by train it's £110. But if there's two people the car is still £200 but the train is now £220. For 3 people the train is £330.

Wouldn't train be still £220 for 3 people travelling together, or is GroupSave not available Crewe-Norwich for some reason? And car fuel cost would increase a bit to move another person and their stuff, so train may actually be more competitive for 3 than 2.

 

[alistairlees]

To update a much earlier part of the thread, Disabled railcards are now working correctly on their website and applying the discount to both travellers. I've just managed to book for myself and my wife to Glasgow and back in August for £237.60 return ( £105.60 out; £132.00 back ). That's the price for the two of us together.

An update earlier today. Glad it’s correct now.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2021 ==

Wouldn't train be still £220 for 3 people travelling together, or is GroupSave not available Crewe-Norwich for some reason? And car fuel cost would increase a bit to move another person and their stuff, so train may actually be more competitive for 3 than 2.

There is no groupsave from Crewe to Norwich. And I doubt that a car’s fuel economy would differ much between two people and three.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jun 2021 ==

I'm booked for August and am now wondering if a family and friends discount could have been applied? The person on the phone said no, but it was possible on the Night Riviera

Family and friends is available only for the seats. The more are already multi-room products aimed at families that offer a substantial discount.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

An update earlier today. Glad it’s correct now.

That update actually caused me a delay completing my booking as it started in between my booking the northbound and booking the southbound, with the result that all the southbound data was blank for about an hour or so until they told me by e-mail to try again as they'd finished whatever the upgrade they were doing was.

It was showing the correct prices for the northbound before the update kicked in.

 

[Butts]

If I were ever to venture onto the CS does my CD Railcard secure any reduction in the Berths or only the Seated offering ?

 

[Deafdoggie]

Wouldn't train be still £220 for 3 people travelling together, or is GroupSave not available Crewe-Norwich for some reason? And car fuel cost would increase a bit to move another person and their stuff, so train may actually be more competitive for 3 than 2.

Groupsave isn't available on all routes or with all TOCs.
You're assuming using a petrol car, if you've an electric car (and more and more people will) the cost of 'fuel' is negligible. Rail will need to respond to falling fuel costs as electric car ownership increases.

 

[island]

If I were ever to venture onto the CS does my CD Railcard secure any reduction in the Berths or only the Seated offering ?

It may be that I haven’t fully woken up yet but what is a CD Railcard? (This is not a sarcastic question intended to make fun of any potential typo, I would like to help.)

 

[Tormod]

I have tried the dinner offerings on the Highlander but personally i am not really bothered about eating on the train and prefer to have something before i get on or if short of time, grab something from Sainsbury's and eat it in the berth and pop down to the lounge later. I wonder if the general consensus is, like me, that people would prefer the lounge to be more of a pub perhaps offering just a few snacks like crisps, cheese & biscuits and maybe a few simple microwave type meals. I always thought the old Mark 3 lounges had a better atmosphere and seemed to be filled with a good crowd sitting in large groups drinking quite late into the night with banter flowing across the tables and sofas. Maybe the layout was better for this. I suspect that many of the people who use this forum would be happy with the pub type arrangement, but that generally the tourists wanting the 'experience' promoted by CS expect to be wining & dining in style.

For me, part of the pleasure of travelling by train is eating a decent meal any chance I get, although perhaps not wine with breakfast. I've dined on the GWR Pullman, and enjoyed it, so I'm very sorry that they've stopped the cook-on-board.

 

[Butts]

It may be that I haven’t fully woken up yet but what is a CD Railcard? (This is not a sarcastic question intended to make fun of any potential typo, I would like to help.)

Senior Railcard (Coffin Dodger)

 

[island]

Senior Railcard discounts are available for both seats and Club/classic solo rooms.

 

[Butts]

Senior Railcard discounts are available for both seats and Club/classic solo rooms.

Good to know, thanks.

 

[HST274]

Family and friends is available only for the seats. The more are already multi-room products aimed at families that offer a substantial discount.

Good to hear that I didn't miss out on saving. I only wondered as on the Night Riviera it was possible- anyone know why that is the case?

 

[Peter Sarf]

Groupsave isn't available on all routes or with all TOCs.
You're assuming using a petrol car, if you've an electric car (and more and more people will) the cost of 'fuel' is negligible. Rail will need to respond to falling fuel costs as electric car ownership increases.

Don't worry. If electric cars use so little fuel cost wise then the government will just whack up the price of road tax. Oh hang on that way you will not save much money by not using your car !. Of course they might come up with a clever thing like road pricing. But there is already a thread on that somewhere that I cannot find yet.

 

[williamn]

CS have now introduced a Club (en suite) flexipass, at £1950 for ten trips. This means that the existing free upgrade that was available for flexipass holders is no longer available.

Slightly mean not to honour that for those who already have flexipass tickets to use up!

 

[Bald Rick]

For regular sole travellers on the highlander that is a bargain.

For passengers who travel together, or those who use the lowlander. Less so.

 

[williamn]

If they are savvy they'd offer those with an existing flexipass (I still have 8 journeys to use) a way to upgrade. I'd be happy to pay the £300 extra for sure.

 

[crossani]

The "upgrade" option appears to be to buy a brand new Club Flexipass, then contact CS and they'll refund the outstanding tickets on the Classic Flexipass.

 

[Essexman]

If they are savvy they'd offer those with an existing flexipass (I still have 8 journeys to use) a way to upgrade. I'd be happy to pay the £300 extra for sure.

Same here. I’d happily pay to upgrade my remaining six tickets but I don’t think I’ll buy another Flexipass now I have a Senior Railcard which only gives discount on individual bookings.

 

[retsim]

I'm sure this is answered already, so apologies, but how does the CS work right now for solo travellers - in particular, in relating to sharing? It's about 20 years since I last used it, but I fancy taking a journey from London and back when I get some leave from work this summer.

 

[XAM2175]

I'm sure this is answered already, so apologies, but how does the CS work right now for solo travellers - in particular, in relating to sharing?

Solo passengers sharing cabins was discontinued two or three years ago now, so you'll have a room to yourself however you book it.

 

[alistairlees]

I'm sure this is answered already, so apologies, but how does the CS work right now for solo travellers - in particular, in relating to sharing? It's about 20 years since I last used it, but I fancy taking a journey from London and back when I get some leave from work this summer.

There hasn’t been a sharing (with a stranger) option in the rooms for several years.

 

[Butts]

Will it return when the pandemic ends ?

Did it stop when the new stock was introduced ?

 

[XAM2175]

Will it return when the pandemic ends ?

Did it stop when the new stock was introduced ?

It was deliberate policy decision made as part of the transition to the more up-market brand - which is why I said it was two or three years ago and not "because of Covid". If I recall correctly it took effect a little while before the new stock was introduced.

 

[alistairlees]

Will it return when the pandemic ends ?

Did it stop when the new stock was introduced ?

It won’t ever return. It was removed before the pandemic. Most customers didn’t like it.

 

[Butts]

There hasn’t been a sharing (with a stranger) option in the rooms for several years.

It won’t ever return. It was removed before the pandemic. Most customers didn’t like it.

Is this partly the reason the prices have had to increase ?

How many people would opt to share with a pneumatic blonde if it was half price ? ( perhaps it would be double !!)

Seriously I would share with a stranger for the right reduction - say 50% off.

if you can survive a barracks a sleeper would be a doddle.

 

[XAM2175]

How many people would opt to share with a pneumatic blonde if it was half price ? ( perhaps it would be double !!)

Find yourself one and book a cabin with her, then

 

[lawried123]

I've just looked at a typical journey from London to Fort William in September using a senior travelcard and it does indeed give me a discount. When I try to do the journey for two people sharing the classic room and using a two together card, it doesn't give any discount.
Does anyone know whether this is correct, as it does list the two together railcard in the dropdown menu.

Lawrie

 

[adrock1976]

It won’t ever return. It was removed before the pandemic. Most customers didn’t like it.

Perhaps maybe an option would be for single travellers to share if they don't mind, with that option on the website and booking systems.

Think of it as that it would be better to have an extra £50 or so in the till than not having an extra £100 or so in the till (prices are illustrative and do not reflect actual fares charged) if there was an option for those passengers who do not mind sharing.

 

[alistairlees]

Perhaps maybe an option would be for single travellers to share if they don't mind, with that option on the website and booking systems.

Think of it as that it would be better to have an extra £50 or so in the till than not having an extra £100 or so in the till (prices are illustrative and do not reflect actual fares charged) if there was an option for those passengers who do not mind sharing.

That won’t be happening, as I said. Things are complex enough as it is. The market for sharing is negligible.

 

[Cantab26]

I've just looked at a typical journey from London to Fort William in September using a senior travelcard and it does indeed give me a discount. When I try to do the journey for two people sharing the classic room and using a two together card, it doesn't give any discount.
Does anyone know whether this is correct, as it does list the two together railcard in the dropdown menu.

Lawrie

Two Together discount is on seats only, not berths: info here