I work irregular and unpredictable shifts which can be at any time during the day or night and can change at short notice. Travelling from St Albans to St Pancras and back on Thameslink I can usually get an off peak ticket. On some occasions though a Carnet ticket is the best option, but not frequently enough to buy ten at a time. I buy them in fives but even then to avoid ending up with unused tickets I wait until I actually need them, having got caught out in the past. So far so good.
Travelling home one night late last year I arrived at St Pancras shortly before 10pm and went to the Thameslink ticket office. As there were a couple of people waiting to save time I went to a ticket machine to buy my Carnet tickets. I discovered the ticket machines at St Pancras only sell them in tens so thought I would be clever and buy five online for immediate collection. Unfortunately the online system treats them as a season ticket and requires you to wait 2 days before collecting them. Luckily the ticket office was still open and I managed to buy them just before they closed at 10pm.
I contacted Thameslink who told me the ticket machines would be upgraded "early next year" when the Carnet fives would be available. Unfortunately this hasn't happened and where they have replaced ticket machines at other Thameslink stations which previously did sell Carnets in fives that option has actually now disappeared.
So my question is: In the future if I arrive at St Pancras after 10pm when the Thameslink ticket office is closed and I can't buy five Carnet tickets what should I do? As my ticket of choice is not available (at least not in the quantity required) do I have to buy anything - or wait for the first opportunity to buy? The other operator's ticket offices at St Pancras also close at 10pm and their machines don't sell Carnets at all.
Travelling home one night late last year I arrived at St Pancras shortly before 10pm and went to the Thameslink ticket office. As there were a couple of people waiting to save time I went to a ticket machine to buy my Carnet tickets. I discovered the ticket machines at St Pancras only sell them in tens so thought I would be clever and buy five online for immediate collection. Unfortunately the online system treats them as a season ticket and requires you to wait 2 days before collecting them. Luckily the ticket office was still open and I managed to buy them just before they closed at 10pm.
I contacted Thameslink who told me the ticket machines would be upgraded "early next year" when the Carnet fives would be available. Unfortunately this hasn't happened and where they have replaced ticket machines at other Thameslink stations which previously did sell Carnets in fives that option has actually now disappeared.
So my question is: In the future if I arrive at St Pancras after 10pm when the Thameslink ticket office is closed and I can't buy five Carnet tickets what should I do? As my ticket of choice is not available (at least not in the quantity required) do I have to buy anything - or wait for the first opportunity to buy? The other operator's ticket offices at St Pancras also close at 10pm and their machines don't sell Carnets at all.
