Change fare's time

[Krzysztofik]

Hello,

This seems like a standard question, but I cannot find answer to it. I have just realized that I booked a ticket for the train arriving too late at the destination station. Thus, I would like to take the earlier train on the same route.

Is it possible to just take the earlier train or would that be considered as a travel without a ticket? If so, is it possible to exchange my ticket?

It is Cross Country Trains ticket between Oxford and Manchester departing at 9:36 am tomorrow, February 27, 2013. I purchased the ticket using 16-25 Railcard discount.

I am sorry if the answer to this question was already posted before.

Kind regards.

 

[maniacmartin]

Do you already have the ticket? If so can you post exactly what type of ticket it is?

Specifically, does it say ADVANCE at the top and "Only valid with reservations" - with a separate coupon with the seat reservation?

How much did the ticket cost?

 

[Krzysztofik]

Yes, I collected the ticket some time ago. That is exactly, what it says: ADVANCE and "Only valid with reservations". There is a separate coupon with the reservation. The ticket costed me £22.10.

 

[button_boxer]

In that case it's valid only on the specific train you booked. You can change the date and/or time (but not the origin and destination) for a fee of £10 plus the difference between the fare you paid and the cheapest available fare for the train you want to change to (i.e. the cheapest fare available at the moment you make the change). If the current cheapest fare on the new train is less than the fare you have already paid then it's just the £10 fee, you don't get a refund of the difference.

 

[John @ home]

You can change the date and/or time (but not the origin and destination) for a fee of £10 plus the difference between the fare you paid and the cheapest available fare for the train you want to change to (i.e. the cheapest fare available at the moment you make the change).

Unfortunately, this can only be done until the time of departure of the first reservable train. The OP's ticket has no value after 0936 today, 27 February 2013.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Not forgetting that any changes must be made before the departure time of the first booked train, meaning this information may no longer be any use to the op.......

 

[sentry100]

Out of interest, last year at Waterloo I asked a guard who was standing near the front of the train if I was allowed to use a ticket on an earlier service. He said "not really but it's not full so I'll let you on" and he initialled my ticket and said I could get on.

Was he technically allowed to do that or might he have got in trouble with his managers? I worried afterwards that I might get him into trouble and how irritating such requests must be to staff.

 

[ainsworth74]

Guards are allowed to show discretion if they so wish. I wouldn't have said he did anything wrong, indeed if his train wasn't full then I'd say he showed you good customer service. That being said I'm not sure how his manger would view it.

 

[Urban Gateline]

Out of interest, last year at Waterloo I asked a guard who was standing near the front of the train if I was allowed to use a ticket on an earlier service. He said "not really but it's not full so I'll let you on" and he initialled my ticket and said I could get on.

Was he technically allowed to do that or might he have got in trouble with his managers? I worried afterwards that I might get him into trouble and how irritating such requests must be to staff.

Also, SWT services do not have specific seats allocated, so if the aformentioned service wasn't busy, then not much is lost out on by letting you travel, as long as it's not a regular occurence! (Otherwise there would be no point of "Advance" tickets if terms are not enforced)

 

[Krzysztofik]

Thanks for all the advice folks. It seemed to me that the only option available was this:

In that case it's valid only on the specific train you booked. You can change the date and/or time (but not the origin and destination) for a fee of £10 plus the difference between the fare you paid and the cheapest available fare for the train you want to change to (i.e. the cheapest fare available at the moment you make the change). If the current cheapest fare on the new train is less than the fare you have already paid then it's just the £10 fee, you don't get a refund of the difference.

so I eventually rescheduled the meeting to avoid the (probable) cost of paying app. £30. Good to know all that though. I think that if I took the earlier train on my own it might be a bit problematic, as there usually two conductors checking the tickets on that route. Explaining everything twice might be a bit risky. Although it seems to me that they don't always really look at the precise time of departure, but just the date, do they?

 

[sarahj]

Its amazing what we see when we look at tickets. Had a nice discussion with a pass the other day who was travelling on the 10.17 Victoria to Eastbourne. Her advance ticket was for a train at 13.25(ish). Yet she could not see see how she was in the wrong.

Mind I was miffed at a system that sells a ticket to eastbourne via Brighton. The pass did not seemed clued up on the things about routings and cheap fares that get discussed here. As far as she was concerned, she had a ticket from london to eastbourne and was on a train from london to eastbourne.

 

[maniacmartin]

Its amazing what we see when we look at tickets. Had a nice discussion with a pass the other day who was travelling on the 10.17 Victoria to Eastbourne. Her advance ticket was for a train at 13.25(ish). Yet she could not see see how she was in the wrong.

Mind I was miffed at a system that sells a ticket to eastbourne via Brighton. The pass did not seemed clued up on the things about routings and cheap fares that get discussed here. As far as she was concerned, she had a ticket from london to eastbourne and was on a train from london to eastbourne.

Advance tickets very clearly say booked train only. I don't see how she could have been genuinely confused, unless she didn't bother to read what she was buying.

 

[island]

Its amazing what we see when we look at tickets. Had a nice discussion with a pass the other day who was travelling on the 10.17 Victoria to Eastbourne. Her advance ticket was for a train at 13.25(ish). Yet she could not see see how she was in the wrong.

Mind I was miffed at a system that sells a ticket to eastbourne via Brighton. The pass did not seemed clued up on the things about routings and cheap fares that get discussed here. As far as she was concerned, she had a ticket from london to eastbourne and was on a train from london to eastbourne.

I do hope you sold her a new CDS.

 

[Oscar]

There are three main categories of tickets in Britain: Advance, Off-Peak and Anytime.

Advance tickets are only valid on the train you book. These tickets are only sold as singles and are only available in advance (available until 18:00 on the day before travel).

Off-Peak tickets are valid on all trains at certain times of date (which differ depending on the ticket). These tickets are available in advance or on the day of travel.

Anytime tickets are valid at any time of day. These tickets are available in advance or on the day of travel.

Oxford to Manchester (route: Any Permitted):
Advance fares (singles) from £12.50
Off-Peak Single (not valid before 09:30) - £68.20
Off-Peak Return (not valid before 09:30) - £69.20
Anytime Single - £76.50
Anytime Return - £153.00

If you board the Oxford - Manchester train without a ticket you will be charged the Anytime fare. If you board the train with an Advance ticket for a different train you will be charged the Off-Peak fare if it is valid on that train, otherwise an Anytime fare.

Some links which may be of interest:

National Rail Enquiries - Ticket Types

RailUK Fares & Ticketing Guide - Ticket Types and Conditions (I'm not sure whether you will be able to see this yet.)

Oxford to Manchester fares

 

[maniacmartin]

If you board the Oxford - Manchester train without a ticket you will be charged the Anytime fare.

I wouldn't advise those unfamiliar with rail ticketting to do this, as some TOCs will give you a Penalty Fare.

 

[island]

I wouldn't advise those unfamiliar with rail ticketting to do this, as some TOCs will give you a Penalty Fare.

All trains from Oxford to Manchester are operated by CrossCountry, which does not have a Penalty Fares scheme.

 

[Krzysztofik]

Oscar, thank you for your post, it clarifies a lot to me.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
PS (DISCLAIMER: slightly off-topic) If you buy a ticket early enough, the price for Advance ticket is indeed around £12, e.g. now, the ticket from Ox to Manc for March 14's morning is priced like that.

 

[island]

Yes, the cheapest available fare would be £12.50 or £8.25 with a Railcard.