Chiltern Free Weekend travel.

[dlj83]

My understanding of this was that if you bought an annual ticket over £1500 from a Chiltern station and you carried your Gold card you was allowed to travel anywhere for free at weekends.

At Aylesbury I was told it's not allowed and that I would need to buy a ticket from Amersham to Aylesbury with no discount.

Is this true because I've used it to Birmingham many times with no issues.

Have the rules really changed or is it poor training.

Further information: I have a zone 1-3 Oyster purchased from Marylebone.

 

[andrewkeith5]

My understanding was that it was any season ticket of a month or longer worth over some amount. I've heard people mention oyster before but don't think it was ever confirmed, I always had a paper travelcard. In principle it seems OK.

 

[postye]

My understanding of this was that if you bought an annual ticket over £1500 from a Chiltern station and you carried your Gold card you was allowed to travel anywhere for free at weekends.

At Aylesbury I was told it's not allowed and that I would need to buy a ticket from Amersham to Aylesbury with no discount.

Is this true because I've used it to Birmingham many times with no issues.

Have the rules really changed or is it poor training.

Further information: I have a zone 1-3 Oyster purchased from Marylebone.

Some Chiltern staff do like making up their own rules regarding the free weekend travel which is disappointing.
However The rules do say that the travelcard needs to be valid on Chiltern services, which a z1-3 travelcard isn't as the first station out of Marylebone is Z4, so that is a grey area.
Were you given a stamped "season ticket benefits" form when you bought the ticket? If so there is more of an argument to complain to Chiltern.

 

[SWT_USER]

I used my Z1-6 Oyster up to Birmingham last week with no issues - just showed the ticket inspector the gold record card and their website doesn't indicate a rule change so think you were unlucky.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The travelcard needs to be bought from a Chiltern station, valid on Chiltern services AND start from a Chiltern station. Outboundary Travelcards from other routes do not count. A zone 1-3 Travelcard is not valid on Chiltern services.

Complain and you might get a refund of the single ticket, but I'd say they were right.

Although IME the staff at Aylesbury are some of the least helpful people you could ever wish to meet.

 

[centraluser]

The full T&Cs are:

"Free weekend travel on all routes

When you buy a monthly or longer season ticket or Travelcard season ticket, originating from a Chiltern Railways station, valid on our services, and worth £150 or more a month (or £1,500 or more a year), you get FREE travel at weekends and on Bank Holidays across our entire network (except for the Bicester Village Shuttle Bus). You must buy your ticket from Chiltern Railways to receive this benefit. If your Season Ticket is on an Oyster card you must also have your paper record card to travel free at weekends and Bank Holidays. This offer does not apply on Christmas Day and Boxing Day."

I would say that the important words here are 'valid on our services'. As has already been pointed out Z1-3 tickets are not valid on Chiltern services, so the offer is not valid in this instance.

Interestingly, also not valid on the Boxing Day service that will be running out to Oxford Parkway from MYB.

 

[furlong]

(Technically it is valid on their services, but only when used in conjunction with an additional ticket.)

 

[andrewkeith5]

(Technically it is valid on their services, but only when used in conjunction with an additional ticket.)

Therefore in itself it is not valid....

 

[londonbridge]

So a Z1-3 Travelcard containing sufficient PAYG balance for a zone 3-4 extension journey isn't valid on Chiltern services between zones 1 and 4 then......

 

[bb21]

You are getting into very murky waters and relying on a technicality.

The bottom line is, it is a generous offer aimed at rewarding regular Chiltern passengers. Someone with a Zones 1-3 Travelcard season is quite clearly not one except on odd occasions, PAYG credit or not. Start taking the pee and expect the offer to be withdawn. Why spoil it for those using the offer properly?

 

[Tetchytyke]

So a Z1-3 Travelcard containing sufficient PAYG balance for a zone 3-4 extension journey isn't valid on Chiltern services between zones 1 and 4 then......

If you get on a Chiltern Railways train with only a Z1-3 Travelcard you do not have a valid ticket for travel.

The fact you can buy an extension ticket to give you validity is neither here nor yon. A Newcastle to Durham season ticket would be valid on Chiltern with the right extension ticket using your logic.

Expect them to read this thread and tighten up the rules. They did when I tried to clarify whether an Outboundary Travelcard (which has exactly the same validity as a Z1-6 Travelcard) was eligible for this offer.

 

[dlj83]

You are getting into very murky waters and relying on a technicality.

The bottom line is, it is a generous offer aimed at rewarding regular Chiltern passengers. Someone with a Zones 1-3 Travelcard season is quite clearly not one except on odd occasions, PAYG credit or not. Start taking the pee and expect the offer to be withdawn. Why spoil it for those using the offer properly?

I asked when i bought this ticket in May, do i get free weekend travel the answer was yes.

I asked gateline staff at Marylebone can i use it, he looked at my gold card and says this tells me your ticket and Oyster isn't valid (stupid)

I asked at the excess fares window and was told yes i do get free weekend travel on Chiltern.

 

[bb21]

Your ticket is not valid on Chiltern and that should be the end of the matter. Perhaps you were given duff information by some, so you may wish to register a complaint with Chiltern regarding that.

What you cannot change is the fact that your ticket does not satisfy the criteria for free travel because it is not valid on Chiltern (as any normal person would understand it). As I said, start abusing an offer and it will in all likelihood be withdrawn or tightened in the future and then everyone loses out. The only reason your ticket fell over the price threshold is due to the annual increase at the start of 2015 and Chiltern failing to update that particular requirement. I wouldn't be surprised if it were revised to something like £1700 or £1800 for next year.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The only reason your ticket fell over the price threshold is due to the annual increase at the start of 2015 and Chiltern failing to update that particular requirement. I wouldn't be surprised if it were revised to something like £1700 or £1800 for next year.

Perhaps, though it isn't relevant as it, as it stands on its own, is not valid on a Chiltern Railways service, therefore the concession does not apply.