Delay Repay compensation idea for return tickets

[Silverdale]

Moderator note: split from Delay Repay compensation for return tickets, with lengthy delays in both directions

There would be a lot of sense in basing compensation for delay for a return ticket on the aggregate rather then delay per journey. Consider a customer who is delayed by 25mins on their outward journey and 45 mins on their return. Southern, whose compensation is based on the delay per journey and cost of the relevant portion, would calculate compensation at 25% of the outward plus 50% of the return, being 37.5% of the return ticket cost. Basing compensation on the aggregate delay and full ticket cost, it would be 50%, so the customer is better compensated for the totality of their delay.

 

[yorkie]

I think that would be very difficult to process from an administration point of view, and it would not work if the customer was delayed by different train companies on their outward and return journeys.

The current system of compensating based on a single journey is more practicable.

 

[Silverdale]

I think that would be very difficult to process from an administration point of view, and it would not work if the customer was delayed by different train companies on their outward and return journeys.

As long as each TOC is allowed to specify their own scheme and process their own delay repay claims, you are absolutely right.

The current system of compensating based on a single journey is more practicable.

Some (most?) current schemes already cut across that principle by paying compensation for a 2hr delay on a single (e.g outward) journey based on 100% of the cost of both portions of a return (e.g. Saver) ticket.

The purchaser of two single (e.g. Advance + Saver half ) tickets doesn't get the same consideration.

 

[swt_passenger]

What I suspect is that the designers of the various TOC’s schemes never even considered the possibility or likelihood of major delays in both directions...

 

[Belperpete]

Consider a customer who is delayed by 25mins on their outward journey and 45 mins on their return. Southern, whose compensation is based on the delay per journey and cost of the relevant portion, would calculate compensation at 25% of the outward plus 50% of the return, being 37.5% of the return ticket cost. Basing compensation on the aggregate delay and full ticket cost, it would be 50%, so the customer is better compensated for the totality of their delay.

Are you not making a big assumption that the threshold levels stay the same? Surely if you are allowed to aggregate the delays, then the TOCs will insist on the thresholds being raised. So your customer who would get 37.5% of his ticket cost by submitting separate claims, might only get 50% if submitting an aggregated claim with aggregated thresholds.

 

[Belperpete]

What I suspect is that the designers of the various TOC’s schemes never even considered the possibility or likelihood of major delays in both directions...

CrossCountry's claim form specifies "If either or both legs of your journey are delayed by more than two hours, you are entitled to receive up to 100% of the cost of the return ticket". Only 100% even if 2+ hour delays in both directions, so XC certainly considered the possibility.

A bit odd that they don't include a rider about over 2 hours in one direction and less than 2 hours in the other direction, in which case there is nothing to say you are not entitled to 100% + 50%!! So whereas often you are thinking "if this train is delayed by another couple of minutes I will get compensation", XC have managed to come up with a situation where if you have been delayed 2+ hours on the outward journey, and 1 hour 59 minutes so far on the return journey, you will be thinking "don't be delayed any more, or I will LOSE compensation"!!!