E tickets only on LNER Advances?

[moleman212]

Looked up an advance journey for 6th Dec from Doncaster to Kings Cross and it's not possible to collect the ticket from a machine. E-tickets only. Is this a new development?

 

[Starmill]

Are you using the website or app?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Just tried it on the website and got the same - e-ticket only.

Do I recall that there's some issue with issuing very-long-horizon Advances as ToD? It will offer the other methods if you book one for next week.

I also discovered a little bug when searching for that date - if you select "open return" and then "one way" the "open return" flag remains set meaning it doesn't offer you any journeys (because obviously a single can't be an "open return") - our resident gurus may want to fix that! Doesn't seem consistently reproducible, though.

 

[moleman212]

Are you using the website or app?

I tried both and the same result in each. Usually there is an option to tick that say 'No printer or smartphone?'.

 

[Starmill]

It will still offer me ticket on departure for a ticket for tomorrow if I want it. I think that eticket only for extended period bookings has been the rule for a while. Otherwise wait until it goes on general sale.

 

[Haywain]

Bookings in the extended horizon are only offered for eTicket fulfilment. And only Advance tickets are offered so ‘open return’ is not an available option.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Bookings in the extended horizon are only offered for eTicket fulfilment. And only Advance tickets are offered so ‘open return’ is not an available option.

If you pick it it shows nothing with no obvious message saying exactly why (there is a message but it's a bit misleading). I consider that a bug, or at least if you prefer a faulty design. (In work I never like to get stuck up in "working as designed" - if it's not fit for purpose it's not fit for purpose and needs fixing! )

A better message would be "We cannot sell open returns more than three months in advance - please search again without that option, or if you need an open return purchase nearer the time of your journey".

To correct what I said before it doesn't happen when the single option is checked.


"No fares found" on the LNER website.

 

[Haywain]

I consider that a bug, or at least if you prefer a faulty design. (In work I never like to get stuck up in "working as designed" - if it's not fit for purpose it's not fit for purpose and needs fixing! )

It will be looked but at this point I am just stating the facts.

 

[moleman212]

Thanks guys! There were only a few tickets left at the price quoted so I thought best to just get an e-ticket - mother prefers a paper ticket but at least I know the reason why now they weren't available on that date

 

[Wallsendmag]

Thanks guys! There were only a few tickets left at the price quoted so I thought best to just get an e-ticket - mother prefers a paper ticket but at least I know the reason why now they weren't available on that date

So print hers out for her

 

[moleman212]

So print hers out for her

She is a disabled railcard holder and doesn't have access to computer equipment.

Are there no plans to fix this issue at LNER, rather than ordering customers 'to print them out' at home?

 

[Wallsendmag]

She is a disabled railcard holder and doesn't have access to computer equipment.

Are there no plans to fix this issue at LNER, rather than ordering customers 'to print them out' at home?

It's by design, it's to do with settlement and payments. We haven't offered alternative fulfilment methods from day one of the extended horizon several years ago.

 

[Watershed]

She is a disabled railcard holder and doesn't have access to computer equipment.

Are there no plans to fix this issue at LNER, rather than ordering customers 'to print them out' at home?

"Fix" implies that it's a mistake. It's not - it's a deliberate decision. It's a clear indication of the direction in which LNER would evidently like to head.

 

[Bletchleyite]

"Fix" implies that it's a mistake. It's not - it's a deliberate decision. It's a clear indication of the direction in which LNER would evidently like to head.

It is an indication of the direction in which all of the railway is going to head. Paper Advances will in the long term be TVM only. ToD is going away and most if not all booking offices will close.

 

[Hadders]

I’ve done a couple of journeys with LNER and Northern today, tickets checked on all trains.

Almost no-one had paper tickets in the carriages I was in. E-tickets displayed on phones seemed to be the ticketing method of choice.

 

[yorkie]

She is a disabled railcard holder and doesn't have access to computer equipment.

If the person booking the ticket for her doesn't have access to a printer, and no friends/family/colleagues etc have access to a printer, there are a couple of options:

Firstly you could get a copy printed at a library (this costs 10 pence in Doncaster; see https://library.doncaster.gov.uk/web/arena/internet-computers-in-libraries ) or alternatively at a local print/copy company; there appear to be several in Doncaster town centre (e.g. Print2copy Ltd would appear to do the trick and aren't far from the station)

e-tickets are taking over from traditional paper tickets in many areas, not just rail ticketing.