East Coast Rewards scheme after February 2015

[shinkansen1966]

East Coast train services will be back in private hands after February 2015 and this has been discussed elsewhere on this forum.

But what's going to happen to the East Coast rewards scheme after then ? Is there any obligation for the selected private operator to maintain the scheme ? Or indeed honour members' existing rewards points ?

My guess is that the new private operator will not continue the scheme with time limits on EC rewards members' redeeming their points for free tickets.

Unless I'm mistaken, the DfT appear silent on this issue.

For instance, I have 1722 points equaling at least 6 free train tickets. So there's a fair bit of free rail travel out there which a future private company is going to have to honour, meaning a loss of revenue.

 

[mirodo]

9. East Coast’s Right to End Membership
9.1 East Coast reserves the right at any time to suspend or terminate the membership of any Member without notice if, in East Coast’s reasonable opinion, there has been a serious failure by you to comply with your responsibilities in these Terms and Conditions. In such a situation, East Coast may also take any other action it considers appropriate, including, but not limited to, withholding or removing Points from your account.
9.2 East Coast reserves the right to discontinue the Scheme or any individual Rewards at any time.
9.3 Your membership of the Scheme will terminate automatically if no Points or Rewards have been earned or redeemed or used by you for two years or more.
9.4 In the event that East Coast ceases to operate the Inter City East Coast Main Line, the Scheme (including, but not limited to, all Rewards and Points accrued) may automatically be terminated by East Coast.
9.5 If your membership, any individual Rewards or the Scheme as a whole are due to end for the reasons set out in clauses 9.2, 9.3 or 9.4, East Coast will give reasonable prior notice (on the Website or otherwise) in order to allow you an opportunity to use up your accrued Points and Rewards. However, for the avoidance of doubt this clause 9.5 will not apply where East Coast ends or suspends membership as set out in clause 9.1.
9.6 If we or you end your membership of the Scheme we may delete our records of your Scheme membership and your Data without liability to you.

No obligation on any future ECML operator to continue the scheme.

 

[Mojo]

With respect, I don't think that was quite what the OP was asking

In the InterCity East Coast prospectus
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/intercity-east-coast-franchise-consultation
there are two mentions of the loyalty scheme, but that is about the existing business and doesn't seem to require the new franchisee to keep it.

Someone who has read the full suite of documents might have noticed something, but I haven't. Else, we might have to wait & see what the bidders come up with.

 

[calc7]

My guesses...
Short term: Any booked tickets beyond the changeover date will be honoured, and any outstanding points will have to be claimed by X date
Long term: Scheme will probably be preened/canned, though if EC continue to run it that hints it is revenue positive so who knows

 

[RochdalePioneers]

I expect 2 things:

1. I will need to burn my points before the franchise goes off to pasture. Will be entertaining if in being "privatised" it joins the vast majority of franchises operated at least in part by a nationalised operator from abroad.
2. I'll see if there is someone else to book all my tickets with who is better than whatever replaces EC

Sent from my HTC One mini using Tapatalk 2

 

[DaveNewcastle]

With their 'multibuy' discount, you could convert 1400 of those points into 4 single first class tickets, which could allow you and a friend to enjoy a weekend in Inverness before the scheme might terminate.
Why wait until there is a risk that the options are no longer available?

 

[Eagle]

Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but didn't the points scheme start under National Express's tenure?

 

[Mojo]

Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but didn't the points scheme start under National Express's tenure?

No it didn't.

A search on the forum found this thread http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=49371 which indicates that it started in July 2011. East Coast started operating in November 2009.

 

[sheff1]

Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but didn't the points scheme start under National Express's tenure?

I think NE did have a scheme but I also think that back then it only applied to bookings for the East Coast route (and possibly for First Class only ?).

As others have suggested, I will be making sure I use my points well before any possibility of them becoming worthless.

 

[Eagle]

I think NE did have a scheme but I also think that back then it only applied to bookings for the East Coast route (and possibly for First Class only ?).

That's probably what I was thinking of.

 

[OLJR]

Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but didn't the points scheme start under National Express's tenure?

Way back in the GNER days there was GNER Time. I don't recall any similar scheme with NXEC though.

To qualify for Time you needed to send in GBP 1,200 worth of used coupons burned over a three month period.

In return you received a booklet of vouchers offering 6x return 1ST travel for up to two pax, 2x return 1ST travel for up to six pax, 3x breakfast vouchers, 3x lunch/dinner vouchers and unlimited 1ST lounge access, even when not actually travelling GNER (or travelling at all for that matter, I used the lounge for three hours once waiting between meetings in the KGX area!).

You could upgrade to 'GOLD' in return for GBP 2,500 of used coupons burned over a three month period. This gave you a few more vouchers and a leather holder for your Time membership card.

Epic scheme - I got a lot of benefits out of that!

 

[shinkansen1966]

My guesses...
Short term: Any booked tickets beyond the changeover date will be honoured, and any outstanding points will have to be claimed by X date
Long term: Scheme will probably be preened/canned, though if EC continue to run it that hints it is revenue positive so who knows

Think it is the most likely scenario.

As soon as the new franchisee is confirmed, will be writing to them asking exactly what they will be doing about the existing EC rewards scheme.

They are going to be honouring a lot of free tickets...