FCC WebTIS errors for Travelcards from Hatfield

[jon0844]

Playing around with the new ticketing system on the FCC website, and I'm having great fun with trying to get a Travelcard! A rather common ticket for people travelling from Hatfield, I'd have expected.

(For clarification) With a Network Railcard, there's a £13 minimum and I can't use it until after 1000.

When entering HAT & 0035/London Zones 1-6; I get offered:

£13 for an off-peak Travelcard (discounted - with £13 minimum)
£15.80 for an Anytime Travelcard (discounted)
£17 for an off-peak Travelcard (non-discounted)
£22 for an Anytime Travelcard (non-discounted)
£35 First Class Anytime Travelcard (non-discounted)

But, why would I need the Anytime ticket given I can't buy until after 10am anyway? There's no evening peak for trains to Hatfield.

Or is there? Because according to the site, all trains from Moorgate to Hatfield are restricted when trying to select an off-peak travelcard. Since when?

What's more, go for the first class Anytime Travelcard (at a bargain price of £35) and all trains to AND from Moorgate are restricted too!

What's going on here?! If you're travelling after 10am, I see no reason whatsoever to buy the Anytime ticket - and why would there be any restrictions on the first class ticket?

Given how pointless it would be to pay for a first class ticket for what is a 20-25 minute journey to London, am I right in thinking a FC Travelcard would allow first class travel on any train travelling within the zonal area? Perhaps good for bashing, but otherwise a total waste of money!

 

[Deerfold]

Given how pointless it would be to pay for a first class ticket for what is a 20-25 minute journey to London, am I right in thinking a FC Travelcard would allow first class travel on any train travelling within the zonal area? Perhaps good for bashing, but otherwise a total waste of money!

Yes - and in theory access to 1st class lounges - is there anyone with a lounge who runs FC stopping within the zones?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

....But, why would I need the Anytime ticket given I can't buy until after 10am anyway? There's no evening peak for trains to Hatfield....

....What's going on here?! If you're travelling after 10am, I see no reason whatsoever to buy the Anytime ticket....

Why restrict someone's choice of ticket? Imo they should show all valid tickets so that the passenger has the choice of what is on offer. Just because you don't see a point in it, it does not mean there is no point in it. Would you want to be told only the fares that someone else thinks you want, rather than the fares you might actually want?

I have sold tickets to people that both of us know are more expensive than the fare they need, but it is because they ask for it. Why do they ask for it? Expenses. They work for an organisation/company that requires expenses for travel to be above a certain amount. I doubt this is the only reason it might happen either.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Have to say I agree with HHF here; you never know what peoples' reasons might be and there is no need to unnecessarily restrict them. I once bought a ticket that was more expensive than necessary in order to qualify for free car parking at Leeds station; it was cheaper than buying the non-qualifying ticket and paying for the car parking separately.

 

[jon0844]

Sure, let me buy those tickets if I am stupid enough to do so (or there is some other benefit that I am not aware of) but surely it's wrong to show restrictions that don't exist on the off peak ticket, which might make people buy the more expensive ticket they don't actually need?

Bear in mind, the Anytime ticket is required for travel during the peak - but I'm seeking to travel after 10am and there's no evening peak for this station. If it was 8am, those anytime tickets would be required - but the most expensive (First Class) ticket would show as being unusable on many morning peak trains, which is also wrong.

I don't know if these errors existed before as I've never bought a Travelcard online before. I wonder what happens at weekends when the super off-peak ticket(s) become available? Something to check later.

 

[Tomonthetrain]

Yes - and in theory access to 1st class lounges - is there anyone with a lounge who runs FC stopping within the zones?

GW run 16x services with first class to Ealing

 

[island]

Yes - and in theory access to 1st class lounges - is there anyone with a lounge who runs FC stopping within the zones?

FGW and I believe AGA.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Sure, let me buy those tickets if I am stupid enough to do so (or there is some other benefit that I am not aware of)....

I've already shown one reason why it might be important and I wouldn't call that stupid, quite the opposite infact.

....but surely it's wrong to show restrictions that don't exist on the off peak ticket, which might make people buy the more expensive ticket they don't actually need?

Bear in mind, the Anytime ticket is required for travel during the peak - but I'm seeking to travel after 10am and there's no evening peak for this station. If it was 8am, those anytime tickets would be required - but the most expensive (First Class) ticket would show as being unusable on many morning peak trains, which is also wrong....

I have just gone to the FCC website and typed in Hatfield to Kings Cross today at 14:30 (it is currently about 13:45 as I type this) and back at 18:00 and it offers me the £13 Off Peak Day Travelcard, however, it does not offer the £13 Super Off-Peak Day Travelcard (which is doesn't appear to be valid on a weekday).

....I don't know if these errors existed before as I've never bought a Travelcard online before. I wonder what happens at weekends when the super off-peak ticket(s) become available? Something to check later.

Searching a Saturday (24th November), the FCC site offers the Super Off-Peak Travelcard, but not the Off-Peak Travelcard (though it does offer the ODT if I don't have a Railcard selected), presumably because it is the same price with the railcard.

 

[jon0844]

You can't get a super-off peak ticket on a weekday, so not offering that is correct.

Anyway, if you're saying people would buy a more expensive ticket for expenses then so be it - but the point is, it's saying that an off peak ticket isn't valid on loads of trains where it is valid.. and the anytime FC ticket rules out all trains to/from Moorgate - or at least it did when I did a check earlier in case you're now finding different.

Bearing in mind that people can use websites to justify using a certain train/route that might technically be invalid, it's surely a problem if valid trains are marked out as not valid with a ticket when it IS valid, no?

 

[Deerfold]

You can't get a super-off peak ticket on a weekday, so not offering that is correct.

Anyway, if you're saying people would buy a more expensive ticket for expenses then so be it - but the point is, it's saying that an off peak ticket isn't valid on loads of trains where it is valid.. and the anytime FC ticket rules out all trains to/from Moorgate - or at least it did when I did a check earlier in case you're now finding different.

Bearing in mind that people can use websites to justify using a certain train/route that might technically be invalid, it's surely a problem if valid trains are marked out as not valid with a ticket when it IS valid, no?

Is it possible it excludes the Moorgate trains as they do not have 1st class so it'd be a waste to use them with a 1st class travelcard - and once you're in the zones you can catch anything anyway?