FGW Excess

[sonic2009]

Does anyone know the offical policy on a zero fare excess with FGW tried to zero fare excess a Keynsham - Milton Keynes Central to a Kenysham - Wolverton at Bath Spa around 1530.

Same price for the Super Off Peak return for both stations.

I was told it wasnt possible by the ticket office, and also the supervisor, When I asked why it was not allowed i was told it was company policy.

I left it at that and contacted FGW on twitter still awaiting a response via DM.

Thoughts please?

 

[David Goddard]

I was told it wasnt possible by the ticket office, and also the supervisor, When I asked why it was not allowed i was told it was company policy.

Methinks ATOC might have something to say about that.....

 

[sonic2009]

Reply from FGW

Hi S, According to the fares manual Bath are correct to not offer the zero excess. You will need to pay for a single I'm afraid, I spoke to Plymouth and they said they do still do this. But as I say the fares manual states otherwise. Sorry for the conflicting info. B

Thats the reply given by FGW via DM on Twitter.

 

[leymoo]

Reply from FGW

Hi S, According to the fares manual Bath are correct to not offer the zero excess. You will need to pay for a single I'm afraid, I spoke to Plymouth and they said they do still do this. But as I say the fares manual states otherwise. Sorry for the conflicting info. B

Thats the reply given by FGW via DM on Twitter.

I suppose is that zero fare excesses in general or is that a zero fare excess on your particular journey? I am for example am allowed to take a RDG-LEI SVR with a London route and excess it (at zero cost) to include the "not London" route. East Midlands let me do it at Leicester but I have failed a few times to get this done in Oxford, usually being told that zero fare excesses weren't policy.

 

[Hadders]

I suppose is that zero fare excesses in general or is that a zero fare excess on your particular journey? I am for example am allowed to take a RDG-LEI SVR with a London route and excess it (at zero cost) to include the "not London" route. East Midlands let me do it at Leicester but I have failed a few times to get this done in Oxford, usually being told that zero fare excesses weren't policy.

Zero fares excess can be done but you might need to shop around to getthem done. I've had several done in the past.

In the example above of Reading-Leicester I assume you with to travel obe way via London and the other avoiding London. I'd buy the 'Not Via London' fare and get a change of route excess for the portion on which you'll be going via London.

A change of route excess is half the difference between the appropriate fares and can be purchased on the train.

 

[furlong]

There are different types of excess fares.

This thread is about changing the destination on the ticket, and, strictly speaking, this is only an entitlement under a very restricted set of circumstances.

In contrast, changing the route of a ticket can be done under a wide range of circumstances. In general, it is unnecessary if the alternative route is cheaper than the one already paid for, so I'm not at all surprised if staff refused to issue one on the grounds that its only effect would be to reduce a ticket's validity.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The NFM16 says this:

General Principles

The Excess fare to charge is the difference between the price of the ticket held and the price of the cheapest ticket(s) available for immediate travel on the chosen service.

The cheapest available ticket(s) suitable for the journey being made may vary, depending on the specific train, time of day or day of week on which customers wish to travel. The cheapest ticket could be an Anytime, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak ticket. It will never be an Advance ticket.

Normal discounts apply to children (aged 5-15 inclusive) and Railcard holders.

Except for Season-ticket holders, a customer travelling beyond the destination of the ticket will be required to pay an Excess fare for the difference in price between the ticket held and the appropriate Single or Return fare, available for immediate travel, for the complete journey from the originating station to the final destination. Alternatively, if cheaper the appropriate Single or Return fare available for immediate travel, for the additional journey may be charged, but in this case the customer needs to comply with National Rail Conditions of Carriage, Condition 19. For details click here,.

Season ticket holders need to pay the appropriate Single or Return fare for the additional journey.

However, helpfully it then says this:

The Excess Fare rules quoted in this section do not apply in the following circumstances:

Where your Train Company has issued any local instructions in respect of excess fares that supersede the rules in this section.

Which basically means "we'll do an excess fare, unless we decide we can't be chewed".

Passenger Focus?

 

[leymoo]

Zero fares excess can be done but you might need to shop around to getthem done. I've had several done in the past.

In the example above of Reading-Leicester I assume you with to travel obe way via London and the other avoiding London. I'd buy the 'Not Via London' fare and get a change of route excess for the portion on which you'll be going via London.

A change of route excess is half the difference between the appropriate fares and can be purchased on the train.

Ahh, this is where I may be a little sneaky. Fare setter for the via London route is East Midlands, and the off-peak code is 9J, allowing me to get a 0745ish into Paddington to get a train at St Pancras at about 0915. The not London route fare is set by CrossCountry and doesn't allow me to leave Reading before 0930.

So I have to take the via London and excess to not London, otherwise I can't be in Leicester for 10:30am-ish. On the way back, I break my journey at Oxford and drop my laptop back in the office, so I go via Brum or Nuneaton-Coventry to do this

 

[Paul Kelly]

Hmm, I think it should be possible to buy the NOT VIA LONDON ticket and excess the outward leg to VIA LONDON. That would be quite a bit cheaper (you pay half the difference) and should be able to be done at the same time as you purchase the ticket. The different time restrictions shouldn't come into it, because it's the same ticket type.

Or an Off-Peak Return from Crowthorne to Leicester is the same price as from Reading, but routed ✠ANY PERMITTED - so could avoid the hassle.

 

[leymoo]

Hmm, I think it should be possible to buy the NOT VIA LONDON ticket and excess the outward leg to VIA LONDON. That would be quite a bit cheaper (you pay half the difference) and should be able to be done at the same time as you purchase the ticket. The different time restrictions shouldn't come into it, because it's the same ticket type.

Technically I can do this. But I'll be challenged even more. Currently, I have the off-peak code on the ticket, which when looked up confirms my assertion that I'm allowed to get a 0745ish train on an off-peak ticket, as the off-peak portion is determined by when I leave St Pancras, *not* when I arrive into Paddington. I get challenged about 50% of the time, and I usually don't have time to argue so I try to keep it polite but short, but in such a way that I'm not late to Leicester. Note that when I'm challenged it's always at the barriers, and not ever on the train itself.

Note I'm always challenged on the tube, and I've given up here as I have never been able to successfully get through - I use a PAYG Oyster for that bit of the journey.

Or an Off-Peak Return from Crowthorne to Leicester is the same price as from Reading, but routed ✠ANY PERMITTED - so could avoid the hassle.

My answer! I should have posted this 18 months ago...

 

[yorkie]

I get challenged about 50% of the time,.

That's not entirely surprising, as FGW are well known for not offering appropriate ticket training to their staff. Many people have incorrectly been told their valid tickets are not valid. They continue to get away with it because no-one takes the complaints far enough.

Perhaps you could write to FGW and ask for a date by when all their staff will be adequately trained in the 'Network Area Rule'? If FGW refuse to train all their staff appropriately, report a franchise breach by providing details of all the occasions you've been incorrectly told your ticket isn't valid, and FGW's lack of response, to rowan.smith@dft.gsi.gov.uk and contact Passenger Focus (if PF do not deal with it, contact your MP).