First class cheaper than standard class?

[Boff]

I found that for the 67+Mark 4 services from Crewe to Shrewsbury by TfW, it's cheaper to get a first class ticket rather than a standard class (as shown below for an adult single booked a week in advance with no railcard - though I'm pretty sure it works no matter when you book, as long as the service offers first class)



Why does this happen? Is it something to do with the government subsidies for that line, or just a weird quirk with the fare structure. And are there any other examples of this (or something similar) happening elsewhere?

 

[Gaelan]

Why does this happen? Is it something to do with the government subsidies for that line, or just a weird quirk with the fare structure. And are there any other examples of this (or something similar) happening elsewhere?

Just a weird quirk - there's a certain number of advance tickets available at each price level, and these price levels are separate for standard and first, so if many standard tickets get sold but few first tickets are sold, the standard price can rise above the first price. Naturally, people are unlikely to buy standard class tickets while first class tickets are cheaper, so it's likely the situation will reverse itself before long.

 

[Adam Williams]

A good TIS will do the passenger friendly thing and sell the first class fare for standard class journey search enquiries in this case, given that it's entirely legitimate to travel in a standard class seat with such a ticket

 

[Boff]

Just a weird quirk - there's a certain number of advance tickets available at each price level, and these price levels are separate for standard and first, so if many standard tickets get sold but few first tickets are sold, the standard price can rise above the first price. Naturally, people are unlikely to buy standard class tickets while first class tickets are cheaper, so it's likely the situation will reverse itself before long.

That's interesting - I always assumed that price adjustments were done on a per train basis rather than per route basis. What happens if there is one train with not many first class tickets left, but another with loads going spare?

 

[Deerfold]

That's interesting - I always assumed that price adjustments were done on a per train basis rather than per route basis. What happens if there is one train with not many first class tickets left, but another with loads going spare?

This is on a per train basis. It may be that, as not many trains have First Class, that not many people search for them - and some ticket sytems won't show 1st class if the search is for standard.

 

[AlbertBeale]

This situation - with some first class available cheaper than standard - seems not uncommon on some European journeys. I've ended up with a First Class ticket (I think at least once was for a France-Germany journey), without paying more than the price of the available standard class on the same train, a couple of times in recent years. It could be that I missed out on others just because I didn't think to check.