First class cheaper than standard on Greater Anglia

[90sWereBetter]

Yesterday, I bought tickets to travel between Norwich and London Liverpool Street, plus a return, for the 23rd of February. It transpired that First Class would actually be £4 cheaper than standard class (£19.50 against £23.50) on the journey to London, so of course I went for it. But why would this be the case? :-?

 

[causton]

Were they advance tickets? If so, people could not look for First Class tickets and everybody buys the standard class ones, so the quota is filled with the cheaper standard tickets, but the cheapest level of 1st tickets are still available?

 

[90sWereBetter]

Were they advance tickets? If so, people could not look for First Class tickets and everybody buys the standard class ones, so the quota is filled with the cheaper standard tickets, but the cheapest level of 1st tickets are still available?

Yep, they were advance tickets.

 

[Greenback]

Causton's explanation will be correct. It's all about yield management, and sometimes this happens. I've taken advantage of it myself.

 

[30907]

It's common on certain Virgin WC services, right from when the tickets go on sale, on trains that load very well in Standard. Whether it will last I don't know, what with the lengthened Pendolinos - and VWC tweaking their systems. It's also quite common on TGVs.

 

[TheEdge]

I've seen it on a lot of TOCs. I've taken advantage of it on FGW services before.

 

[Prairie_5542]

All depends on what advance tickets are left available!