Flexible season ticket / Greater Anglia smartcard

[gingerheid]

Hello

I am going to be making random return trips from Bury St Edmunds to either Ipswich or Cambridge (or occasionally both, but probably not 8 times within a month, and sometimes with extra singles to one or the other).

- Can I load two flexible season tickets onto a smartcard? Or should I get a second smartcard?
- Is it ok to start or finish a journey with a flexible season ticket but use separate ticket for the extra bit?
- Is it ok to use two flexible season tickets for a journey?
- On days when I want to use a flexible season ticket and add a single or return on, can the single or return be a smartcard ticket?


Thanks!

 

[Watershed]

- Can I load two flexible season tickets onto a smartcard? Or should I get a second smartcard?

It might be technically possible but it's inadvisable, as the smartcard may accidentally activate a day's travel on the "wrong" Flexi Season. Best to hold two separate smartcards (clearly identified, e.g. by sellotaping a note on them) or to have one, or both, on your mobile device and activate as required.

- Is it ok to start or finish a journey with a flexible season ticket but use separate ticket for the extra bit?

Yes, that's fine. On days where they are activated, Flexi seasons work in exactly the same way as normal season tickets - including unlimited travel, and break of journey at any point along a permitted route.

- Is it ok to use two flexible season tickets for a journey?

Yes, and you can also do non-stop splits if you wish.

- On days when I want to use a flexible season ticket and add a single or return on, can the single or return be a smartcard ticket?

Yes. But as per above - probably advisable to have it on a different smartcard to prevent the system from activating the wrong ticket.

 

[gingerheid]

Thanks!

 

[Wallsendmag]

You can't have two Flexi seasons on the same Smartcard. The obvious question is how would a gateline know which one to validate.

 

[DailyCommuter]

You can't have two Flexi seasons on the same Smartcard. The obvious question is how would a gateline know which one to validate.

Not advisable in this case, but having two Flexi seasons on the same smartcard is possible. I do this for a non-stop split fare journey, so I activate both Flexi seasons via the mobile app before travelling.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Not advisable in this case, but having two Flexi seasons on the same smartcard is possible. I do this for a non-stop split fare journey, so I activate both Flexi seasons via the mobile app before travelling.

The spec says that's a no no, out of interest who did you buy the tickets from?

 

[DailyCommuter]

The spec says that's a no no, out of interest who did you buy the tickets from?

Ok good to know. Purchased from GWR and loaded via the National Rail Smartcard Manager app.

The setup works well for my journey, since I only need one smartcard and it's easy for onboard staff to see both ticket seasons.