For the last 5 years I have held an Annual Gold Card Ryde St. Johns Road - Ryde Esplanade, aka the ticket to Ryde. However its not always plain sailing getting some of the advantages that a Gold Card is alleged to have.
Firstly, the First Class £5 supplement is almost impossible to get. I have had many 25 minute sessions at Kings Cross, Kings Lynn, Watford Junction, and lately Staines booking offices while computers, manuals, telephones, and other staff were consulted. I have been told that its only sold in the London area (at Kings Lynn), that you have to buy it at the same time as your ticket, and on SWT Ive been issued with a weekend first supplement instead (which is fine to certain extent, except when the journey continues with another (ex NSE) TOC and I wonder if it will accepted).
Some booking office staff know exactly what to do, but it seems that most have never heard of it. In addition, although the National Rail Enquiries website makes mention of the Gold Card first supplement, TOC annual season ticket publicity does not mention it at all. Its almost as if some (maybe all) TOCs want to let it be quietly forgotten about.
I however, have not forgotten about it and expect to make use of this advantage, but if it is impossible to get, where do I stand?
Can I just go sit in FC and offer to pay the guard?
Am I expected, first, to have a 25 minute session at the ticket window in front of a line of impatient passengers?
If I am unable to buy this supplement at the station, is the guard/RPI obliged to sell it to me? And what about when there is no ticket office open?
And what if the journey involves an opportunity to try again at an interchange point - am I really expected, on say a Staines - Colchester journey, to have a second go at the ticket office there after trying unsuccessfully at the origin station? Its not much fun having to have yet another 25 minute consultation especially if that means missing my train, or worse, not having time to grab a cuppa!
Do I have a right to this Gold Card FC supplement, or is it to be regarded as a rare privilege, grudgingly given, at the whim of a train operating company?
And as for the second thing, trying to persuade LUL ticket office staff to let me have the Gold Card discount added to my Oyster card, well thats for another time
Firstly, the First Class £5 supplement is almost impossible to get. I have had many 25 minute sessions at Kings Cross, Kings Lynn, Watford Junction, and lately Staines booking offices while computers, manuals, telephones, and other staff were consulted. I have been told that its only sold in the London area (at Kings Lynn), that you have to buy it at the same time as your ticket, and on SWT Ive been issued with a weekend first supplement instead (which is fine to certain extent, except when the journey continues with another (ex NSE) TOC and I wonder if it will accepted).
Some booking office staff know exactly what to do, but it seems that most have never heard of it. In addition, although the National Rail Enquiries website makes mention of the Gold Card first supplement, TOC annual season ticket publicity does not mention it at all. Its almost as if some (maybe all) TOCs want to let it be quietly forgotten about.
I however, have not forgotten about it and expect to make use of this advantage, but if it is impossible to get, where do I stand?
Can I just go sit in FC and offer to pay the guard?
Am I expected, first, to have a 25 minute session at the ticket window in front of a line of impatient passengers?
If I am unable to buy this supplement at the station, is the guard/RPI obliged to sell it to me? And what about when there is no ticket office open?
And what if the journey involves an opportunity to try again at an interchange point - am I really expected, on say a Staines - Colchester journey, to have a second go at the ticket office there after trying unsuccessfully at the origin station? Its not much fun having to have yet another 25 minute consultation especially if that means missing my train, or worse, not having time to grab a cuppa!
Do I have a right to this Gold Card FC supplement, or is it to be regarded as a rare privilege, grudgingly given, at the whim of a train operating company?
And as for the second thing, trying to persuade LUL ticket office staff to let me have the Gold Card discount added to my Oyster card, well thats for another time
. I never once argued with a customer because I didn't know what I was doing - for things that came up once in a blue moon like The Original Tour bus tickets, cycle reservations, LU group tickets etc. I was always happy to look things up and ensure I found out within a few minutes. People in certain ticket offices will ring me if they have a difficult enquiry as usually I will remember how exactly to deal with it - couldn't possibly say which ones though!