How to buy this ticket?

[Bob Ames]

I'm trying to buy a ticket from Wigan to Kirkby Stephen for Thu 22 May, departing at 06:25. NRE shows the ticket, but when I click to buy at EC, VT, or TPE, they say "Sorry, we could not find your ticket." Is there an option that I can choose to show the ticket I'd like? I finally found the ticket on Northern's site, but it does not offer online cycle reservations, so would prefer to buy from EC if possible. If I do have to buy from Northern, would VT give me cycle reservations if I haven't purchased the ticket from them? Cheers!

 

[clagmonster]

Would you be able to get to a booking office in time to make the cycle reservation? Alternatively, you may be better off searching directly through the East Coast website, rather than going through NRE.

 

[telstarbox]

Have you tried putting in a 'via' point e.g. Armathwaite?

 

[RJ]

I'm trying to buy a ticket from Wigan to Kirkby Stephen for Thu 22 May, departing at 06:25. NRE shows the ticket, but when I click to buy at EC, VT, or TPE, they say "Sorry, we could not find your ticket." Is there an option that I can choose to show the ticket I'd like? I finally found the ticket on Northern's site, but it does not offer online cycle reservations, so would prefer to buy from EC if possible. If I do have to buy from Northern, would VT give me cycle reservations if I haven't purchased the ticket from them? Cheers!

The cause of the problem is the online booking engines refusing to show "overtaken trains." The definition of "overtaken trains" extends to itineraries where there are shorter journey times available. Because the journeys starting at 06:25 and 06:42 departures arrive into Kirkby Stephen at the same time, the system won't show the 06:25 departure.

Those who maintain the booking engine used by East Coast have decided on your behalf that you only want the shortest possible journeys - to the extent that the system has been fixed to override requests to restrict the fare option to VWC & Connections. Then again, so does Virgin Trains on their website. Pity really - I'm in the ticket office for the rest of the day and can see that there are still £9.50 Advance fares available for the 06:25 Virgin Trains departure. I can choose to include "overtaken" trains, exclude TPE, or show only valid journeys for ticket routed VWC & Connections to get to the fare you want.

 

[kieron]

Is there an option that I can choose to show the ticket I'd like? I finally found the ticket on Northern's site, but it does not offer online cycle reservations, so would prefer to buy from EC if possible.

I don't know if there's any way to force EC to show that ticket. Virgin have a "cheapest fare finder" on their site, but that doesn't find the cheapest fare.

Any booking office will happily make a cycle reservation for you once you have a ticket. A booking office or telesales line should also be able to book everything in one go.

Sadly, none of the online booking engines have a foolproof "book whatever you requested on NRE" mode, and cycle reservations aren't offered everywhere.

 

[RJ]

At this point, it might be worth someone investigating whether or not some "cheapest fare offered" claims are misleading.

 

[bb21]

Buy it from takethetrain.co.uk, who will show overtaken trains.

 

[Bob Ames]

Pity really - I'm in the ticket office for the rest of the day and can see that there are still £9.50 Advance fares available for the 06:25 Virgin Trains departure. I can choose to include "overtaken" trains, exclude TPE, or show only valid journeys for ticket routed VWC & Connections to get to the fare you want.

Awesome, cheers RJ for looking into it for me!