LNER Advanced Quotas

[Failed Unit]

I may be a cynic, but I have noticed that lots of services on LNER show up with no quota available, when going to other stations they seem to have lots of quota,

Examples recently
Welwyn Garden City - Edinburgh limited from Welwyn Garden City but lots from Stevenage.
Likewise Market Rasen is frequently nothing available on the advance quote but Lincoln does.

It there any reason for this? I know that you can use split tickets to get around this, but it just seems odd that LNER restricting quotas on the connecting trains (or is it GTR not letting advanced tickets on their services).

For us in the know we will alway split ticket,however using the LNER site you could very easily be caught out.

 

[Haywain]

I may be a cynic, but I have noticed that lots of services on LNER show up with no quota available, when going to other stations they seem to have lots of quota,

Examples recently
Welwyn Garden City - Edinburgh limited from Welwyn Garden City but lots from Stevenage.
Likewise Market Rasen is frequently nothing available on the advance quote but Lincoln does.

It there any reason for this? I know that you can use split tickets to get around this, but it just seems odd that LNER restricting quotas on the connecting trains (or is it GTR not letting advanced tickets on their services).

For us in the know we will alway split ticket,however using the LNER site you could very easily be caught out.

I think it is relatively common for the lowest priced Advance tickets, on any TOC, to only be available on that TOC's services and not connecting services of another TOC.

 

[yorkie]

Yes, it is absolutely the case that LNER's lowest priced fares are typically only available on their own services, excluding connections.

I think that due to the publicity around split ticketing sites these days, most people who are particularly price-concious will indeed be aware of sites such as Trainsplit (which powers are own site) and most people who use the LNER site will be content to pay a premium to do so, but yes some people may well be caught out, and be unaware that LNER charge such premiums.

However it's not just journeys that include connections where sites such as ours undercut LNER; we often find splits on LNER-only journeys, especially for journeys that are longer distance and/or at "peak" times.

This is classic market-based pricing in action; if everyone had to pay the higher price, some people would drive or go by coach. However if everyone paid the lower price, taxpayers would have to fund the shortfall (which the Government don't want).

 

[Failed Unit]

It seems to have go much worse recently, I frequently see on the LNER website the “off-peak” single costing less then the Advance (Where quote exists). I must admit some of the routes train split provides as very interesting.

However in the case of my Edinburgh example, Mrs Unit was ready to fly from Luton until I told her to try Stevenage. Crazy world we live in.

Be interesting to challenge LNERs claims about the cheapest fare on its website with the ASA.

 

[yorkie]

It seems to have go much worse recently, I frequently see on the LNER website the “off-peak” single costing less then the Advance (Where quote exists).

This us why LNER are keen to abolish Off Peak tickets; they are considered to be "too cheap" by the company.

I must admit some of the routes train split provides as very interesting.

Yes, that's a separate issue, but LNER only want to offer the fastest journeys. Sites such as ours offer a much wider range.

However in the case of my Edinburgh example, Mrs Unit was ready to fly from Luton until I told her to try Stevenage. Crazy world we live in.

If she used our site, we'd have found the split at Stevenage!

Be interesting to challenge LNERs claims about the cheapest fare on its website with the ASA.

ASA are powerless; they have caught train companies making misleading claims many times, but very little happens.

If only TOC MDs could face prosecution, in a similar way to how they treat passengers, then things might change

However, given there is no effective regulator, passenger watchdog or ombudsman that has either the required knowledge or powers to do anything, then nothing will change.

 

[Kite159]

It seems to have go much worse recently, I frequently see on the LNER website the “off-peak” single costing less then the Advance (Where quote exists). I must admit some of the routes train split provides as very interesting.

However in the case of my Edinburgh example, Mrs Unit was ready to fly from Luton until I told her to try Stevenage. Crazy world we live in.

Be interesting to challenge LNERs claims about the cheapest fare on its website with the ASA.

Or even those wanting a day return on flows where LNER hasn't got rid of return fares, when the website will quote 2 advance singles which come to more than the flexible day return product.

 

[Failed Unit]

This us why LNER are keen to abolish Off Peak tickets; they are considered to be "too cheap" by the company.

Yes, that's a separate issue, but LNER only want to offer the fastest journeys. Sites such as ours offer a much wider range.

If she used our site, we'd have found the split at Stevenage!

ASA are powerless; they have caught train companies making misleading claims many times, but very little happens.

If only TOC MDs could face prosecution, in a similar way to how they treat passengers, then things might change

However, given there is no effective regulator, passenger watchdog or ombudsman that has either the required knowledge or powers to do anything, then nothing will change.

I have converted a few people to train split - not as successful with getting people not to use the train line

 

[Bletchleyite]

I have converted a few people to train split - not as successful with getting people not to use the train line

To be fair they're better using Trainline for LNER than the LNER site (if they dislike their allocated seat they can always reserve one separately with the picker, entering any random 5 digits of their choice as the ticket number). At least Trainline does offer some splits - it offers a cheaper fare on almost all London-Edinburgh trains than LNER themselves do.

I bet LNER don't like that at all (tee hee).

Trainsplit is of course better, but at least Trainline is doing something to confound their fare-increasing schemes.