Luton Airport

[gordonthemoron]

I have an early flight from Luton coming up and I was checking out train fares from Leighton Buzzard. It appears that an Off Peak return is only valid if I arrive before midnight, is this correct? I thought that trains in the early morning also class as off peak from the day before?

I used London Midland booking engine

 

[maniacmartin]

The Off Peak Return from Leighton Buzzard to Luton Airport has restriction code 4J.

Restriction Code: 4J

Restrictions Applies:
Monday to Friday only.
No travel restrictions on
other days.

OUTWARD TRAVEL
By any train scheduled to
depart at or after 0930.
Also, at or after 0915 from
Bedford.

RETURN TRAVEL
By any train scheduled to
to depart at or after 0930,
but also allowed on:
Crewkerne 0910
Exeter St Davids 0926
Fratton 0928
Portsmouth Harbour 0918
Portsmouth and Southsea 0924
Sherborne 0926
Southampton Central 0910
Swanwick 0928
Yeovil Junction 0929

I suppose that at or after 0930 could be taken to exclude trains in the early hours of the following day, but I'm not sure.

 

[greatkingrat]

NRE shows the Off Peak Return as valid on the 0017 from Leighton Buzzard, connecting into the 0224 from St Pancras.

 

[gordonthemoron]

NRE only shows off peak return as valid on Saturday morning, not thursday morning

 

[bb21]

This has come up before.

If the ticket is dated the day before, then you can legitimately use it until 0430, as it is still regarded as part of the previous railway day and it is clearly after 0930 on the previous day in your case.

If the ticket is dated the same day, then you have more of a grey area, as technically it is not valid until 0930. However whether staff would enforce this is another thing. After all it would be a bit daft to say that off-peak tickets are not allowed at 2am when there is hardly anyone around, although I cannot offer any guarantees.

Beware that if you want a ticket dated the previous day, you must have purchased it before 2359 the previous day.

 

[LexyBoy]

I suppose that at or after 0930 could be taken to exclude trains in the early hours of the following day, but I'm not sure.

It refers to 0930 on the day of validity*. Thus for the OUT portion of an Off Peak (Day) Return dated 1/8, the ticket would not be valid between 0000-0929 on 1/8, and would be valid between 0930 on 1/8 until 0429 on 2/8.

Basically, if you buy the ticket to start the previous day then the early morning counts as the previous day’s “after 0930” whilst if dated the day of travel it is that day’s “before 0930”. The same would apply for Railcards with time restrictions (e.g. Network Railcard).

* I must admit I don’t know what happens with period returns – though in most cases like this I doubt that ticket inspectors will be picking out people using Off Peak tickets in this way.