M tickets on Northern

[Feuillesmortes]

Bought a ticket on the Northern app. The only fulfilment option was "Mobile" which turned out to mean M ticket. The T&Cs said that the card holder had to be travelling, and valid ID was required. The ticket itself showed my name.

This seems restrictive. Are there any advantages of using the Northern app other than delay repay being easier?

 

[mikeg]

Not really tbh other than the odd special offer may only be available on their app/webiste.

I agree with you M-tickets are horrible, restrictive and should be avoided.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Unfortunately Northern have a few flows that only offer M-ticket, not E-ticket. Ormskirk to Preston was identified as one in another thread. Goodness knows why this is, just poor management I guess.

 

[mikeg]

In which case personally I'd stick to pieces of orange card

 

[js517]

Unfortunately Northern have a few flows that only offer M-ticket, not E-ticket. Ormskirk to Preston was identified as one in another thread. Goodness knows why this is, just poor management I guess.

It might be a mistake. I've previously had success in emailing Northern about a flow that only had m-ticket, and they enabled it for e-ticket within a week or so.

 

[ainsworth74]

I still avoid the Northern app for everything other than the times I use a flexi-season as you can't trust it not to be a rubbish m-ticket. I stick to the Trainline as they do give e-tickets (and when bought through the app on the day of travel there is no booking fee). As others have said m-tickets should be avoided like the plague and as a format should never have existed in the first place (and probably did some damage to the reputation of e-tickets which is still being undone!).

 

[jfollows]

From memory, so I could be mistaken, I think I recently participated in a survey for Northern in which - in part - they said they were considering introducing e-tickets. I responded positively to this proposal, and in my explanation said that I refuse to use m-tickets. So hopefully something might happen in the near future?

EDIT I'm just about to go on Northern to Cheadle Hulme and will be buying a proper card ticket from a person at the station - I hope!

Further EDIT: All good, real ticket from a real person. Only down-side was the 2-car 150, but I knew about that in advance, no 769s today I don't think ..... and I've always bought a Duo ticket the same way in the past as well.

 

[_toommm_]

From memory, so I could be mistaken, I think I recently participated in a survey for Northern in which - in part - they said they were considering introducing e-tickets. I responded positively to this proposal, and in my explanation said that I refuse to use m-tickets. So hopefully something might happen in the near future?

EDIT I'm just about to go on Northern to Cheadle Hulme and will be buying a proper card ticket from a person at the station - I hope!

It definitely happened, I had that survey too and I responded in exactly the same way.

 

[ainsworth74]

I responded positively to this proposal, and in my explanation said that I refuse to use m-tickets. So hopefully something might happen in the near future?

It definitely happened, I had that survey too and I responded in exactly the same way.

Snap!

 

[Feuillesmortes]

Unfortunately Northern have a few flows that only offer M-ticket, not E-ticket. Ormskirk to Preston was identified as one in another thread. Goodness knows why this is, just poor management I guess

I checked over ten journeys on the app, and they are offering "Mobile" ticket as the only option, apart from destinations they don't serve eg London to Bristol, for which they don't offer any tickets at all!

Also they don't describe it as M ticket, just "Mobile". It's confusing unless you've read this site and know the difference between M tickets and E tickets.

 

[ant_bingley]

The app doesn't seem to cope with offering Duo tickets as Mobile.

For example, Scarborough to Filey return for 2 adults today: selecting the Duo £6.10 means the only ticket option is Collect at Station.
But selecting the Off-Peak Day Return £8.20, the only option is Mobile.

But I've previously bought tickets for 2 adults via the app (eg in the last £1 sale) where they happily offered the Mobile option, and I'd to just swipe left/right as the guard scanned the tickets.

 

[_toommm_]

The app doesn't seem to cope with offering Duo tickets as Mobile.

For example, Scarborough to Filey return for 2 adults today: selecting the Duo £6.10 means the only ticket option is Collect at Station.
But selecting the Off-Peak Day Return £8.20, the only option is Mobile.

But I've previously bought tickets for 2 adults via the app (eg in the last £1 sale) where they happily offered the Mobile option, and I'd to just swipe left/right as the guard scanned the tickets.

I don’t think the Duo is able to be fulfilled as an M-ticket from an interaction I saw on Twitter. Seems to be ToD or buying at a station only.

 

[skyhigh]

I don’t think the Duo is able to be fulfilled as an M-ticket from an interaction I saw on Twitter. Seems to be ToD or buying at a station only.

That's correct, although I'm not sure of the reasoning behind it. No site should offer a Duo as an e-ticket.

 

[johntea]

I don’t think the Duo is able to be fulfilled as an M-ticket from an interaction I saw on Twitter. Seems to be ToD or buying at a station only.

My friends got caught out with this at Scarborough

Arrived at the station, TVM out of order, massive queue for the ticket office (it was at the height of the peak summer season), so they bought a Duo ticket on the app and only then noticed after payment it was a collection job, luckily the guard on board was friendly and just allowed them to collect the tickets once they got to Bridlington

Not quite sure what limitations prevent them from being available electronically though, one of the duo has the ticket on their phone and the guard just visually checks they're with another passenger surely!

 

[ant_bingley]

My friends got caught out with this at Scarborough

Arrived at the station, TVM out of order, massive queue for the ticket office

That's exactly what happened to me, too, including the ticket machine out of order and the massive ticket office queue!

I only needed 2 x singles from Scarborough to Filey but it's cheaper to buy Duo returns and not use the return portion.

 

[skyhigh]

M-tickets via the Northern app are on the way out - an e-ticket only trial starts on one route in the next couple of weeks, and if all goes according to plan m-tickets will be gone by the new year.

 

[_toommm_]

M-tickets via the Northern app are on the way out - an e-ticket only trial starts on one route in the next couple of weeks, and if all goes according to plan m-tickets will be gone by the new year.

Don’t suppose it’s starting on the Harrogate line is it? IIRC they trialled season tickets on smartcards on that line.

 

[skyhigh]

Don’t suppose it’s starting on the Harrogate line is it? IIRC they trialled season tickets on smartcards on that line.

It is indeed.

 

[_toommm_]

It is indeed.

Oh good that’s my local line. Might get around to trialling them myself if it’s a public trial.

 

[skyhigh]

Oh good that’s my local line. Might get around to trialling them myself if it’s a public trial.

I'll try and remember to update when it goes live.

 

[TUC]

It is indeed.

Why is it that the Harrogate line is used for so many trials?

 

[alistairlees]

Why is it that the Harrogate line is used for so many trials?

It was also used for the original m ticket trial in 2015. The route used was Harrogate to Hexham, to test how m tickets worked across different tocs, both as retailers and carriers.

 

[_toommm_]

Why is it that the Harrogate line is used for so many trials?

Is it something to do with LNER being absolutely the only operator possible on Leeds to Harrogate, and they already did smart seasons, probably already did m-tickets, and obviously currently do e-tickets, when each of its respective trials took place?

(This is of course speculation).

 

[Haywain]

Is it something to do with LNER being absolutely the only operator possible on Leeds to Harrogate, and they already did smart seasons, probably already did m-tickets, and obviously currently do e-tickets, when each of its respective trials took place?

(This is of course speculation).

Absolutely the only operator? I think Northern operate a few trains on the route.

 

[_toommm_]

Absolutely the only operator? I think Northern operate a few trains on the route.

Sorry, I missed out a crucial word. I meant absolutely the only other operator e.g. Leeds to Harrogate couldn't feasibly encompass TPE or Crosscountry.

 

[skyhigh]

Is it something to do with LNER being absolutely the only operator possible on Leeds to Harrogate, and they already did smart seasons, probably already did m-tickets, and obviously currently do e-tickets, when each of its respective trials took place?

(This is of course speculation).

Nothing at all to do with LNER, the vast majority of Leeds-Harrogate traffic is carried by Northern services. It's a line with a good mix of commuters and leisure passengers, longer and shorter journeys, a mixture of manned, unmanned and barriered stations and crucially a high percentage of smart tickets are validated on this route, making it easier to spot any potential trends in fraud figures etc.

As far as I'm aware the previous incarnation of flexi seasons were first trialled on this line, e-seasons and now e-tickets.

 

[td97]

if all goes according to plan m-tickets will be gone by the new year.

I presume all has not gone to plan?

 

[Cowley]

Thread reopened for @td97 to update.

 

[td97]

E tickets were the default delivery method for an open return ticket on the Northern Android app purchased today. Available as an in-app Aztec code (not requiring activation) and also sent by email as a pdf attachment with a button to add to Apple wallet.
Finally!

 

[johntea]

Same on iPhone although it doesn't specifically mention it in the update notes!

Although I think it is just a reskinned version of the Trainline app anyway