Nottingham - Blackpool North Advance

[WillPS]

Riddle me this - Avantix Traveller shows advance tickets on NOT - BPN from only VWC and XC, neither of which are operators one would rationally use to get to BPN. Why don't TPE or EMT offer an advance here?

Also, when are TPE's advance release dates? Planning a trip to Pleasure Beach for my birthday in July.

 

[bb21]

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/booking_horizons.html

Says w/c 11/7 currently

 

[Paul Kelly]

In theory you can travel from NOT to BPN on an XC &CONNECTIONS ticket by taking XC to Derby, changing there for XC to Leeds, and then Northern Leeds to Blackpool. But there was a very interesting thread on here a while back from someone who couldn't get that route to show up in any journey planners since Northern started the direct Nottingham to Leeds services, so it was impossible to buy it any more.

And the other interesting query that nobody seemed able to answer, was why XC should be able to set up an advance fare like that and force Northern to accept it on the Leeds to Blackpool segment of the journey. I'm quite intrigued by the idea of "& connections" advance fares created for a flow by the non-lead operator and why the other TOCs allow this...

 

[WillPS]

Right, scouting about XC advances are available at £18.50 changing at Sheffield and York. Seems a bit of a daft route but might take it as £18.50 is cheap as chips.

What's the chance of getting a table at York? It's mad that seats aren't reservable on this 3hr journey!!

 

[142094]

What's the chance of getting a table at York? It's mad that seats aren't reservable on this 3hr journey!!

Probably about 99% since the Blackpool trains terminate at York and the doors are closed for cleaning in between it arriving and departing. Unless for some reason you get there after the doors are opened or there is a massive flow of passengers to Blackpool on that day!

 

[Paul Kelly]

Well done on managing to "activate" those XC & CONNECTIONS fares by going via York. Here is the original post/thread where this was discussed a few months ago: http://railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=40875&page=2#post574305 and nobody at the time could come up with a solution!