Split advance tickets

[island]

Stupid question here, what is an advance split ticket?

It refers to the use of two or more Advance tickets consecutively to make a journey on the one train.

 

[1e10]

An Advance ticket from say Birmingham to Cheltenham and another from Cheltenham to Bristol, on the same train, instead of an Advance ticket from Birmingham to Bristol.

So two tickets for one train journey? Does this sometimes work out cheaper or is there another reason as to why someone may want to book like this?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

So two tickets for one train journey? Does this sometimes work out cheaper or is there another reason as to why someone may want to book like this?

There are many examples of two or more tickets being cheaper than one for the same journey. Another reason for having two or more tickets is if the route required is not permitted on one ticket.

 

[CC 72100]

So two tickets for one train journey? Does this sometimes work out cheaper or is there another reason as to why someone may want to book like this?

Yes. For example, when booking a journey for a friend, an advance from Exeter - Birmingham was £40.90. (with 16-25 railcard).

However, by buying an advance for Exeter - Bristol, and Off peak day single Bristol - Cheltenham, and an advance Cheltenham to Birmingham, she used the same service for around £25 IIRC.

 

[1e10]

Yes. For example, when booking a journey for a friend, an advance from Exeter - Birmingham was £40.90. (with 16-25 railcard).

However, by buying an advance for Exeter - Bristol, and Off peak day single Bristol - Cheltenham, and an advance Cheltenham to Birmingham, she used the same service for around £25 IIRC.

Okay, thank you for explaining. Are there any routes that are more prone to this sort of thing? It must take a long time checking each station for the cheapest fare?

 

[Unixman]

Very surprised to hear this - I know they are not allowed to offer splits, but if asked for explicitly by the passenger then I believe they are obliged to sell the ticket.

About 6 weeks ago I helped a friend buy return travel to Birmingham using Advance then and Off peak day single, then an advance. Have done other splits before at this ticket office. Can't get reservation for same seat, so normally have to hope there's one free for the whole journey or be prepared to move. Oh, and XC and FGW train managers have never batted an eyelid before, in some cases being grateful when I show them all tickets at the start so they're not thinking 'why's he still sat there?' later in the journey.

Did all this at an FGW ticket office at a reasonably major station. (Can PM details if you want).

Absolutely. I was in my local travel centre on Saturday and was discussing split tickets with the very helpful lady behind the desk. Basically, she said that she will not, by default, offer split tickets but will supply the details if the customer asks.

 

[CC 72100]

Okay, thank you for explaining. Are there any routes that are more prone to this sort of thing? It must take a long time checking each station for the cheapest fare?

The one I've done above most certainly is. When I make that journey Exeter - Gloucester, it 90% of the time is cheaper for me to split at Bristol. I can only really base my knowledge on routes that I use often, but I'd say that anything involving CrossCountry (XC) can be pricey, and savings achieved when playing around a bit.

 

[yorkie]

Are there any routes that are more prone to this sort of thing?

Almost all routes where part of the journey is made at a peak time, and almost all routes where a Railcard can only be used for part of the journey, and many more routes too.

It must take a long time checking each station for the cheapest fare?

If you checked every splitting point, it could take some time, yes. It may not be possible to ever find the "cheapest".

Check out the "split ticketing" part of our Fares Guide.

 

[Solent&Wessex]

I'm intrigued by this one. Are tickets for sale for services which don't exist?

Yes, quite a few. A good example of completely pointless fares are shown in the attached:

 

[Solent&Wessex]

Okay, thank you for explaining. Are there any routes that are more prone to this sort of thing? It must take a long time checking each station for the cheapest fare?

Journeys where Advance fares only exist for part of the journey are often cheaper.

E.g. Keighley to Liverpool.

Even on the same train it can be cheaper. I was looking at a journey in October. From Keighley to my destination on the morning direct East Coast to London the Advance fare was around £35. From Leeds to the same destination it was around £21. So I buy a single to Leeds for £4.50ish then the advance from Leeds to my destination and save around £10 for doing the same journey on the same train.

 

[Muzer]

Aside from tickets dated 25th (and 26th in some cases) December? Well, I believe there was a discussion on 'London' where Yorkie picked out a ticket routed 'Not Via London' for which there was no direct services and the shortest route, and all mapped routes, were via London, 'though I can't remember what the exact example was.

There was also my thread yesterday, where someone suggested a Southern Only Clapham Junction to Swaythling ticket (no Southern trains stop at Swaythling)

 

[hairyhandedfool]

There was also my thread yesterday, where someone suggested a Southern Only Clapham Junction to Swaythling ticket (no Southern trains stop at Swaythling)

That's a good example actually, by selling the ticket the clerk is entering Southern into a contract it cannot fulfill.

 

[Chapeltom]

That's a good example actually, by selling the ticket the clerk is entering Southern into a contract it cannot fulfill.

If a passenger inadvertently bought that and found they couldn't get to Swaythling "Southern Only", what would happen? Would they be simply excessed?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

You can't excess a TOC specific ticket for use on another TOC (by the rules), they'd need a new ticket to complete the journey.

 

[Chapeltom]

You can't excess a TOC specific ticket for use on another TOC (by the rules), they'd need a new ticket to complete the journey.

Of course yeah, can imagine anyone in this hypothethical situation would be quite aggrieved!

 

[island]

We had this problem in a different thread with LDN MIDLAND ONLY tickets being sold from Coleshill Parkway (served only by CrossCountry). I can't remember what the resolution was there.

 

[BrownE]

With regard to the problem the OP has had; I have now spoken to my man in customer relations; he has raised this to the Fares Department who will issue a response accordingly to me and the OP.

Depending what it says, I may, or may not post it on here.

 

[bb21]

Do keep us posted. I would be quite shocked if it is anything other than admitting that they made big mistakes with those staff briefings, or that they simply did not exist.

 

[BrownE]

Well a rather bland response:

I have contacted our Fares Department and they have confirmed that if a customer specifically asks for a given ticket type, or combination of tickets, that subject to availability the Ticket Office must sell them. This includes combinations of Advance tickets. They have also confirmed that Ticket Offices have not been instructed not to sell a combination of Advance tickets.

I therefore apologise that this didn't happen when [FIRST LAST] attempted to purchase tickets at [STATION] on [DATE]. I will ensure that this is brought to the attention of the Ticket Office Manager so that this can be addressed with the clerk in question so they are aware if available these tickets should be issued.

I have also sent a copy of this response to [FIRST LAST] as requested.

 

[sheff1]

Bland, maybe .... but it shows that one of three people was lying.

 

[BrownE]

Bland, maybe .... but it shows that one of three people was lying.

Given I was refunded £30 in RTVs for the similar issue I raised earlier in the thread, it's clearly believable.