Starting short and offpeak restrictions

[Skymonster]

I need to make a trip from AAA to CCC. There are no through trains so by necessity the journey involves a change at BBB. Actually I could just as easily start at BBB, but the offpeak return fare AAA to CCC (via BBB) is cheaper than for just BBB to CCC. Offpeak for both is not valid on trains timed to depart before 08:59 and splits allowed on both.

If get the 09:15 from AAA to BBB (the first on which offpeak is valid) I arrive into BBB too late to connect onto the 09:30 from BBB to CCC, which is the first on which offpeak is valid on that section. For example, my choices look something like this:

AAA-BBB 09:15-09:45 then BBB-CCC 10:30-12:00
or just
BBB-CCC 09:30-11:00

I would like to be at CCC at 11:00 but I prefer the cheaper fare from AAA to CCC.

So I'm thinking could buy an AAA-CCC offpeak return but start short at BBB. However, my concern is I might be pulled up accessing the platforms at BBB at about 09:20 with an AAA to CCC offpeak ticket (I know they do not open the barriers) on the basis I could not possibly have reached BBB on an offpeak AAA to CCC ticket at that time, because there are no trains that permit me to do that. So is starting short to gain a time advantage over an offpeak restriction expecting too much?

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

I need to make a trip from AAA to CCC. There are no through trains so by necessity the journey involves a change at BBB. Actually I could just as easily start at BBB, but the offpeak return fare AAA to CCC (via BBB) is cheaper than for just BBB to CCC. Offpeak for both is not valid on trains timed to depart before 08:59 and splits allowed on both.

If get the 09:15 from AAA to BBB (the first on which offpeak is valid) I arrive into BBB too late to connect onto the 09:30 from BBB to CCC, which is the first on which offpeak is valid on that section. For example, my choices look something like this:

AAA-BBB 09:15-09:45 then BBB-CCC 10:30-12:00
or just
BBB-CCC 09:30-11:00

I would like to be at CCC at 11:00 but I prefer the cheaper fare from AAA to CCC.

So I'm thinking could buy an AAA-CCC offpeak return but start short at BBB. However, my concern is I might be pulled up accessing the platforms at BBB at about 09:20 with an AAA to CCC offpeak ticket (I know they do not open the barriers) on the basis I could not possibly have reached BBB on an offpeak AAA to CCC ticket at that time, because there are no trains that permit me to do that. So is starting short to gain a time advantage over an offpeak restriction expecting too much?

Though using real station codes would make it a little easier to understand (for us and for any pricing managers reading this!), yes, where break of journey is not barred, it is permissible to start or finish a journey in such a way and on such trains/itineraries where it would not actually be possible to make the entire journey within the date and/or time-wise validity of the ticket.

When you buy the ticket (assuming there are no BoJ restrictions) you receive the right to start your journey at any intermediate station along a permitted route, and to finish it at any intermediate station along a permitted route. Provided you are complying with the time restriction on the ticket, and it's date-wise validity, you can certainly do this to 'undercut' intermediate fares.

 

[Haywain]

When you buy the ticket (assuming there are no BoJ restrictions) you receive the right to start your journey at any intermediate station along a permitted route, and to finish it at any intermediate station along a permitted route. Provided you are complying with the time restriction on the ticket, and it's date-wise validity, you can certainly do this to 'undercut' intermediate fares.

Subject to the specific wording of the time restriction.

 

[JB_B]

What is the restriction code for the AAA-CCC off peak return?

 

[Skymonster]

What is the restriction code for the AAA-CCC off peak return?

The code is B3

 

[Skymonster]

Though using real station codes would make it a little easier to understand (for us and for any pricing managers reading this!), yes, where break of journey is not barred, it is permissible to start or finish a journey in such a way and on such trains/itineraries where it would not actually be possible to make the entire journey within the date and/or time-wise validity of the ticket.

When you buy the ticket (assuming there are no BoJ restrictions) you receive the right to start your journey at any intermediate station along a permitted route, and to finish it at any intermediate station along a permitted route. Provided you are complying with the time restriction on the ticket, and it's date-wise validity, you can certainly do this to 'undercut' intermediate fares.

Thank you. I decided not to share the station names in case someone in the TOC concerned was reading this decided starting short at BBB to get a cheaper fare was a loophole and decided to review the through fares from AAA to CCC. I've been kind of cautioned about being too revealing of these sorts of things in the past.

 

[JB_B]

The code is B3

B3 (Outbound) : "Not valid on trains timed to depart after 04:29 and before 09:00."

Since this restriction is defined in terms of when your train is scheduled to leave the point you begin your journey (at BBB, at 0930) - I think this should be valid.

Some restrictions are defined in terms of the train's arrival/departure at specified stations (rather than the time when you join/leave the train.) If that had been the case, you might have had a problem.