Super Off Peak Return MYB-COV or BHI (via HWY)

[EAD]

Hello all,

Quick question on looking at the above fare and comparing ticketing sites to what seems to be loaded into BRFares. Am travelling from MYB on 24th Nov and then back on 25th (so all via HWY). Have an annual gold card and the break of journey is useful for me as I will be stopping overnight in LMS.

Now my simple question is I can see it loaded for £20.15 but the booking sites only offer it at £30.50 (so essentially without NGC discount). Same ticket to LMS with the discount is £20.15 as is the B'ham STNS version. Any reason why COV or BHI (so running through Kenilworth) only result in the £30.50 fare and I cannot find the £20.15 fare with NGC as shown in BRFares?

This seems an anomaly given that stretch is clearly in the Gold Card zone - I am aware of the local T&C day ticket validity hangover via Kenilworth but this is different.

Many thanks in advance,

EAD

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Hello all,

Quick question on looking at the above fare and comparing ticketing sites to what seems to be loaded into BRFares. Am travelling from MYB on 24th Nov and then back on 25th (so all via HWY). Have an annual gold card and the break of journey is useful for me as I will be stopping overnight in LMS.

Now my simple question is I can see it loaded for £20.15 but the booking sites only offer it at £30.50 (so essentially without NGC discount). Same ticket to LMS with the discount is £20.15 as is the B'ham STNS version. Any reason why COV or BHI (so running through Kenilworth) only result in the £30.50 fare and I cannot find the £20.15 fare with NGC as shown in BRFares?

This seems an anomaly given that stretch is clearly in the Gold Card zone - I am aware of the local T&C day ticket validity hangover via Kenilworth but this is different.

Many thanks in advance,

EAD

Unless you force the itinerary to use only West Midlands Trains and Chiltern Railways (OK, and TfW) north of Banbury, you won't be offered itineraries to COV, BHI, WVH etc. CrossCountry don't accept Gold Card discounted tickets north of Banbury, and Virgin don't accept them at all. If your suggested itinerary includes CrossCountry north of Banbury, or Virgin, then you won't be offered the discounted ticket.

You have to watch out on that one (as well as when you're actually using the ticket); it's really quite tricksy!

 

[EAD]

Thanks for the very quick reply - that would explain it then. I was aware of NGC not being valid with Virgin but had not realised there was the XC restriction north of BAN. Guess it makes sense given the more recent expansion north of the zone etc, but it is pretty passenger unfriendly in terms of the hops around the area where you would normally take Chiltern/XC/West Midlands as you say and can do without NGC discount.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Thanks for the very quick reply - that would explain it then. I was aware of NGC not being valid with Virgin but had not realised there was the XC restriction north of BAN. Guess it makes sense given the more recent expansion north of the zone etc, but it is pretty passenger unfriendly in terms of the hops around the area where you would normally take Chiltern/XC/West Midlands as you say and can do without NGC discount.

Exactly: prior to the West Midlands Trains service between Coventry and Leamington Spa there was no way to reach station between Coventry and Birmingham on a via High Wycombe NGC discounted ticket (other than going via Birmingham, which is both slower and not valid for a number of stations nearer Coventry).