Thameslink fare rise by stealth

[youngpete]

Before Thameslink took over the Southeastern Service from Gillingham to Charing Cross and replaced it with a Rainham (Kent) to Luton service, Southeastern Kids for a Quid tickets were available from all stations. Thameslink do not honour the Kids for a Quid ticket and whilst advertising an similar accompanied childs off-peak £2.00 ticket they discriminate against Kent services by NOT making this ticket available on any of their Kent routes. This has the result that at Higham (and there may be other stations) where there are now NO Southeasten off-peak services an accompanied childs ticket off-peak day return has gone up from £1.00 to £6,65

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Before Thameslink took over the Southeastern Service from Gillingham to Charing Cross and replaced it with a Rainham (Kent) to Luton service, Southeastern Kids for a Quid tickets were available from all stations. Thameslink do not honour the Kids for a Quid ticket and whilst advertising an similar accompanied childs off-peak £2.00 ticket they discriminate against Kent services by NOT making this ticket available on any of their Kent routes. This has the result that at Higham (and there may be other stations) where there are now NO Southeasten off-peak services an accompanied childs ticket off-peak day return has gone up from £1.00 to £6,65

This is disappointing. But unfortunately it is permitted: the TOCs are not required to offer anything other than the regulated fares, which would be either the season ticket or the Anytime Day Return. Promotional offers cannot be relied upon forever: however this swings both ways, as I would not consider a fare that is "reduced" by means of a promotional fare to actually be properly reduced, and do I would disagree with any suggestion by a TOC that fare rises are OK because of their special offers (e.g. in the way the annual rises are often justified with respect to the lack of increases for things like Advances).

 

[Surreytraveller]

I wonder what would happen if you had a period return or a season ticket valid on a particular operator, and part way through the validity of that ticket the operator changed. Should your ticket be valid to the station on it by the new operator?
For example, you had a kids for a quid period return from Higham bought before the service went over to Thameslink.

 

[island]

Tickets are valid until they expire, regardless of whether it remains possible to buy that ticket at the same price or at all.

 

[Haywain]

The Kids R Stheastern tickets do not carry any TOC restriction, so Thameslink cannot refuse to accept them. It's as simple as that. They are routed 'Not Valid on HS1' or 'Plus High Speed' - neither of which have anything to prevent use on Thameslink services.