Ticket booking websites

[pembroke]

I posted last re. the comparison of automation on railways vv airline operations. However if anyone can shed light on the above, I would be most grateful.
I'm a senior railcard holder ,mainly used on Southern, with the occasional trip to the Midlands. To date I've used the Southern booking site and retrieved tickets at my local station, Redhill. However the site update is a mess. The ability to price compare is poor, the railcard is either specific or generic and worst of all, it includes a map! I would have thought most customers would know their departure and arrival points, and most stations in between. I have also used Trainline before, only this time to be stuck on the booking page and no further. A 'phone call ,to a remote call centre offered to book a ticket and said that the website fails if you attempt several bookings without clearing your browser!
Any tips out there for a reliable, "best value" site, easy to use?
PS I went to the station and bought the tickets I needed, but had to apologise to the long queue!

 

[Clip]

I don't know who was let loose or who authorised the changes to Southerns website but its not very good now. I just use Thameslink if I have to http://www.thameslinkrailway.com/

 

[talldave]

You have my sympathy. I too have dumped map obsessed Southern. The fact they stopped quidco cashback was also disappointing.

Following a recommendation on another thread, I tried Hull Trains' site. It has the familiar mixing deck, nectar points and quidco cashback. Collection from a Southeastern TVM worked fine even though the list of ToD stations was broken. Ironically, I was travelling to Redhill!

 

[island]

Well, I have advice on what not to use. Trainline charges booking fees and credit card surcharges so it is always more expensive than booking directly with a train operating company which sells the same range of tickets with no daft fees.

I generally use Great Western Railway as it gives Nectar points.

 

[gray1404]

I too use Quidco via Hull Trains. Sadly the cashback is only 2%

 

[bb21]

I too use Quidco via Hull Trains. Sadly the cashback is only 2%

Given that they only get 5% sales commission I think 2% is a pretty decent kickback.

Don't forget that they still have to pay out ToD collection costs out of those 3%, which for low value fares, they actually make a loss.

The 6% cashback offered by Southern at one stage was never going to be sustainable.