Travelling on Advance Tickets - Illness

[GatwickDepress]

My family are due to be travelling home from Birmingham today. However my dad has been hospitalised. I'm taking the kids home while my parents remain here.

We're travelling on advance tickets with a Family & Friends Railcard in my mum and dad's name - he's in hospital and she's remaining with him. We're unable to afford an additional night in Birmingham and the walk-up fares for all of us.

What would be the best course of action to take in this situation?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[gordonthemoron]

buy a family & friends railcard in your own name?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Official options are somewhat limited, either change the tickets before travel (admin fees will apply), buy new tickets or buy a new Railcard. For the latter the new cardholder must be atleast 16 years old.

Your parents would have change their tickets before the departure time, or buy new tickets to return with.

You might also seek advice from the ticket issuer.

 

[TheEdge]

Cheapest thing probably is to buy a railcard in your name.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Official options are basically change the ticket or buy a railcard in your name, at a cost of £30.

Friends and Family Railcards do not usually have a photograph on them, however.

 

[maniacmartin]

I thought officially tickets are non-transferrable and must only be used by the person they have been bought for. As they've already been bought for your parents, then that's that.
:roll:

(I would go down the new railcard route in this case).

 

[Deerfold]

I thought officially tickets are non-transferrable and must only be used by the person they have been bought for. As they've already been bought for your parents, then that's that.
:roll:

(I would go down the new railcard route in this case).

It sounds like there's simply fewer people travelling and unfortunately that includes the holder(s) of the railcard.

 

[island]

The official answer is that you would need to get a new F&F Railcard.

I will not suggest that due to the lack of a photograph on an F&F a Railcard that it would be unlikely that its use by a person who is not one of the holders would be picked up on, particularly as the holders include one person of each gender, as we do not encourage fare evasion or breaking the terms of tickets on this forum.

 

[GatwickDepress]

I talked with the Train Manager of the Virgin service I was booked to be on, where I was allowed to travel after she checked the tickets and I explained the circumstances. Didn't get anything formally endorsed mind, but there was no issues raised by any other member of staff.
Closest to a fine I got was being nagged by my sister into buying her a Pendolino filled with jelly beans from the shop!

Thank you very much, all who advised.

 

[VauxhallandI]

I hope your Dad gets better soon.

 

[GatwickDepress]

I hope your Dad gets better soon.

Thank you! It's believed to be a chest infection and he should be home by the end of the week, with any luck!

 

[Tetchytyke]

I will not suggest that due to the lack of a photograph on an F&F a Railcard that it would be unlikely that its use by a person who is not one of the holders would be picked up on, particularly as the holders include one person of each gender, as we do not encourage fare evasion or breaking the terms of tickets on this forum.

GatwickDepress, hope your dad gets well soon and is out of hospital. Just a reminder (which I'm sure you don't need) that he can't use the Railcard as he'll not be travelling with children.