From an old thread, is it the still the case that a paper ticket allows you to not follow the itinerary that the online booking process suggested?
Also can paper tickets be amended only if they are uncollected ?
As I can see you've picked up on something I said, I can clarify what I meant. The ticket format does not alter validity, I didn't mean to imply that. It does change what you hold in your hand that any railway staff member may need to inspect and interpret. The non-reservable nature of the Stansted Express service is what confers this flexibility even on an advance.
Not all barrier staff are well trained, some make up rules, those at Stansted Airport are known to be particularly bloodthirsty, and I remember at least at the time of your previous thread we were seeing "Mandatory Reservations" stated on Advance Single e-tickets when in fact not all of those reservations were mandatory.
I think the format struggled to mix and match the "Mandatory reservations" bit and the "Optional reservations" bit for "& connections" tickets. I don't know if that remains the case as I still buy paper tickets, for various reasons.
My point here was that paper tickets have a more concise and efficient provision of reservation information, so provide a crisper clear statement of mandatory reservations, not even stating a suggestion for the connecting service. It may be my healthy sense of paranoia but it gives a poorly trained barrier staff member less opportunity to misinterpret what I hold and prevent me from getting on with my journey within my rights.
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