Using a Cross Country complementary ticket

[maxbarnish]

I have a Cross Country complementary ticket to use following two very delayed journeys earlier this year. It was initially a single that was offered, but the final email to me confirmed that it was a standard class return. I have a print out of the correspondence and the phone number I have to use. I just want to check if anyone is familiar with these tickets and can answer my questions so I can be sure I am using it correctly and also get what I am entitled to.

1. The letter says I will receive either a scratchcard or a PIN for online use - is there any particular advantage or disadvantage in this choice?
2. Are complementary tickets advance tickets i.e. train-specific or just a ticket for an agreed route for an agreed day - so a flexible ticket?
3. If it is a flexible ticket, could I get a seat reservation by calling them?
4. I will be travelling Exeter St Davids to Glasgow and back - not on the same day obviously. I presume - but please correct me if wrong - that this ticket will only be valid for the approximately two-hourly services that run through to Glasgow on Cross Country without changing onto other operators' connecting services - definitely not via Virgin from Birmingham, and seemingly not the Scot Rail connecting service that is offered on XC and connections tickets. I am intending to get the 07.24 departure from Exeter on a Friday arriving Glasgow Central 16.12 - as I cannot it seems take the connections that would arrive at 14.40. I would return on the Sunday a week and 2 days later.
5. Linked to point 4, I have noticed on Journey Check that the XC Glasgow services are not that infrequently terminated short/started late at Edinburgh - in this case, XC typically arrange ticket acceptance on Scot Rail for tickets that ordinarily do not need 'and connections'. However, would arrangements made for 'normal' passengers also apply to me on a XC complementary, and would my choice of a scratchcard or a PIN have any influence on this? E.g. if they say that the service will be starting at Edinburgh and passengers should take the next available Scot Rail service to connect onto the next available XC service at Edinburgh, would this be open to me in the same way as those who have paid for their tickets?
6. Looking at current timetable, although I am going early October so the timetable isn't out yet for the week I want, I cannot actually see any direct XC Glasgow to Exeter services on a Sunday...Have I just looked at weeks where there is some engineering work, or is this the norm. In which case, does it mean I cannot actually return on the Sunday using this ticket?
7. Also on the topic of engineering work, if any engineering work is announced which requires passengers to change train/use trains of another TOC - e.g. the Scot Rail connection, would this be covered, or would the engineering mean I could not use my ticket on that date? Engineering plans for October not announced yet.

Hopefully some people will be able to offer some thoughts on some or all of these. I know my question is quite complex and multi-part and I truly value any input you can offer.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

I just want to check if anyone is familiar with these tickets and can answer my questions so I can be sure I am using it correctly and also get what I am entitled to.

I haven't used a CrossCountry complimentary ticket before, but I have used Virgin complimentary tickets (of both the East and West Coast variety), and I'm going to go out on a limb and say they work the same, given what you have said about receiving a scratch card and PIN, which is what I used for each of those respectively.

1. The letter says I will receive either a scratchcard or a PIN for online use - is there any particular advantage or disadvantage in this choice?

It depends on exactly what the scratch card says but if it is anything like the VTEC one I used then it is in effect an Anytime Single that can be used on any VTEC (in this case XC) train to the destination you write in. Whereas the PIN complimentaries are, in my experience, done by selling you a 100% discounted (or £0.05 with 5p taken off at the end) Advance - in other words, much less flexible as it ties you to specific trains.

2. Are complementary tickets advance tickets i.e. train-specific or just a ticket for an agreed route for an agreed day - so a flexible ticket?

See above. Of course CrossCountry could be different but they still carry over a lot of procedures etc. from their old Virgin days so I would not be surprised if they use the same PIN system. Scratch cards do not normally require you to enter a specific train you intend to use, just a date.

3. If it is a flexible ticket, could I get a seat reservation by calling them?

You can always call Customer Services for a seat reservation but sometimes they will palm you off to a ticket office. However I have never had any difficulties getting one-off reservations from their Twitter team. But as said above - if it is a PIN ticket then I suspect it will be a (quasi) Advance - therefore coming with a reservation by default.

4. I will be travelling Exeter St Davids to Glasgow and back - not on the same day obviously. I presume - but please correct me if wrong - that this ticket will only be valid for the approximately two-hourly services that run through to Glasgow on Cross Country without changing onto other operators' connecting services - definitely not via Virgin from Birmingham, and seemingly not the Scot Rail connecting service that is offered on XC and connections tickets. I am intending to get the 07.24 departure from Exeter on a Friday arriving Glasgow Central 16.12 - as I cannot it seems take the connections that would arrive at 14.40. I would return on the Sunday a week and 2 days later.

The ticket will inevitably be a CrossCountry only ticket, so you won't be able to plan to travel with any other operator. You needn't take a direct service unless the conditions are very different to what I've seen with other TOCs, but if you use the PIN ticket you will be limited to whatever results the journey planner can find (which may just be the direct services if you're looking to go to Glasgow).

5. Linked to point 4, I have noticed on Journey Check that the XC Glasgow services are not that infrequently terminated short/started late at Edinburgh - in this case, XC typically arrange ticket acceptance on Scot Rail for tickets that ordinarily do not need 'and connections'. However, would arrangements made for 'normal' passengers also apply to me on a XC complementary, and would my choice of a scratchcard or a PIN have any influence on this? E.g. if they say that the service will be starting at Edinburgh and passengers should take the next available Scot Rail service to connect onto the next available XC service at Edinburgh, would this be open to me in the same way as those who have paid for their tickets?

A complimentary ticket is treated no differently to a paid-for ticket in such circumstances. If there is ticket acceptance for "CrossCountry only" ticket holding passengers then this applies to all such passengers regardless of how much they have paid for their ticket. Might be an idea to put in "Glasgow Stations" if you go for a scratch card - whilst it isn't the official term (this being Glasgow Central/Queen Street) it means that, I'd have thought, ScotRail would have less reason (if any) to tell you you must go to Central rather than on the faster Express services to Queen Street.

6. Looking at current timetable, although I am going early October so the timetable isn't out yet for the week I want, I cannot actually see any direct XC Glasgow to Exeter services on a Sunday...Have I just looked at weeks where there is some engineering work, or is this the norm. In which case, does it mean I cannot actually return on the Sunday using this ticket?

In the base timetable there are three direct trains on a Sunday. Of course that's subject to alterations for specific dates. The only reason you would be restricted to the direct services would be if you wanted to use a PIN code ticket - again, with a scratch card you can simply enter your destination and then, if necessary, make your own way to Edinburgh and take a XC service originating there.

7. Also on the topic of engineering work, if any engineering work is announced which requires passengers to change train/use trains of another TOC - e.g. the Scot Rail connection, would this be covered, or would the engineering mean I could not use my ticket on that date? Engineering plans for October not announced yet.

What counts is the timetable in force when you date your scratch card or 'buy' your PIN code ticket. If the timetable is later changed this doesn't suddenly mean you can no longer travel!

 

[nickswift99]

If you're worried about a seat reservation you can always use their SMS service. This service works independently of any ticket held and seats can be reserved up to 10 minutes before train departure. For more details see https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/tickets/ten-minute-reservations

 

[yorkie]

....However, would arrangements made for 'normal' passengers also apply to me on a XC complementary, and would my choice of a scratchcard or a PIN have any influence on this? E.g. if they say that the service will be starting at Edinburgh and passengers should take the next available Scot Rail service to connect onto the next available XC service at Edinburgh, would this be open to me in the same way as those who have paid for their tickets?...

You are still a "normal" passenger and the same rules apply. The rail industry can't just strand holders of free passes for no apparent reason! The price paid is irrelevant.

 

[maxbarnish]

Thanks a lot - I'll aim for scratch card if I can