Very strange logic

[Xenophon PCDGS]

My brother was at Manchester Airport recently to buy off-peak standard class return tickets to York (Monday travel)and to Shrewsbury(Tuesday travel)

He was quoted £31.50 from the airport to York. He told the staff that it was only £25.70 from Heald Green,the previous stop which is very near.
"Ah yes" was the reply "That's because we are in Cheshire. It is dearer from here for that reason"

Not to be out-foxed by this logic (since Manchester Airport is NOT in Cheshire according to all maps that he had seen), he said that he had been quoted £21.00 from Heald Green to Shrewsbury, but that he would take them at their word and said "I suppose that it will be less than £21.00 from the airport to Shrewsbury, because you are in Cheshire"
There followed a check on the machine and my brother was told "No, its the same price as Heald Green...£21.00" So my brother said "If the airport in in Cheshire, like you just told me when I booked the York ticket, why is it not cheaper than Heald Green when the airport is further south". There followed further checking, so my brother said " Look, the next stop is Wilmslow, how much is it from there, as it is only a short distance away" There followed another price check on the machine and my brother was told" From Wilmslow the fare is only £12.60, but that is because Wilmslow is in Cheshire" With that, my brother said that he would ask for tickets from Wilmslow to Shrewsbury at £12.60 each...a saving of £8.40 on each ticket.

Can anyone on the forum work out the convoluted logic and the even stranger geographical use of the word "Cheshire" used at Manchester Airport railway station concerning ticketing to York and to Shrewsbury from there. I would be very glad to hear from anyone as I have not visited this part of the website previously to explain that Manchester Airport can be said to be in Cheshire when booking tickets for York, but not in Cheshire for booking tickets to Shrewsbury. Please do what you can to explain the above.

 

[gnolife]

aye, that is a very strange idea of where the GM/Cheshire boundary is
Heald Green, however, can be considered to be within Cheshire, being part of Stockport (addresses round there are down as Stockport, Cheshire).

I would have expected the Airport-York to be cheaper than Heald Green-York becuase Heald Green doesnt even have a direct train that the Off-Peak tickets can be used from to York.
that said, i dont know much about this, but this is just my opinion

 

[island]

The question of Cheshire is a red herring. Normally what matters is who sets the fare. I can't fathom the York one because both fares are set by TPE, but Manchester Airport to Shrewsbury is set by CrossCountry, as is Heald Green to Shrewsbury, whereas Wilmslow to Shrewsbury is set by Arriva Trains Wales.

The answer is a goodly amount of split ticketing, and I suspect a GM Rail Ranger would be helpful.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The question of Cheshire is a red herring. Normally what matters is who sets the fare. I can't fathom the York one because both fares are set by TPE, but Manchester Airport to Shrewsbury is set by CrossCountry, as is Heald Green to Shrewsbury, whereas Wilmslow to Shrewsbury is set by Arriva Trains Wales.

The answer is a goodly amount of split ticketing, and I suspect a GM Rail Ranger would be helpful.

Thank you for this explanation which I have conveyed to my brother.

He said that when he was at Wilmslow station, there were four elderly ladies booking on a mid-morning ATW service from there to Shrewsbury, all with Senior citizen railcards, for off-peak day returns. which was only £8.30 each.
He said that this seemed a very good price for a day return with only a single stop at Crewe.

 

[sheff1]

It is absolutely nothing to do with the airport 'being in Cheshire', and is little to do with who sets the fare. The differences in price are because of the mark ups used when pricing the airport fares.

TOCs can get away with this because most travellers to the airport (other than the locally based workers on seasons) are businessmen, whose ticket is paid for by others; once or twice a year holidaymakers; or foreign tourists who know no better.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It is absolutely nothing to do with the airport 'being in Cheshire', and is little to do with who sets the fare. The differences in price are because of the mark ups used when pricing the airport fares.

TOCs can get away with this because most travellers to the airport (other than the locally based workers on seasons) are businessmen, whose ticket is paid for by others; once or twice a year holidaymakers; or foreign tourists who know no better.

This sounds like they view travellers there as a "captive audience", something like motorway service station restaurants, in charging high prices for basic commodeties.

I told my brother what you have said and he tends to agree with you.

 

[Furrball]

Previous experience when looking at fares from Manchester to Scottish destinations was that the fare were actually lower when starting from Manchester Airport as opposed to travelling from Manchester Piccadilly

 

[hairyhandedfool]

That could be market forces though, more people will go by train to Scotland from Piccadilly than the Airport.

 

[premier01]

It is absolutely nothing to do with the airport 'being in Cheshire', and is little to do with who sets the fare. The differences in price are because of the mark ups used when pricing the airport fares.

TOCs can get away with this because most travellers to the airport (other than the locally based workers on seasons) are businessmen, whose ticket is paid for by others; once or twice a year holidaymakers; or foreign tourists who know no better.

I would agree with this-it's also the case with trains to Gatwick Airport and other airports.

I have always thought that Manchester Airport is in Cheshire-although as pointed out not to do with the pricing strategy.

 

[323235]

It was until 1974 when Ringway became part Manchester and the other remaining parts of Bucklow Rural District became part of Trafford and Macclesfield Districts

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It was until 1974 when Ringway became part Manchester and the other remaining parts of Bucklow Rural District became part of Trafford and Macclesfield Districts

Manchester Airport is operated by members of all the 10 constituant bodies that make up the Greater Manchester area. It is independant of bodies such as the BAA and is a Northern Hub airport for the North of England.

With regard to Cheshire, this is now split in Cheshire West and Cheshire East.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It is absolutely nothing to do with the airport 'being in Cheshire', and is little to do with who sets the fare. The differences in price are because of the mark ups used when pricing the airport fares.

TOCs can get away with this because most travellers to the airport (other than the locally based workers on seasons) are businessmen, whose ticket is paid for by others; once or twice a year holidaymakers; or foreign tourists who know no better.

I think that I'll try to get my brother some revenge at the ticket office at Manchester Airport rail station by asking if they do a SINGLE ticket from PACERS to OBLIVION and ask them is there a time scheme in which this ticket is valid.

Mind you, from what my brother told me, they most probably will say "We are not too sure, but it will be £10.00 extra to the standard price....BECAUSE WE ARE IN CHESHIRE!!!