virgin coach link - luton airport

[mickey]

Does this still exist? There's still a timetable on the VT website but it's over a year old and I can't find much else about it which makes me suspicious...

Anyway, assuming it is still a goer, how do I go about buying a ticket on it? I only need it one-way - from the airport. A through ticket would normally be the best option (though I'm damned if the JPs want to sell me one!) but I've actually already got a ticket valid out of MKC - it's the return portion of a SVR - and therefore I only need to buy a ticket for the bus part. Perhaps Avantix might help, for those who have access to it? And if so - he asks, cheekily - how much does it say it costs?

 

[radamfi]

Table 65B in the current National Rail Timetable shows the Milton Keynes to Luton Airport coach service:

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse documents/eNRT/May10/timetables/Table65B.pdf

As far as I know you just pay the driver like a normal bus.

 

[0B00]

It still runs operated by Stagecoach Bedford for Virgin as the VT99. I used it 3 weeks ago and it was a coach in Stagecoach livery rather than Virgin Trains livery. The driver is still kitted out in VT uniform though !

Times at http://www.stagecoachbus.com/GetUpload.ashx?Id=3199

£6.25 return or £3.45 single WITH railcard discount.

£9.50 or £5.20 without I gather.

Steve

 

[sonic2009]

You can buy from driver. But if you hold railcard then you can only get discount from ticket office. Which nearest one would be luton. I think the ticket price is about 6pound. Because i paid 3pound 50 about 2 months ago with railcard

 

[rail-britain]

It still runs operated by Stagecoach Bedford for Virgin as the VT99. I used it 3 weeks ago and it was a coach in Stagecoach livery rather than Virgin Trains livery. The driver is still kitted out in VT uniform though !

There are normally four coaches used for this service (PVR = 3)
Apparently two of these are not currently available, hence why "standard" livery coaches but to the same inter-urban seating standard are used
The current contract states that "standard" livery must be used if "Virgin Trains" is not available
The contract is up for renewal and is due to be extended, but stagecoach will be required to supply new vehicles under this new contract

I assume the coach is still operated by Stagecoach East (formerly United Counties), although the operators licence still says "United Counties"

 

[mickey]

You're all absolute stars - thank you.

You can buy from driver. But if you hold railcard then you can only get discount from ticket office. Which nearest one would be luton.

I do have a railcard, but, if this is true, can any station issue such tickets? I don't want to have to walk from the airport to Parkway station and back again just to get a cheaper ticket. (And if so, is there anything special I have to ask for or any codes I can give? I tried with the VT call centre today but they wouldn't even accept that such a service exists or that it had anything to do with the train company. They said I should try National Express.)

 

[OwlMan]

Yes use "LUTON AIRBUS MK" code "K042" to Milton Keynes Central

 

[mickey]

Fantastic, I shall try it out at a local station next week.

Another question has just dawned on me though... If easyJet breaks a habit of a lifetime and actually arrives on time, there's a good chance I may arrive at the station during peak time. My ticket is a full-fare SVR (bought by someone who didn't know I had a railcard), so can I excess it down to a YP-fare to take advantage of Virgin's generous railcard peak-time easements? It's a bizarre situation as it's an 'upgrade' to a lower-value ticket but is it within the rules to do so? And if so, can I just get on and ask the TM when (if) s/he comes round, or would it have to be done in advance?

 

[Deerfold]

I assume the coach is still operated by Stagecoach East (formerly United Counties), although the operators licence still says "United Counties"

The company is still called United Counties, trading as Stagecoach. They seem to have never got round to changing the legal name of the company (as with an awful lot of their subsidiaries - see Cambus, Yorkshire Traction etc).
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Fantastic, I shall try it out at a local station next week.

Another question has just dawned on me though... If easyJet breaks a habit of a lifetime and actually arrives on time, there's a good chance I may arrive at the station during peak time. My ticket is a full-fare SVR (bought by someone who didn't know I had a railcard), so can I excess it down to a YP-fare to take advantage of Virgin's generous railcard peak-time easements? It's a bizarre situation as it's an 'upgrade' to a lower-value ticket but is it within the rules to do so? And if so, can I just get on and ask the TM when (if) s/he comes round, or would it have to be done in advance?

I think you'd only be able to refund the original ticket (minus admin fee) and then buy a new one. If it was bought online it'd have to go back to where it was bought.

 

[mickey]

I think you'd only be able to refund the original ticket (minus admin fee) and then buy a new one. If it was bought online it'd have to go back to where it was bought.

In that case I think I'd be better off hanging round an hour or so and using the old one - the admin fee probably takes off the same as or more than I'd save and it's too much effort (plus I didn't actually buy it myself, hence the problem!).

I seem to remember VT's leaflets reading something like "holders of railcards can travel without restriction" rather than "railcard discounted tickets can be used", so perhaps I could get away with it that way as, tecnhically at least, I wouldn't be breaking their rules...?

 

[rail-britain]

The company is still called United Counties, trading as Stagecoach. They seem to have never got round to changing the legal name of the company (as with an awful lot of their subsidiaries - see Cambus, Yorkshire Traction etc)

Yes, I was almost sure of that as it is quite some time since I have visited any of the depots of the former NBC United Counties
The OP put "Stagecoach Bedford" and I was not aware of such a subsidiary

Stagecoach are not permitted to change the name for 50 years without applying to the DfT
The way they get round this is to have it as a trading name, and they've been doing that for years
In the past they used other trading names!

 

[sonic2009]

Fantastic, I shall try it out at a local station next week.

Another question has just dawned on me though... If easyJet breaks a habit of a lifetime and actually arrives on time, there's a good chance I may arrive at the station during peak time. My ticket is a full-fare SVR (bought by someone who didn't know I had a railcard), so can I excess it down to a YP-fare to take advantage of Virgin's generous railcard peak-time easements? It's a bizarre situation as it's an 'upgrade' to a lower-value ticket but is it within the rules to do so? And if so, can I just get on and ask the TM when (if) s/he comes round, or would it have to be done in advance?

you can't downgrade on a ticket. For some reason. Was told no about a while back. Was trying to change to a destination which was a lower price that what i had paid. If your have difficulty getting ticket from virgin, try london midland, or east midlands trains. I'm sure they'l have knowledge of it.