Virgin m-tickets

[Bletchleyite]

Well, if the available information states it's not available, and staff on-board say it's not available, then it could enter the realm of RJ-style loopholes: valid, but unusable for all but the determined.

Here's hoping things are clarified for the better, soon.

I won't be attempting to use one until such time as the app will sell them on all operators I may encounter on a WCML journey, i.e. LM, VT, Northern and TPE. I will not pay the same but have my flexibility limited. If flexibility is limited, the price should be lower.

 

[mad_rich]

Hi

I've bought an m-ticket for the first time, an Advance Newcastle-King's X.

The app shows my journey details and seat reservation, but no barcode.

Am I right in thinking this will magically update overnight when it 'activates'? And does it need to be online to do this? And do I need to do anything?

VTEC website suspiciously short on detail.

Only reason I ask is because the departure is 0655 on Good Friday, and I suspect that's not a good time to be fixing things if there's a problem.

 

[najaB]

Am I right in thinking this will magically update overnight when it 'activates'? And does it need to be online to do this? And do I need to do anything?

As far as I know (and Tweets have confirmed this), once the ticket is downloaded and appears in the app, it can be activated even if you don't have a signal. I presume the barcode will be visible once activated.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Hi

I've bought an m-ticket for the first time, an Advance Newcastle-King's X.

The app shows my journey details and seat reservation, but no barcode.

Am I right in thinking this will magically update overnight when it 'activates'? And does it need to be online to do this? And do I need to do anything?

VTEC website suspiciously short on detail.

Only reason I ask is because the departure is 0655 on Good Friday, and I suspect that's not a good time to be fixing things if there's a problem.

Once the ticket is activated (automatically on the day of travel with an Advance ticket) the barcode appears

 

[mad_rich]

Thanks both.

OT, but you prompted me to have a brief look at VTEC's Twitter feed, and I spotted someone complaining that the 'half price' Super off peak single has now disappeared.

https://twitter.com/Virgin_TrainsEC/status/712605292555595776

This was a great idea when EC (or was it NEEC?) introduced it. London - Newcastle bought by 2359 the night before for £65.15.

True enough, it doesn't appear in search results except as part of a return. I'm sure it did a few days ago.

 

[Haywain]

OT, but you prompted me to have a brief look at VTEC's Twitter feed, and I spotted someone complaining that the 'half price' Super off peak single has now disappeared.

This was a great idea when EC (or was it NEEC?) introduced it. London - Newcastle bought by 2359 the night before for £65.15.

True enough, it doesn't appear in search results except as part of a return. I'm sure it did a few days ago.

That's because it is meant to be sold only as part of a return.

 

[mad_rich]

That's because it is meant to be sold only as part of a return.

For the past few years it's been available as a single - and promoted as such. Only available on East Coast website for purchase by 2359 the day before.

Seems to be a very recent (last few days) change.

 

[LexyBoy]

That's because it is meant to be sold only as part of a return.

True of VTWC - apparently VTEC are moving in line with this.

Only FGW have introduced proper walk-up (Super) Off Peak Singles at near half the return price, but of course FGW are the devil's own TOC so rarely get any credit for this, compared to the amount VT get for their Saver Half.

 

[sheff1]

True of VTWC - apparently VTEC are moving in line with this.

Another fare increase by stealth from VTEC. They will presumably claim it is "what passengers want", as they did when they stopped EC Rewards.

 

[Haywain]

For the past few years it's been available as a single - and promoted as such. Only available on East Coast website for purchase by 2359 the day before.

Seems to be a very recent (last few days) change.

It has been available as a single, but I am not aware that it has been promoted as that.

 

[sheff1]

It has been available as a single, but I am not aware that it has been promoted as that.

I remember receiving emails from the TOC, promoting the new 'cheap' single, when it was first introduced.

 

[Hadders]

VTEC's Web Only Super Off Pea Single has changed:

https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/special-offers/travel-savings/off-peak-train-tickets/#tab_1

You can book your ticket online right here on the site. Just look out for ‘Super Off-Peak’ fares.
The Super Off-Peak Single lets you travel on any train outside of peak times, Monday to Friday, and at any time on Saturdays and Sundays.
They can be used in conjunction any other single ticket. So if you want commit to a specific train time on one leg of your journey (to get the best saving), you can still use the full flexibility of the Super Off-Peak for the other.
If you really want to beef up your savings, you can even use a Railcard when you buy it too.

To be fair they are available on more journeys than before but they are still only available from between London and Peterborough and north thereof. Stevenage misses out.

They also have a rather dubious restriction on break of journey:

Super Off-Peak Tickets are only available for the following journeys: London to: Edinburgh, Dunbar, Berwick, Alnmouth, Morpeth, Newcastle, Durham, Darlington, Northallerton, York, Leeds, Wakefield, Doncaster, Retford, Lincoln, Newark North Gate, Grantham and Peterborough; and vice versa.

You can’t start, break and resume, or terminate your journey at any intermediate station. If you do you will have to pay extra, up to the normal price of the Super Off-Peak Single ticket for that journey.

 

[LexyBoy]

So if you break your journey on a Super Off Peak Single you'll have to pay an excess to the Super Off Peak Single?

Yep - sounds like the Virgin we know and love!

(To be fair EC's offering also had this restriction IIRC)

 

[Bletchleyite]

On West Coast they are available across the board. Time East Coast did the same?

 

[gordonthemoron]

On West Coast they are available across the board. Time East Coast did the same?

I don't think they're available between Milton Keynes and Euston

 

[Bletchleyite]

They are available for all VT owned flows, sorry.

 

[Haywain]

To be fair they are available on more journeys than before but they are still only available from between London and Peterborough and north thereof. Stevenage misses out.

Fares between London and Stevenage are set by GTR, and there are no Advance fares for this journey which would be a requirement of setting a half price single to go with them. And regarding Milton Keynes on the West Coast route, Virgin would have to add a full price Super Off Peak fare before they could start retailing a half price version!

 

[Bletchleyite]

VTWC do half price versions of SVRs (Off Peaks).

 

[Hadders]

Fares between London and Stevenage are set by GTR, and there are no Advance fares for this journey which would be a requirement of setting a half price single to go with them. And regarding Milton Keynes on the West Coast route, Virgin would have to add a full price Super Off Peak fare before they could start retailing a half price version!

But this doesn't explain why there's no web only Super Off Peak Single from Stevenage to Edinburgh, Leeds, Newcastle etc.

 

[Starmill]

I fear this thread has gone a little off-track!

Are the m-tickets refundable... or not. Yes or no answer surely?

 

[najaB]

I fear this thread has gone a little off-track!

Are the m-tickets refundable... or not. Yes or no answer surely?

Surely that would depend on the ticket type? There's no way I would buy an Anytime or Off Peak ticket that wasn't refundable.

 

[Haywain]

Are the m-tickets refundable... or not. Yes or no answer surely?

They are refundable if the paper equivalent is refundable.

 

[mad_rich]

Hi

I've bought an m-ticket for the first time, an Advance Newcastle-King's X.

The app shows my journey details and seat reservation, but no barcode.

Am I right in thinking this will magically update overnight when it 'activates'? And does it need to be online to do this?.

No problem in the end. The tickets had already validated when I checked my phone at 0015.

Not that I needed the barcode. It didn't work in the barriers at NCL, so I was waved through without further inspection and the guy on the train didn't want to see the barcode either!

I'll certainly use m tickets again, although I do wish they'd spent £50 on a work experience graphic designer.

 

[mad_rich]

Well, I bought another m-ticket this week.

This time it never appeared on my phone. Looking in 'My Bookings' on the VTEC website, it just showed as 'in progress' and not 'completed'. (Oddly, along with an error message during booking apologising that they couldn't send me an email confirmation, and to try again later.)

I phoned the web help desk, who suggested uninstalling the app and selecting 'I no longer have this device any more' on the website before downloading the app again. This worked, and the ticket appeared (eventually).

She said something about an update to the app, which sounds plausible. But the designers clearly have a bit of work to do if an update to the app breaks things so easily!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Well, I bought another m-ticket this week

Still not working properly!

My phone didn't open the barriers at Newcastle, and the barcode shows a big yellow exclamation mark saying 'Used Ticket' and no watermark available.

The inspector didn't seem to mind, or possibly notice.