What is the point of this ticket?

[phil35]

I was just looking at times for my usual Banbury - Birmingham Friday night journey, and I noticed that there seems to be a pretty pointless ticket available and I'm baffled.

So I searched Banbury - Birmingham stations, outward Friday 11th March, return Sunday 13th March on the East Coast website (I have a Y-P railcard).

Now there is the option for an off-peak return that I usually buy on the day from the station that costs £10.90. However, there is also the option for a £12 off peak return ticket (with railcard discount applied). Now I can't for the life of me see the difference, or any extra conditions associated with this ticket to warrant the extra £1.10. Any idea what it is?

 

[LexyBoy]

There is a £12 minimum fare on Y-P railcard before 10h00 - so same ticket, but valid before 10am (subject to the ticket restrictions).

 

[barrykas]

Now there is the option for an off-peak return that I usually buy on the day from the station that costs £10.90. However, there is also the option for a £12 off peak return ticket (with railcard discount applied). Now I can't for the life of me see the difference, or any extra conditions associated with this ticket to warrant the extra £1.10. Any idea what it is?

£12 would be an Off-Peak Return with the Railcard minimum fare applied, for if you were travelling before 10am Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays and in July and August).

The relevant validity code for the ticket in question is 2V, which is not valid before 0930 Mondays to Fridays (excluding public holidays).

Cheers,

Barry

 

[phil35]

And would you believe it, I think I figured it out right after posting! *sigh*

For anyone interested, I'm pretty sure its to do with the £12 minimum fare on tickets before for services before 10am.

There is one service on the Friday morning that departs at 0954. I assume that off-peak tickets are valid any time after 0930, but as the 0954 (the only service in the 0930-1000 period) is before 1000, the railcard minimum fare is applied.

So you would only need to use the £12 ticket only for the 0954 service. Makes sense! Apologies about the now pointless thread...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
And the both of you got to it before me. Thanks anyway guys!

 

[jon0844]

Isn't the minimum £13 or is it lower for a YPRC? I'm sure the Network Railcard is £13.

 

[LexyBoy]

Isn't the minimum £13 or is it lower for a YPRC? I'm sure the Network Railcard is £13.

It's £12 for the Y-P (see here). Not sure why the slight difference (as you say for a Network Railcard it's £13).

 

[jon0844]

It's a PITA as living just outside the M25, the minimum makes the card pretty pointless for my wife. Most tickets she will get will be £13 or less anyway, so there's no chance to get a discount at all in the week. That's unless she's with me and she gets the Gold Card discount that, for now, has no minimum.

 

[LexyBoy]

It's a PITA as living just outside the M25, the minimum makes the card pretty pointless for my wife. Most tickets she will get will be £13 or less anyway, so there's no chance to get a discount at all in the week. That's unless she's with me and she gets the Gold Card discount that, for now, has no minimum.

Indeed - exactly the same situation with me. My wife hasn't bothered to renew her Network RC since it's no use for short journeys and at the weekend when we might be making longer trips we're invariably travelling together anyway.