online PRV on Cal Sleeper

[Kite159]

The issue was more to do with the fact that it was possible to hide the Priv discount, so that it wouldn't appear on the ticket. The only way of detecting the misuse would then be to look at the price, but given many passengers will be travelling on Advances, whose prices can vary wildly, who's to say what an appropriate price is?

The cheapest advance in the seats is £45 so keep an eye out for anybody with tickets sold for under £20?

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

The cheapest advance in the seats is £45 so keep an eye out for anybody with tickets sold for under £20?

But if they have a Railcard?

 

[Kite159]

But if they have a Railcard?

Railcards give a third off so the cheapest will be around £30, hence why I said £20 as that would suggest a greater discount has been used.

 

[RJ]

It's spilt milk now. I had a go issuing a booking on the ticket office computer and it's very straightforward. Book it in the same way as an Advance then it only requests contact details then voila. It's also very easy to view availability.

 

[theironroad]

Back in the days of Scotrail operating the Sleeper I used to book Priv rate sleeper tickets over the phone through Scotrail Telesales with an option to either collect from station ticket machines or have them posted to me. These come out as normal tickets with the PRIV marker on them, meaning that is obvious for the staff to check the discount entitlement upon checkin; there was no verification over the phone.

Does the new company no longer accept Priv bookings by phone?

Same here. As long as Priv is marked on ticket then onus on ticket holder to have their valid Priv card with them to show at welcome line.

No, new company currently not doing phone bookings for Priv either.

Maybe someone knows. Can regular cal sleeper tickets be collected from any TVMs?

 

[185143]

Same here. As long as Priv is marked on ticket then onus on ticket holder to have their valid Priv card with them to show at welcome line.

No, new company currently not doing phone bookings for Priv either.

Maybe someone knows. Can regular cal sleeper tickets be collected from any TVMs?

I collected a couple (railcard, seated) from a VTWC TVM recently

 

[Mojo]

Maybe someone knows. Can regular cal sleeper tickets be collected from any TVMs?

I collected my last lot of Scotrail Priv Sleeper tickets from a TVM in Bristol (ie. well off the Caledonian Sleeper patch), the ticket and reservation printed properly as did the £5 (IIRC) catering voucher as it was a First class ticket.

 

[philthetube]

I don't understand why some sort of semi online booking facility can be made available similar to what you do when you book staff continental travel through International Rail. In that process you fill in an on-line form detailing what trains you want to travel on and you quote your FIP card number when filling out the form. They then call you back and confirm the details and arrange for payment etc and then post out the tickets. That sort of system combined with a proper check of validity at the barrier to the sleeper train would work surely?

Because that is a ball ache and a half and defeats the purpose of online booking.

It would not be difficult to require a response to a text message, not much ball ache there, and much better than having to make a visit to an office tp find that there is no availability for required dates.

Can VT make seat reservations for the sleeper?

 

[janb]

I'm not sure where you have heard that from but they definitely will.
Sam

They won't do the educational discount season tickets any more. My workload (and takings) have increased because of this.

 

[theironroad]

I collected my last lot of Scotrail Priv Sleeper tickets from a TVM in Bristol (ie. well off the Caledonian Sleeper patch), the ticket and reservation printed properly as did the £5 (IIRC) catering voucher as it was a First class ticket.

I don't think when Scotrail ran it it was a problem, as I collected at Priv sleeper Euston many times.

 

[AlterEgo]

That's a good show of loyalty. Did Caledonian Sleeper thank you properly for bringing it to their attention?

They thanked me, which is enough - reporting widespread fare evasion is the morally proper thing to do.

I am less annoyed at the fare evasion than I was at the people who put me in a difficult position.

 

[Starmill]

I don't think that it is secret knowledge that some people did "leak" the code, as well as it being available to view, the latter probably compounding the impact.

You're correct that, just after it became possible, several people pointed out to me that this facility required only a 3 letter code to use, with no further verification. Instructions for doing this could be linked publicly. I don't really see how that can be considered a leak. I had a good laugh and was surprised that, months and months later, Cal Sleeper still hadn't realised what seemed obvious to me from the start.

 

[Ben Bow]

It seems to me that there was a bug in the system - it didn't consistently show PRIV on the ticket itself. So instead of fixing the bug, and then enforcing the showing of the railcard, they withdraw the facility. Lazy option. I have booked many sleeper tickets at various booking offices, and, even at places like Paddington, the service is extremely variable and really depends on which ticket clerk you get, some are absolutely spot on, some are clueless - it shouldn't be like that.

 

[LordCreed]

It seems to me that there was a bug in the system - it didn't consistently show PRIV on the ticket itself. So instead of fixing the bug, and then enforcing the showing of the railcard, they withdraw the facility. Lazy option. I have booked many sleeper tickets at various booking offices, and, even at places like Paddington, the service is extremely variable and really depends on which ticket clerk you get, some are absolutely spot on, some are clueless - it shouldn't be like that.

My thoughts exactly, especially if the abuse is from those that don't hold the travel facilities. It wouldn't be so bad if you could check availability of priv tickets online, and then book them in person.

 

[WishIHadAName]

Tried to book a priv sleeper at a station today and the price was only 50% cheaper than online price. Is this correct?

 

[Mag_seven]

Tried to book a priv sleeper at a station today and the price was only 50% cheaper than online price. Is this correct?

It should be 75% of the fully flexible fare according to the latest "Satff Travel Restrictions" booklet:

https://www.raildeliverygroup.com/f...t/RST_Winter_2018-19_Restrictions_Booklet.pdf

Sleeper Accommodation. Staff using discounted travel have two options to travel on Caledonian Sleeper:
• 75% discount on fully inclusive flexible fares
• 75% discounted inter-available tickets plus a full price room supplement

 

[theironroad]

Tried to book a priv sleeper at a station today and the price was only 50% cheaper than online price. Is this correct?

Very most probably not.

Would depend on what you were trying to book.

I booked one today and while the first clerk said he couldn't do it , his colleague next to him did it all without fuss.

It's a lottery and I hope serco sort out a system soon so it can be booked online again.

 

[Bungle965]

Unfortunately you are experiencing the pot luck that you have when attempting to get a sleeper ticket, those that are severed by sleeper trains would most likely be the best bet. However there are reports that Virgin's new ticketing system cannot sell sleeper tickets so that's a fairly large chunk of ticket offices unable to do it.
The best bet is to try where you feel the people are most competent, for example I feel like I would have more luck turning up to a TPE station in for instance Stalybridge than I would do rocking up to Rochdale (who would look at you funny if you asked them for anything other than a single or return)
Sam

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Tried to book a priv sleeper at a station today and the price was only 50% cheaper than online price. Is this correct?

Checked online for the Fort William service and it quoted £100 each for standard - booked for me and the missus in person at Kings Cross at £56.25 for the two - it did take the bloke on the ticket counter a couple of attempts to get it right though. Apparently the 'system' at Euston won't let them book sleepers at PRIV. Were you booking just one berth as I think it may only let two be booked for standard.

For the online price of £200 for two berths we could have easily booked an additional night's accommodation and two flights for the following morning and probably dinner too.

 

[theironroad]

Checked online for the Fort William service and it quoted £100 each for standard - booked for me and the missus in person at Kings Cross at £56.25 for the two - it did take the bloke on the ticket counter a couple of attempts to get it right though. Apparently the 'system' at Euston won't let them book sleepers at PRIV. Were you booking just one berth as I think it may only let two be booked for standard.

For the online price of £200 for two berths we could have easily booked an additional night's accommodation and two flights for the following morning and probably dinner too.

It is possible to book one berth in a standard compartment. The ticket is called 'classic solo'.

 

[Esker-pades]

Railcards give a third off so the cheapest will be around £30, hence why I said £20 as that would suggest a greater discount has been used.

Is that quoted for a berth or a seat? I've got seats with a railcard for ~£26.

 

[Kite159]

Is that quoted for a berth or a seat? I've got seats with a railcard for ~£26.

Seats

The entry-level advance fares (from London) on the lowlander are £45-60 (without railcard discount) and £50-£55 on the the Highlander.

 

[Esker-pades]

Seats

The entry-level advance fares (from London) on the lowlander are £60 (without railcard discount) [previously £45 before the 'new stock premium' was added] and £50-£55 on the the Highlander.

London to Edinburgh for ~£26 (with railcard) is the best I've managed. That appears to contradict your figures.

 

[Kite159]

London to Edinburgh for ~£26 (with railcard) is the best I've managed. That appears to contradict your figures.

What dates are you getting ~ £40 undiscounted fares for?

 

[Esker-pades]

What dates are you getting ~ £40 undiscounted fares for?

Early January was when I travelled.

 

[Kite159]

Early January was when I travelled.

So probably before the last round of price increases?

But the theory remains if someone checks in at the terminus with a seated ticket price of less than £20, or a berth for less than £60 to challenge as those prices suggest the PRIV discount code had been used (and hidden by another railcard).

 

[Esker-pades]

So probably before the last round of price increases?

But the theory remains if someone checks in at the terminus with a seated ticket price of less than £20, or a berth for less than £60 to challenge as those prices suggest the PRIV discount code had been used (and hidden by another railcard).

That sounds like a reasonable explanation.