Single Child Discount with Annual Gold Card

[Ianno87]

Hello - long time lurker, first time poster here!

I have an Any Permitted Cambridge-London Terminals Annual Season ticket, which is issued as an Annual Gold Card.

I'm looking to take my daughter (who is aged under 16) on a day out to London with me on a Saturday in a couple of weeks time, for which I would obviously only need to purchase an Any Permitted Super Off Peak Day return for her, as I am completely covered by my own season ticket.

My question is this: Can she get the Annual Gold Card discount for an accompanied child, given that I am just buying a 'new' ticket for her alone, with no other accompanying adults other than myself?

I only ask because the Ts & Cs of the Gold Card imply that this is possible (under discount for *up to* 4 adults & 4 children), but when checking journey planners/ticket websites they all either give an error, or do not give any discount below the normal child fare when I try. Help/guidance much appreciated!

Many thanks in advance!

 

[Hadders]

You'll have to buy it at a station as I don't think an online booking site will sell the child discounted ticket on its own.

A super off-peak day return will cost you £3.15 with your Gold Card discount.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Given Great Northern have continued the "Child Flat Fare", you should be able to get her one of those rather than a Gold Card discounted ticket. It'll cost you £2.00, and you can get a Day Travelcard for the same price. Don't know whether it's available from TVMs though.

 

[bb21]

AIUI since the journey is covered by your Gold Card, you do not need to purchase any additional ticket for yourself, so just the discounted child fare for your daughter.

I see that booking engines impose a minimum number of 1 adult for Gold Card bookings. You may need to get this from the ticket office I reckon.

Thameslink also do a "Kids for £2" offer which would be cheaper than the standard Gold Card discounted child fare, although I am not certain whether this is available without the purchase of an adult ticket. (They are available singly on Southern, run by the same people as Thameslink so it is a good guess to say that it should be available.)

Will you be needing a Travelcard yourself? Don't forget that if you need to buy her a Travelcard, you will need to buy one for yourself too.

 

[Ianno87]

Brilliant - thank you all for your advice. I'll see what the booking office has to offer and play with a TVM if I'm passing through.

 

[Abpj17]

Booking office only - the £2 fares aren't available through TVMs or online.

You'll want to think about whether to get travelcard included - as kids are free travel in London, it's not strictly necessary. But it's easier to include travel card to avoid challenges over age/lack of photo card/so gates open etc.

 

[Hadders]

Not sure if it makes a difference if going for kids for £1/£2 but Cambridge booking office is operated by Abellio not Great Northern.

Also, remember that queues at Cambridge are HUGE at certain times. I'd get there early or try and purchase beforehand if you happen to be passing nearby.

 

[MikeWh]

as kids are free travel in London, it's not strictly necessary. But it's easier to include travel card to avoid challenges over age/lack of photo card/so gates open etc.

Careful. Kids are only free if under 11 and only on TfL charged services. The OP descrbed their daughter as under 16 so it's a fair chance that she won't be free.

 

[Haywain]

On a TVM, the £2 flat fare will only be offered in conjunction with an adult ticket as they are for accompanied children only. This also applies to Gold Card discounts. Otherwise a child ticket will simply be offered at half the adult price.

 

[paul1609]

Noticed this morning that the Southeastern TVMs have stickers on saying (amounst other fare types) they don't sell flat rate child tickets and to go to the booking office

 

[causton]

Noticed this morning that the Southeastern TVMs have stickers on saying (amounst other fare types) they don't sell flat rate child tickets and to go to the booking office

This is part of a new Code of Practice for retailing information - LM TVMs are now saying what tickets they do and do not sell on the screen now (or should be!)