Who lets you print your own ticket at home?

[richieb1971]

I used Virgin a few weeks ago, amazingly I could print my own ticket.

Worked well, would encourage others to do it.

A month before that I used the code system to print my ticket at MKC and the line went out of the main building. I didn't miss my train but it seemed awfully inconvenient standing there for ages waiting for the line to go down.

 

[34D]

Eurostar do print at home too.

There are drawbacks though - faffing at gates is one.
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Eurostar do print at home too.

There are drawbacks though - faffing at gates is one.

 

[Puffing Devil]

And not being able to change any Advance tickets for the admin fee. Caught me out once, never print at home again, until this is fixed or I'm leaving in 24 hours.

 

[Muzer]

The main actual drawback I've heard is that you have a lot fewer rights for things like alterations to your ticket and refunds, where available. And there's usually no difference in ticket price to offset this. I'd still recommend using ToD, and avoiding the CrossCountry website because CrossCountry are evil people who charge you for using ToD when there are eTickets/print at home/whatever available.

 

[yorkie]

Yes, you lose a lot of rights, and some people have lost a lot of money as a result.

You can also be doomed if the form of ID you chose (e.g. credit card) is lost/stolen.

I wouldn't encourage others to use it, until you have the same rights as a normal ticket holder.

 

[sheff1]

A month before that I used the code system to print my ticket at MKC and the line went out of the main building. I didn't miss my train but it seemed awfully inconvenient standing there for ages waiting for the line to go down.

I think that normally if the line goes down passengers will be authorised to travel with just the booking reference - has certainly happened to me a couple of times.

To answer your question, Transpennine Express and Crosscountry allow Print at Home and I am am happy to use both - TPE to avoid the queues to collect a ticket when I am travelling to/from Manchester Airport & XC to take advantage of their 'last minute' advances.

 

[Par]

East Midlands Trains offer print at home too.

 

[sheff1]

East Midlands Trains offer print at home too.

Which tickets is that for ?
I never get that option when I am booking to London.

 

[Par]

Yes, you lose a lot of rights, and some people have lost a lot of money as a result.

You can also be doomed if the form of ID you chose (e.g. credit card) is lost/stolen.

I wouldn't encourage others to use it, until you have the same rights as a normal ticket holder.

Thanks for advice on this. I've used print at home several times previously with both Virgin and East Midlands Trains without problem, but had no idea your rights were affected.

I have 3 separate bookings on Advances for this summer, so hope there are no disruptions from the industrial action, or else I foresee problems with these tickets.
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Which tickets is that for ?
I never get that option when I am booking to London.

Manchester Piccadilly to Nottingham.

 

[transmanche]

Yes, you lose a lot of rights, and some people have lost a lot of money as a result.
[...]
I wouldn't encourage others to use it, until you have the same rights as a normal ticket holder.

What sort of rights do you lose?

Over the past few years I have used Print@Home for numerous journeys on East Coast. On the one occasion I needed to alter a journey I was able to make the amendment easily online. (Although for some reason I was expected to carry the original and replacement Print@Home itineraries.)

 

[sheff1]

Manchester Piccadilly to Nottingham.

Thanks. I assume this is some sort of trial in advance of rollout out to their larger traffic flows.

 

[Par]

Thanks. I assume this is some sort of trial in advance of rollout out to their larger traffic flows.

Not sure it's particularly new, I've been using print@home on this route since last summer.

 

[alastair]

And not being able to change any Advance tickets for the admin fee. Caught me out once, never print at home again, until this is fixed or I'm leaving in 24 hours.

Certainly no problem in amending a print-at -home advance on East Coast on-line a few weeks ago...the same level of fare was available on the train I wanted so was just charged admin fee £10.

Many warnings to take old as well as new tickets with me but TM showed no interest in old tickets nor asked for any ID. Got the impression that as long as the hologram zapped OK with his scanner that was all that mattered.

 

[MikeWh]

... and the line went out of the main building. I didn't miss my train but it seemed awfully inconvenient standing there for ages waiting for the line to go down.

I think that normally if the line goes down passengers will be authorised to travel with just the booking reference - has certainly happened to me a couple of times.

I can't help wondering if line in this case meant the queue line rather than the data connection?

 

[Romilly]

Certainly no problem in amending a print-at -home advance on East Coast on-line a few weeks ago...the same level of fare was available on the train I wanted so was just charged admin fee £10.

Many warnings to take old as well as new tickets with me but TM showed no interest in old tickets nor asked for any ID. Got the impression that as long as the hologram zapped OK with his scanner that was all that mattered.

I think the point is not that you can't amend (I too have amended print-at-home tickets bought on-line from East Coast), but that the cut-off point for making amendments is earlier than it would be if you hadn't opted for print-at-home (6pm the evening before the date of outward travel, rather than any time prior to the first booked train: NB the VTEC website says online changes can only be made up to 2 hours before your original departure time, although I think I recall having in the past made the change closer to the departure time than that).

As for having to show the old tickets and/or ID, practice seems to vary, but I have sometimes been asked for one, or the other, or both: it therefore seems wise to have them with you.

 

[Puffing Devil]

Looks like Virgin has changed the policy on changing print at homes:

https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/customer-service/change-ticket/

You need to bring the original with you and changes are limited to online only.