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Group Save with Journey Planner

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bella

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In the past when checking journey planner for fares a group save discount was shown when I was booking for 4 adult tickets.

Recently the discount is not shown against the same type of fare even although I know it is available for the service. Is this a system fault ? If not, how can I book on-line and get the discount?
 
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bella

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Thanks Romilly. I agree this happens where there is a restriction on the National Group Save Calendar.

One example though is the 0942 London Paddington service to Worcester with FGW for a journey to Kidderminster with LM on 23 August. There are no restrictions on the NGSC for either leg. The same train a week earlier offers the discount but not the one on 23 August.

Why?
 

bella

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Thanks Simon. Clearly a system error on National Rail's site.
 

bella

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I tried to book 5 off-peak singles on 0800 Glasgow-Carlisle on 27 June, expecting to see the Group Save discount as there are no exceptions for this date on the Group Save Calendar,

Yet, on both National Rail and Virgin no discount is available on line.

Can anyone confirm this to be a general systems fault or otherwise?? It seems to be hit or miss whether Group Sis available or am I missing something.

Very frustrating!!
 

Romilly

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On Virgin Trains West Coast, their website says that their 20% discount for groups of 3 to 9 people is only available on selected Advance tickets, so not for the offpeak singles you were looking to buy.

And having looked at Glasgow-Carlisle Advance tickets for Saturday morning, none of the trains from 0550 to 0940 appear to have been selected for the 20% discount. But there are £10 Advance tickets on e.g. the 0735 or 0940 if you are able to commit to a particular train with no refund if you don't travel.
 
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Muzer

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As a frequent user of the line — YES! Even I nearly forget from time to time, and my friends when travelling without me have also forgotten this on occasion and had to buy new tickets...
 

father_jack

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Travelling yesterday on a Cross Country service, announcements were saying that tickets marked GSV (Group Saver) were not valid on the service. Indeed so as they don't participate.
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=1776787&postcount=28

On a route where they share the service with SWT, is this a problem for those who would otherwise use these tickets?

Where any leg of the journey is XC GSV isn't valid.

Fun when it rains and all the Bristol to Weston-super-mud buggy brigade board the "fast" train back that's XC at 1538...........
 

yorkie

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As a frequent user of the line — YES! Even I nearly forget from time to time, and my friends when travelling without me have also forgotten this on occasion and had to buy new tickets...
They should take the matter up with Transport Focus and keep taking it higher, if necessary go to the ORR (inform them you believe a breach of consumer law is taking place), because Condition 10 of the NRCoC does not allow for this.

I know some will disagree, but we need this to go to the highest level for an investigation by ORR to make a ruling.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
"Any such restriction should be printed on the ticket."

<runs and hides>
Indeed. The tickets are printed "Any Permitted" and this is the field where any such restriction would be printed, yet the railway industry chooses for there to be none.
 

ainsworth74

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The other interesting thing that I've been told regarding XC and GroupSave tickets is that the discount is applied as if the tickets were being discounted by a railcard. This means that XC most likely gain revenue from GroupSave tickets even though they refuse to carry those passengers with such tickets.
 

bb21

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Indeed. The tickets are printed "Any Permitted" and this is the field where any such restriction would be printed, yet the railway industry chooses for there to be none.

To be honest I don't think this is technically possible, as the 16-character limit of the field cannot possibly contain all the TOC exclusions, if GroupSave were to remain a generic discount applicable to a large number of fares. The new-style layout might change that. They could always list all the participating TOCs in the field.

Of course it would be easiest if XC just simply elect to join the scheme, together with all other TOCs in overlapping areas, but I guess there is more chance of a rooster laying a golden egg than that happening. Much easier (and cheaper I suspect) to just deal with each isolated case where a dispute arises than doing something to the current system.

The other solution I could imagine is for all TOCs to adopt the EMT approach, and define a (range of) GroupSave fare(s) for each eligible flow. That way the 16-character field should in theory be able to list all necessary TOC exclusions (or relevant participating TOCs), but I doubt that move would generally be to the passengers' benefit.
 
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