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TrainsCanBeCheaper - New Booking Engine

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SickyNicky

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OK - to address the outstanding issues:
  • the issue with travelcards not selecting properly is now fixed
  • we're looking into why only one place comes back for all advance queries
  • the problem with some missing super-off peak fares is due to those ticket types missing from our retailer's whitelist. We're talking to them now about it.
 
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some bloke

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...click "Try a more intensive search (SLOW)". ... I'll make a note that direct trains should be in by default.

Yes, that finds the Euston-Birmingham super off-peak fares with "value" chosen. Maybe I misunderstood - did you not mean in your first post that it was already set to do the intensive search?

It might be of interest that the indirect trains for this fare are faster.

To expand on a comment above: The options revert to "popular" and "fixed time" when the earlier or later buttons, or intensive search, are clicked or the journey edited.

I like the look, the feel and the multiple via/avoid options.
 

SickyNicky

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Yes, that finds the Euston-Birmingham super off-peak fares with "value" chosen. Maybe I misunderstood - did you not mean in your first post that it was already set to do the intensive search?

It might be of interest that the indirect trains for this fare are faster.

To expand on a comment above: The options revert to "popular" and "fixed time" when the earlier or later buttons, or intensive search, are clicked or the journey edited.

I like the look, the feel and the multiple via/avoid options.

Yes I did mean that in the first post, and then changed my thinking when I saw the amount of "hits" the CPUs were taking! For most people, a simple search is enough - then a more intensive one if they're not happy with the results.

I also have some more optimisation to do - I'm aware of that!

And yes, the search type will be "sticky". It's in my work list.

Edit: by the way, did you notice that you can set separate advanced options for the outbound and return journeys? That's always been a bugbear of mine.
 
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some bloke

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Yes I did mean that in the first post, and then changed my thinking...

And yes, the search type will be "sticky". It's in my work list.

Edit: by the way, did you notice that you can set separate advanced options for the outbound and return journeys? That's always been a bugbear of mine.

OK understood. Actually it finds those good London-Birmingham fares even without the intensive search. Being impressed that it found the London-Stafford one without me choosing "value", I hadn't bothered to think of choosing it for Birmingham.

Would it be reasonably straightforward to have the options for value, fast, flexible etc stick between sessions? I was glad to see that closing the window and reopening it brought the last journey details back.

Yes, I noticed and agree on the outward and return options.
 

IanD

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I'm liking the different options for outward and return journeys, make finding circular journeys much easier.

However, if you use the arrows to look for earlier/later times, all the via/avoid points seem to be cleared.
 

SickyNicky

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I'm liking the different options for outward and return journeys, make finding circular journeys much easier.

However, if you use the arrows to look for earlier/later times, all the via/avoid points seem to be cleared.

Yes, I'm going to make all the options "sticky" for the time buttons (as discussed above).
 

SickyNicky

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I'm pleased to say that we've fixed the advanced availability issue overnight, so it should be showing the correct numbers now. Thanks for your patience.

Please continue to report any bugs you find, as well as any suggestions for enhancements or features. We'd love to include anything we can that would help you. And yes, I know being able to choose seat reservations is important - and that's going to happen in a future version - we intend to make clickable seating maps available whenever possible.
 

otter11

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Great website, very much looking forward to using this to book in the future!

One suggestion from me (although I appreciate this might be difficult to achieve). When searching for advance tickets, it is often the case that I am looking for the cheapest possible ticket (and don't care what time I travel). On webtis sites, I can get it to show all the fares throughout a day, and then easily see which is the cheapest advance ticket that day.

I appreciate it may be too slow to get your site to show more than 4 departures on the screen at once - but is there any way it could indicate if a cheaper advance fare is available outside those times? Some sort of button saying "If you travel at xx.xx you will get the cheapest price".

Probably too complicated for now, but just thought I would mention it!
 

SickyNicky

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Great website, very much looking forward to using this to book in the future!

One suggestion from me (although I appreciate this might be difficult to achieve). When searching for advance tickets, it is often the case that I am looking for the cheapest possible ticket (and don't care what time I travel). On webtis sites, I can get it to show all the fares throughout a day, and then easily see which is the cheapest advance ticket that day.

I appreciate it may be too slow to get your site to show more than 4 departures on the screen at once - but is there any way it could indicate if a cheaper advance fare is available outside those times? Some sort of button saying "If you travel at xx.xx you will get the cheapest price".

Probably too complicated for now, but just thought I would mention it!

Hmm. Good idea. And if you click on the button, adjust the times to suitable ones. OK - I'll add it to the dev list.
 

SickyNicky

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Sorry folks - I've temporarily pulled the site offline. It'll be back in due course. Apologies for that.
 

GW43125

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Would it be possible to set it so that preferences you specify in the advanced search are kept when you press edit journey?
 

ainsworth74

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Can I suggest more stock photos than just Paddington the opening page? :lol: ;)

Would it be possible to show detailed times on the first page where it displays journey options and prices? Right now you seem to need to select a service before you can see how long the changes are. Could also do with a back button I think as well to go from the detailed info on a service back to the options.
 

arb

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If you do an advanced search (including go via, avoid, etc.) from the front page, then there is no indication in the journey summary at the top-left of the results page that you have advanced options available. This means that if you try and change your search using the box at the top-left of the results page, you can easily forget about the previously selected advanced options.

Example:

1) From the front page, do a search for Cambridge to Peterborough via Stevenage.

2) You get some results.

3) In the search box at the top left of the results page, change the journey to search for Cambridge to Norwich. I don't want to specify a via point for this journey, so don't do anything with advanced options, because none are shown there.

4) This search gives no results, because it's still using the old via point (that wasn't displayed anywhere) and trying to do Cambridge to Norwich via Stevenage.

Clearly if you were only making minor tweaks to the results in the box at the top-left of the results page, it makes sense for the advanced options to be "sticky" and applied to the new search. But if you're making an entirely new search it doesn't make sense. I don't have a sensible UI suggestion for how to fix this, since it's not at all obvious if the user's intention is to tweak their existing search or make a new search. But as a starting suggestion, some sort of warning in that summary box that additional options have been applied to the journey that is shown there, to help avoid making the "Cambridge to Norwich via Stevenage" mistake from my example.
 

Merseysider

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You can. Any photos you want to donate? Need to be hi res, wide and not too​ high.

I was thinking running a competition through the forum.
The forum's weekly photography competition might be worth a look at too, if the owners are willing to share
 

SickyNicky

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If you do an advanced search (including go via, avoid, etc.) from the front page, then there is no indication in the journey summary at the top-left of the results page that you have advanced options available. This means that if you try and change your search using the box at the top-left of the results page, you can easily forget about the previously selected advanced options.

Example:

1) From the front page, do a search for Cambridge to Peterborough via Stevenage.

2) You get some results.

3) In the search box at the top left of the results page, change the journey to search for Cambridge to Norwich. I don't want to specify a via point for this journey, so don't do anything with advanced options, because none are shown there.

4) This search gives no results, because it's still using the old via point (that wasn't displayed anywhere) and trying to do Cambridge to Norwich via Stevenage.

Clearly if you were only making minor tweaks to the results in the box at the top-left of the results page, it makes sense for the advanced options to be "sticky" and applied to the new search. But if you're making an entirely new search it doesn't make sense. I don't have a sensible UI suggestion for how to fix this, since it's not at all obvious if the user's intention is to tweak their existing search or make a new search. But as a starting suggestion, some sort of warning in that summary box that additional options have been applied to the journey that is shown there, to help avoid making the "Cambridge to Norwich via Stevenage" mistake from my example.

Yes - it does need some visibility. I'll add it to the list. Thanks.
 

SickyNicky

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The forum's weekly photography competition might be worth a look at too, if the owners are willing to share

I've spoken to the relevant forum staff about this before. In due course, I'll probably set something up.

However, if another member would like to take the task on, in exchange for (say) a pair of tickets between any two stations, I'd be delighted to talk to them via PM.
 

SickyNicky

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Can you add the open to select an open return, without the need to specify a return date?

Raileasy's purchasing API requires that we specify a journey in each direction. I suppose I could add a "dummy" return journey, but that's fraught with problems.
 

paul1609

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If I put in the journey I did today Rye to Ivybridge for next Sat- Southeastern's website comes up with the obvious route via St Pancras and Paddington. Trains can be cheaper uses the same super off peak fare but sends me via Brighton, Clapham Junction, Exeter St D. taking much longer I can't work out why.
 

Hadders

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One thing I've noticed is that the maximum additional interchange time you can input is 99 minutes. Could this be changed to allow a three figure number. This could be useful if you want to force a longer wait, or even an overnight wait.
 

soup6

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I tried a day return journey from Ashford (Kent) to Liskeard leaving after 07:00 on 04 April and was given an arrival time of 15:35 even using intensive search on a £112.50 ticket outward route Victoria, Clapham Junction whereas an arrival time of 13:34 is possible via Paddington for the same price. If I select Pluckley as the departure station a 13:34 arrival at Liskeard is given without the intensive search.
 

gray1404

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Raileasy's purchasing API requires that we specify a journey in each direction. I suppose I could add a "dummy" return journey, but that's fraught with problems.

That is a shame given the likes of trainline etc... (who you are competing with) allow such an option to be selected.

Thanks for letting me know anyway.
 

Temple Meads

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However, if another member would like to take the task on, in exchange for (say) a pair of tickets between any two stations, I'd be delighted to talk to them via PM.

If you don't have a volunteer yet, I would be happy to take it on. :)

Let me know if you need my help!
 

talldave

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My ideal search algorithm would offer a "ticket to somewhere else is cheaper" option.

Take Horsham to Clapham Junction - I know it's cheaper to buy Horsham to Shepherds Bush and simply bin the ticket at Clapham Junction . I found that by chance and there may be even cheaper alternatives. Similarly, the cheapest single ticket journey Gravesend to St Pancras comes from not buying a ticket to St Pancras, and if you start splitting there are different "wrong destinations" that save even more. Having a website do the donkey work would be very useful.

I appreciate that non-expert ticket purchasers may be wary of setting off on a journey with a ticket to the wrong destination, but if the reasoning and options are clearly presented, they at least have the chance of a lower fare, provided they're happy with the explanation given.

PS: using a tablet, I'd appreciate an egg timer indication after clicking the earlier or later buttons, otherwise you don't know the site is busy thinking!
 
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