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Is this an operator specific fare?

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BRX

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http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=INV&dest=1072&tkt=SSU

This is a fare that I'm offered by journey planners on the 0755 direct LNER service from Inverness to King's Cross.

It's not offered on any other connections (scotrail to edinburgh then LNER to London).

But when I look up the restrictions I don't see anything that prevents me from using any other service, as long as it doesn't arrive into London in the morning. It doesn't seem to say anything about LNER services only.

Am I missing or overlooking something here?
 
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ForTheLoveOf

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http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=INV&dest=1072&tkt=SSU

This is a fare that I'm offered by journey planners on the 0755 direct LNER service from Inverness to King's Cross.

It's not offered on any other connections (scotrail to edinburgh then LNER to London).

But when I look up the restrictions I don't see anything that prevents me from using any other service, as long as it doesn't arrive into London in the morning. It doesn't seem to say anything about LNER services only.

Am I missing or overlooking something here?
It's certainly not an operator specific fare. As the route restriction (Any Permitted) says, it's valid on any operator along a permitted route.

The issue is with LNER's godawful booking engine. It seems incapable of selling these cheap one-way tickets other than on an itinerary that solely involves LNER. That means that, even though they exist for a great number of journeys that are impossible to complete solely by LNER services, they can't be bought for a one-way journey.

To be fair with LNER, they have no obligation to be selling these one-way tickets as cheaply as they are doing - all other booking engines implement the fare correctly and only sell it as one portion (outward or return) of a return journey, and if so, on any TOC. But LNER's site sells the fare even when you search for a one-way journey.

If you want to make use of it, simply book it for the service it offers. Then use it on any permitted route. If it's seat reservations you're after, any train company's customer services or any ticket office should be able to sort those out for you.
 

BRX

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Thanks. I was a bit surprised to find it at all, as I thought they were only available as part of a return journey as you say.

I guess in practice they can only be bought on the day if you buy them a couple of hours ahead of the departure of the lner train departure (even if you want to use a train later in the day)
 

ForTheLoveOf

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Thanks. I was a bit surprised to find it at all, as I thought they were only available as part of a return journey as you say.

I guess in practice they can only be bought on the day if you buy them a couple of hours ahead of the departure of the lner train departure (even if you want to use a train later in the day)
Yes, unfortunately. I suppose it's a bonus that there's no "entitlement" to, so if it doesn't work, then you can't complain! (Just like the availability of Advances)
 

BRX

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Yup. Useful to know about though, may change some of my ticket purchasing strategies in the future.
 

Romilly

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My understanding is that the real problem is that Scotrail are highly restrictive about the Scotrail services that can form the "and connections" part of, for example, an "LNER and connections" Advance. Presumably the same is equally true of the OP's ticket.
 

ForTheLoveOf

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My understanding is that the real problem is that Scotrail are highly restrictive about the Scotrail services that can form the "and connections" part of, for example, an "LNER and connections" Advance. Presumably the same is equally true of the OP's ticket.
That issue, which is of course one entirely legitimate problem, has nothing to do with this issue, which is down to the ineffable incompetence of LNER's booking engine.
 

yorkie

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Thanks. I was a bit surprised to find it at all, as I thought they were only available as part of a return journey as you say.

I guess in practice they can only be bought on the day if you buy them a couple of hours ahead of the departure of the lner train departure (even if you want to use a train later in the day)
It's only supposed to be sold in conjunction with a single for the other direction, and LNER have instructed other retailers they must comply with this.

However LNER's own supplier cannot comply with this (presumably they lack the technical experience and knowledge to do this?) and LNER therefore issue it for a single journey, while not allowing other retailers to do the same.

Naughty, but there is no effective, truly independent, proactive body that can stop them.

See:
 
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Fleetwood Boy

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It isn't the only example of odd situations with a Saver Half though. I regularly buy one in conjunction with an outbound Advance to give me flexibility on return journeys from Manchester to Glasgow. I can never get a Saver Half for an itinerary involving TPE, only for one involving VTWC. This despite the fact that a Saver Return would be valid on TPE. The Saver Half has no obvious operator restriction once issued (it is simply routed via Carlisle, in the same way as a Saver Return) and until I recently noted the anomaly about itineraries using TPE I'm pretty sure I have used it on both operators. I don't any more "just in case" but have been meaning to seek views on this, now prompted by this discussion.
 

ForTheLoveOf

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It isn't the only example of odd situations with a Saver Half though. I regularly buy one in conjunction with an outbound Advance to give me flexibility on return journeys from Manchester to Glasgow. I can never get a Saver Half for an itinerary involving TPE, only for one involving VTWC. This despite the fact that a Saver Return would be valid on TPE. The Saver Half has no obvious operator restriction once issued (it is simply routed via Carlisle, in the same way as a Saver Return) and until I recently noted the anomaly about itineraries using TPE I'm pretty sure I have used it on both operators. I don't any more "just in case" but have been meaning to seek views on this, now prompted by this discussion.
What is printed (or isn't printed) on the ticket is what counts. I would be surprised if members of train crew on the TPE service even noticed it was a "Saver Half", so to speak, rather than an ordinary Single.

Unless restrictions are printed on the ticket, they are ineffective. Certainly, limitations of a booking engine don't impact the validity of a ticket - e.g. if you buy a Gold Card discounted ticket from Reading to Oxford, it may struggle to come up with any CrossCountry itineraries if the train terminates at Birmingham, as they do in the late evening. But that's just because of the way Gold Card restrictions are implemented, and in no way is it impermissible to use CrossCountry services from Reading to Oxford.
 

BRX

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It's only supposed to be sold in conjunction with a single for the other direction, and LNER have instructed other retailers they must comply with this.

However LNER's own supplier cannot comply with this (presumably they lack the technical experience and knowledge to do this?) and LNER therefore issue it for a single journey, while not allowing other retailers to do the same.

Naughty, but there is no effective, truly independent, proactive body that can stop them.

See:

Has this 'loophole' now been closed? (I can't seem to see these fares offered on the LNER site any more)
 

Bletchleyite

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The Avanti ones are Any Permitted (and are therefore valid on TPE) but won't be issued for a journey with them alone because they are set up thus:

Journey must include travel on at least one of the following main TOCs: WEST MIDLANDS TRAINS, CROSSCOUNTRY, AVANTI WEST COAST
Connecting travel (where permitted by routeing) is allowed on: any TOC

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=MKC&dest=LAN&tkt=SVH

This is mind-numbingly stupid.
 
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