Questions for people who have used e-tickets

[gray1404]

If it just me or do others have the problem with e-ticket issued by Omio. Every e-ticket I've had from them has failed to scan on my phone using the barcode readers at station ticket barriers. E-tickets from other retailer have scanned from the same phone using the same barriers. I have tried different stations and different barriers and it seems to be an Omio thing.

 

[Deerfold]

Acronyms from the past

That didn't help much.


I've just bought an e Ticket from LNER.

It's disappointing that under the heading "Mandatory Reservations" it lists my non-mandatory connection. It does say "No reservation" but doesn't make it clear that you're not obliged to take that service.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I used another set today, bought from a different supplier - Trainsplit.

The e-tickets were easier to buy but harder to use compared to orange card. I bought a Dore & Totley split to go walking in the Peak District (very nice, sunny weather but a bit windy on Froggatt Edge, no time for food in Grindleford Station cafe).

Using them is a faff, in terms of showing to the guard: a very long pdf with the first out and return, then the second out and return, with booked/suggested itineraries, contractual guff and contact details for Raileasy between each ticket portion. Plus you have to keep it active or wait for the pdf to load, then expand, then scroll down. Much easier to offer the relevant two pieces of orange cardboard.

I had a long connection and collected some of the old-fangled orange stuff from the TVM whilst waiting. The pdf's QR code would not work the gates at Derby.

If my local station had a TVM, I would buy on-line and collect at the start of the day.

 

[Deerfold]

Nearly bought an "e-ticket" from Trans Pennine Express last night. Fortunately I read the small print explaining they had to be displayed in the TPE app - as I was buying the ticket for someone else.

Until they sort out what is and isn't an e-ticket amongst the providers, expect customers to stay confused and not embrace them.

 

[yorkie]

Nearly bought an "e-ticket" from Trans Pennine Express last night. Fortunately I read the small print explaining they had to be displayed in the TPE app - as I was buying the ticket for someone else.

Until they sort out what is and isn't an e-ticket amongst the providers, expect customers to stay confused and not embrace them.

Agreed. TPE are misleading you; that's not a proper e-ticket if it has to be shown in their app.

Unfortunately there is no proper proactive ombudsman with teeth who can bring rogue train companies to account.

 

[td97]

TPE are now issuing proper e-tickets;

• either in-app (as previously),
• PDF on confirmation email

• PDF to download on booking confirmation screen.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Generated by TallPDF Evaluation? You'd think they'd pay their licence fees before rolling it out!

Good. Hopefully GWR, who were the other "naughty" "e-ticket" issuer will follow. And Avanti, can we please have proper e-tickets in your app too, not the "fake" m-tickets?

 

[_toommm_]

TPE are now issuing proper e-tickets;

• either in-app (as previously),
• PDF on confirmation email

View attachment 74644

• PDF to download on booking confirmation screen.

View attachment 74643

I was thinking about this last night! Didn’t want to mention it though in case it already had been done

 

[infobleep]

I was thinking about this last night! Didn’t want to mention it though in case it already had been done

Perhaps they have found a loop hole to make the evaluation copy evaluate for as long as they like!

 

[Kilopylae]

Hopefully GWR, who were the other "naughty" "e-ticket" issuer will follow.

Let's hope - especially given their exceptionally in-your-face marketing campaign against paper tickets [...and in favour of their so-called "e-tickets."]

 

[_toommm_]

Let's hope - especially given their exceptionally in-your-face marketing campaign against paper tickets [...and in favour of their so-called "e-tickets."]

Or in favour of their m-tickets, depending on which part of their website or advertisements you look at.

Aah... continuity.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Or in favour of their m-tickets, depending on which part of their website or advertisements you look at.

Aah... continuity.

GWR do not issue m-tickets. They issue e-tickets, but for some reason I don't understand omit to attach them to the confirmation e-mail.

If I recall correctly their app can't even do m-tickets, it refuses purchase for a journey where e-tickets aren't offered.

 

[_toommm_]

GWR do not issue m-tickets. They issue e-tickets, but for some reason I don't understand omit to attach them to the confirmation e-mail.

If I recall correctly their app can't even do m-tickets, it refuses purchase for a journey where e-tickets aren't offered.

I was meant to refer to TPE, but I quoted the above post about GWR by accident. TPE, up until very recently, did app-only tickets which they invariably branded as both e and m tickets.

 

[td97]

I was meant to refer to TPE, but I quoted the above post about GWR by accident. TPE, up until very recently, did app-only tickets which they invariably branded as both e and m tickets.

All FirstGroup TOCs* - TPE, GWR, SWR, HT - use Worldline and hence the same booking system. Perhaps someone can confirm whether these other websites also now issue PDFs?

*With the exception of Avanti, who for some reason currently use Trainline, despite FirstGroup otherwise using Worldline exclusively; and Trenitalia using their own system on c2c (however this presently has no m/e-ticket functionality)

 

[357 LTSRail]

With the exception of Avanti, who for some reason currently use Trainline

Could this be to do with future reintroduction of the seat selector? All I can say is that trainline seems to work well for e-tickets: my greater anglia experience was very good in this regard. (c2c/trenitalia's ticketing system is still awash with bugs and inefficiencies - and still no e-tickets or a ticketing app!)

 

[Bletchleyite]

All FirstGroup TOCs* - TPE, GWR, SWR, HT - use Worldline and hence the same booking system. Perhaps someone can confirm whether these other websites also now issue PDFs?

Red Spotted Hanky (which is the generic version of WebTIS) doesn't.

 

[exile]

Whereas I recognise e-tickets can be problematic, (1) I've lost paper tickets many times (2) I can always print off an e-ticket if I want

 

[Bletchleyite]

Whereas I recognise e-tickets can be problematic, (1) I've lost paper tickets many times (2) I can always print off an e-ticket if I want

I've never found e-tickets to be problematic. Only m-tickets, which are a stupid idea.

 

[edwin_m]

Sounds to me as if e-tickets are only problematic (from the customer's point of view) if vendors sell m-tickets under the guise of e-tickets. Although I read somewhere that TOCs maintain separate databases of checks so there is the possibility of using the same ticket twice on a route with multiple TOCs - so it would help if ROG or some other group managed a unified database.

 

[jfollows]

I am now an infrequent user of e-tickets from Trainline, and they work OK for me. I get an email with a PDF and the option of loading them into my Apple Wallet, which I find useful also.

To be consistent and clear, for my personal travel I'm still slightly in favour of orange card tickets, but I live reasonably close to a station and it's not really a problem going to collect them prior to travel if I want to. If this weren't an easy option I might favour e-tickets.

However I do some work for a charity, which prefers to buy train tickets for me. This allows them to buy tickets consistent with their travel policies, which are generally "advance tickets are always cheaper, so buy these" but they are also reasonable enough to modify this at my request, for example to buy open tickets for returns from London Euston on a Friday.

In the past, when they bought tickets for me, they used FGW and had tickets posted to me. Once, they used the wrong address, that of my neighbour, but I was aware and fortunately able to intercept the post that time. Now they use Trainline and e-tickets and it's much better and avoids this particular problem. I'm off to Nottingham next month for a meeting and already have the tickets, they're certainly cheap, and I'm all set.

It will be my first experience of using e-tickets with an operator other than Virgin/Avanti, but I sense that the e-ticket implementation is now mature enough that it won't be a problem.

 

[Kilopylae]

Sounds to me as if e-tickets are only problematic (from the customer's point of view) if vendors sell m-tickets under the guise of e-tickets.

While they'll have to pry my orange cardboard ticket from my cold, dead hands... I think this is largely true. Proper e-tickets are completely fine and there's really no reason why, had we a proper regulator, everything couldn't be simple, easy and unambiguous.

 

[Haywain]

While they'll have to pry my orange cardboard ticket from my cold, dead hands...

Ultimately, you are likely to end up without a choice in the matter...

 

[infobleep]

Ultimately, you are likely to end up without a choice in the matter...

That depends on their age and how long it takes. Just look at cross London Travel. No e-tickets. How and when will that get resolved between TfL and the TOCs/DfT?

 

[Bletchleyite]

That depends on their age and how long it takes. Just look at cross London Travel. No e-tickets. How and when will that get resolved between TfL and the TOCs/DfT?

Eventually it'll get resolved by fitting barcode readers to a small number of gates at the main interchange stations, I'm sure. LU don't want to fund this, but it will eventually be worth the TOCs' while to do so so they can remove their magstripe ticket issuing facilities.

 

[yorkie]

Sounds to me as if e-tickets are only problematic (from the customer's point of view) if vendors sell m-tickets under the guise of e-tickets. Although I read somewhere that TOCs maintain separate databases of checks so there is the possibility of using the same ticket twice on a route with multiple TOCs - so it would help if ROG or some other group managed a unified database.

Absolutely. Last I heard TPE and Grand Central are doing this (possibly more)

 

[paul1609]

Eventually it'll get resolved by fitting barcode readers to a small number of gates at the main interchange stations, I'm sure. LU don't want to fund this, but it will eventually be worth the TOCs' while to do so so they can remove their magstripe ticket issuing facilities.

I understand that "+" tickets are a small proportion of National Rail tickets accepted by London Undergound, the biggest being Outboundary Travelcards.
Magstrip technology cant be withdrawn unless the Travelcards also go to e tickets. This would require that every barrier on LU be e ticket enabled.
The cost of this is enormous with no benefit to TFL.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Well the answer to that is for out-boundary Travelcards to be withdrawn completely; I can't see any other obvious solution. That will be a big price rise to many Network Railcard users.

 

[6Gman]

I think the discussions/ disagreements/ arguments on here about what is or isn't an e-ticket, or what is or isn't an m-ticket, and how apps and/or PDFs fit into the picture {for clarity, I have no idea what any of this means, and please don't try to explain this to me } and the fact that the TOCs and their staff and their suppliers and agents are wallowing in similar confusion points to a move to universal application is some distance away !

Personally I'm happiest with a card ticket (or on bogroll paper if necessary) which tells me what it is at a glance.

 

[edwin_m]

I understand that "+" tickets are a small proportion of National Rail tickets accepted by London Undergound, the biggest being Outboundary Travelcards.
Magstrip technology cant be withdrawn unless the Travelcards also go to e tickets. This would require that every barrier on LU be e ticket enabled.
The cost of this is enormous with no benefit to TFL.

Isn't the answer to that to put the Travelcard on a smartcard? Possibly with a barcode printed on for the out-boundary part.

 

[Vespa]

I like them, they don't need a battery and I always print two off, one and a spare and take a photo of it.

I dont have to worry about losing the Orange ticket.