Special Offers Discussion

[Interrailer 91]

Just booked some £1 advance journeys that originate from Manchester Piccadilly (Platform 14). As an alternative, would I be ok alighting at stations on the route such as Oxford Road, Salford Crescent or Wigan North Western?

 

[ABB125]

Just booked some £1 advance journeys that originate from Manchester Piccadilly (Platform 14). As an alternative, would I be ok alighting at stations on the route such as Oxford Road, Salford Crescent or Wigan North Western?

Probably not, because advance tickets are only valid as shown on the ticket*.

*As might be expected, there are exceptions to the rule!

 

[Blinkbonny]

They seem to be making it plain this time that no break of journey or stopping/starting short is allowed.

"Passengers may not start, break and resume, or end their journey at any intermediate station except to change to/from connecting trains as shown on their Qualifying Ticket or other valid travel itinerary."

I had a problem with this last time out when I wanted to go Lancaster/Skipton not Lancaster/Leeds. No skin off anybody's nose you would have thought - but they seem to be ruling it out.

 

[skyhigh]

They seem to be making it plain this time that no break of journey or stopping/starting short is allowed.

"Passengers may not start, break and resume, or end their journey at any intermediate station except to change to/from connecting trains as shown on their Qualifying Ticket or other valid travel itinerary."

I had a problem with this last time out when I wanted to go Lancaster/Skipton not Lancaster/Leeds. No skin off anybody's nose you would have thought - but they seem to be ruling it out.

Those are standard Advance terms.

 

[ABB125]

Some of the routes where the £1 tickets are advertised on the "select your station" page don't appear to be available. Inputting the journey into the booking system then clicking on "check for slower alternative routes", if I click on the £1 fare, it says they aren't available, or N/A.
Examples include Sheffield to Carlisle and Scarborough to Bradford.

Is anyone able to explain this?

 

[Skymonster]

Its direct services only, apparently.

So in the case of Sheffield-Carlisle unless you pick that one through train a week which runs all the from Nottingham (which might not have availability anyway) you’re not going to find anything. However, for the princely total of £2 you may have more luck with Sheffield-Leeds and Leeds-Carlisle booked separately (which is just what I have done).

 

[ABB125]

Its direct services only, apparently.

I haven't had any problems looking at other routes, such as Stoke on Trent to Blackpool North, which require a change.

 

[Skymonster]

Well I read something from Northern - on Twitter I think - it was direct services. Anyway, I couldn’t get Sheffield - Carlisle either, but I chucked a couple more quid at the problem and got the return journey for £4 by splitting at Leeds and I’m not overly stressed with the doubling of the price.

 

[roversfan2001]

Well I read something from Northern - on Twitter I think - it was direct services.

If Northern's twitter told me the sky was blue I'd still open the curtains and check.

 

[Deerfold]

Well I read something from Northern - on Twitter I think - it was direct services. Anyway, I couldn’t get Sheffield - Carlisle either, but I chucked a couple more quid at the problem and got the return journey for £4 by splitting at Leeds and I’m not overly stressed with the doubling of the price.

Shame that I can only get a return to Ribblehead for £22 unless I travel via Leeds (in the wrong direction) before and after my trip.

 

[py_megapixel]

If Northern's twitter told me the sky was blue I'd still open the curtains and check.

Of course in the north it's equally likely to be murky grey

 

[ABB125]

Has something happened to the £1 Northern fares? I can't seem to find any available for any flows at the moment. The website still implies that they're available; indeed, it suggests that more tickets will be released.

 

[tommy2215]

Has something happened to the £1 Northern fares? I can't seem to find any available for any flows at the moment. The website still implies that they're available; indeed, it suggests that more tickets will be released.

Same. Last night there were hordes still available, today I can't find a single £1 ticket on any Northern route at all. Was there a time limit in which these were available? They can't have all sold out overnight

 

[py_megapixel]

Possibly a temporary withdrawal from sale due to the TVMs being unable to issue them?

 

[Skymonster]

They’re not all gone - for example I can find some for Carlisle - Barrow-in-Furness right now

 

[CHA 81C]

There still seem to be plenty from Halifax to Hull or Blackpool, though not so many for York.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Same. Last night there were hordes still available, today I can't find a single £1 ticket on any Northern route at all. Was there a time limit in which these were available? They can't have all sold out overnight

This happened to me yesterday. I was trying to book tickets from Sheffield to Bridlington and the only advance fares showing were £11. So I came off the website, waiting about half an hour and when I went back on the £1 tickets had mysteriously reappeared.

 

[BluePenguin]

I cannot find any Liverpool to Blackpool tickets. Where are they? I have not been able to find any despite looking on numerous days.

 

[NORMAN471]

I cannot find any Liverpool to Blackpool tickets. Where are they? I have not been able to find any despite looking on numerous days.

Try Liverpool South Parkway - Monday 4th October depart 10.08 arrive 11.54. Some early trains from Blackpool around 08.00 but there are some £6.80 tickets which is pretty good. Depends whether you want a day trip or are staying over.

 

[Karl]

I've tried searching but it's too complicated. I just wish Northern would bring back the £10 newspaper offer. It was so much simpler.

 

[BluePenguin]

I cannot find any Liverpool to Blackpool tickets. Where are they? I have not been able to find any despite looking on numerous days.

Thank you, although there are no direct trains between Liverpool South Parkway and Blackpool North (or South). No changes seems to be a condition of the offer

Try Liverpool South Parkway - Monday 4th October depart 10.08 arrive 11.54. Some early trains from Blackpool around 08.00 but there are some £6.80 tickets which is pretty good. Depends whether you want a day trip or are staying over.

That is not bad, I think I paid something like that last time. It’s a shame there are no £1 fares but we can’t have everything. Unfortunately the special offer seems to be a dud for me once again.

 

[HBP]

No changes seems to be a condition of the offer

I have three m-tickets (sad face) from Harrogate to Carlisle return, changing at LDS but that’s all I could find without having to spend another quid.

 

[Skymonster]

I find it bizarre that some people (not so much here, but in general reading the comments on Northern’s twitter feed) seem to expect this offer to be available on any train, any route, any day and with unlimited availability. It almost seems like some people seem to think that until one million tickets are sold, the offer should be available anywhere anytime. However,Northern is clearly capacity managing this offer and as it [like the previous 10p incarnations] was almost certainly going to be incredibly popular it should come as no surprise to find most £1 availability on popular trains, routes and dates sold out very quickly.

 

[ABB125]

I have three m-tickets (sad face) from Harrogate to Carlisle return, changing at LDS but that’s all I could find without having to spend another quid.

Preston to Sheffield, via either Manchester or Leeds, or Stoke on Trent to Preston, I could get £1 fares for both yesterday, despite having to change.
None of the routes I looked at yesterday have £1 fares available today, including direct ones.

 

[Skymonster]

Northern runs around 850,000 trains a year, which equates to approximately 110,000 during the offer period. If we assume that the 1,000,000 £1 tickets were equally distributed across all those trains (not a valid assumption but it helps make a point), there would be fewer than ten £1 fares available on each train. While there has ndoubtedly been a less than equal distribution of availability, these numbers illustrate why it really should not be a surprise the offer sold out quickly, especially on popular routes.

 

[Sapphire Blue]

Especially with selfish folk buying multiple tickets for journeys, they are not going to use, as mentioned above.

 

[phil_d]

Especially with selfish folk buying multiple tickets for journeys, they are not going to use, as mentioned above.

I wonder if anyone thought of buying up tickets on 'unreliable' routes with the intention of not using them, but using RTT to check on the date if they are late, then claiming for Northern vouchers via delay repay? Not that I would condone such activities, but would it have been worth it in theory?

 

[py_megapixel]

I wonder if anyone thought of buying up tickets on 'unreliable' routes with the intention of not using them, but using RTT to check on the date if they are late, then claiming for Northern vouchers via delay repay? Not that I would condone such activities, but would it have been worth it in theory?

That would be fraud, as you are only allowed to claim delay repay based on the journey you actually made.

 

[Merseysider]

Assuming (wistfully) 90% of trains run on time, that’d be a £10 expenditure for a free journey on Northern.

Not worth it in any sense of the word - easy journey to court.

 

[trainophile]

Flash sale now ended . I only found out about it today!