Advance Booking Deadline

[bb21]

Just came across this.

http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/advance-fares.aspx

It says in the 'How to Buy' section:

You can buy Advance tickets up to 23:59 the day before travel

I thought that the booking engine closes at 1800 or thereabouts the day before travel. Some TOCs might be as late as 2000 but never have I heard of the deadline being so late.

Has anything changed lately?

Also this

no discount for Network Railcards or Gold Cards

The National Rail website states that

National Railcard holders get 1/3 off all Standard Class Advance fares.

So is it a case of the two listed being excluded as they're not truly 'national'?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Although Network Railcards are issued on behalf of National Rail and Goldcards bestow the same discounts as Network Railcards, neither are National Railcards.

Booking deadlines have changed every few years since Privatisation, largely due to the removal of the old advance purchase tickets and introduction of new ones. The last change was when ATOC 'simplified' the fares, so that all advance purchase tickets became 'Advance'.

 

[wintonian]

Network railcard and gold cards only allow a discount with in the south east as defined here and as such are not national railcards.

 

[yorkie]

I thought that the booking engine closes at 1800 or thereabouts the day before travel. Some TOCs might be as late as 2000 but never have I heard of the deadline being so late.

A few years go (before "simplification" made things more complex) the rule was officially 1800 but, in reality, the booking sites allowed purchase up to 2359. If you went to a station they were under no obligation to offer them after 1800 but could do so at their discretion. Now, under the new system, it appears that the cutoff is indeed 1800 with no way round it. I am not aware of any allowing it until 2000 but then I don't book AP tickets on SWT.

That's so-called "progress" for you!

 

[wibble]

A few years go (before "simplification" made things more complex) the rule was officially 1800 but, in reality, the booking sites allowed purchase up to 2359. If you went to a station they were under no obligation to offer them after 1800 but could do so at their discretion. Now, under the new system, it appears that the cutoff is indeed 1800 with no way round it. I am not aware of any allowing it until 2000 but then I don't book AP tickets on SWT.

That's so-called "progress" for you!

The cut-off time for Advance ticket sales is decided by each individual TOC. Following fares simplification, some have stuck with 1800, others have moved it to a later time. AFAIK, online booking sites should enforce whichever cut-off time the TOC has chosen.

The TOCs which don't use the 1800 cut-off time are:

Virgin Trains: 23:59
East Coast: 23:59
SWT: 23:59
EMT: 19:00
Chiltern: 21:00

 

[ralphchadkirk]

A few years go (before "simplification" made things more complex) the rule was officially 1800 but, in reality, the booking sites allowed purchase up to 2359. If you went to a station they were under no obligation to offer them after 1800 but could do so at their discretion. Now, under the new system, it appears that the cutoff is indeed 1800 with no way round it. I am not aware of any allowing it until 2000 but then I don't book AP tickets on SWT.

That's so-called "progress" for you!

Surely that is simplifying it. The rule was you couldn't buy after 1800, so that is what's enforced. They've simplified it by removing the multitude of ways to get round it.

 

[yorkie]

Surely that is simplifying it. The rule was you couldn't buy after 1800, so that is what's enforced. They've simplified it by removing the multitude of ways to get round it.

No they haven't!

In the past it was simple.

Advertised: 1800
Actual: 2359

As far as I'm aware.

Now, it seems, according to Wibble's post made just under an hour before yours, the TOCs are free to choose, and they have chosen different times.

If you think that is simpler, you have a bright future at ATOC ahead of you

 

[ralphchadkirk]

No they haven't!

In the past it was simple.

Advertised: 1800
Actual: 2359

From what you said in your first post:

A few years go (before "simplification" made things more complex) the rule was officially 1800 but, in reality, the booking sites allowed purchase up to 2359. If you went to a station they were under no obligation to offer them after 1800 but could do so at their discretion. Now, under the new system, it appears that the cutoff is indeed 1800 with no way round it. I am not aware of any allowing it until 2000 but then I don't book AP tickets on SWT.

So in the past it was:
official: 1800
Booking sites: 2359
Stations: depends on the person selling the tickets

Now it is:
official: 1800

What could be simpler than that?!

 

[yorkie]

So you are saying Wibble is incorrect?

 

[ralphchadkirk]

So you are saying Wibble is incorrect?

No, I am talking about your definition of 'simplification' as taken from your post.

 

[yorkie]

I'm not aware that I gave a definition of simplification?
What point are you trying to make?

Are you talking about 'simplification' in general, ie, the changes that occured in 2008 when various ticket names and conditions changed? Or are you talking specifically about whether the booking deadlines are simpler or not?

 

[wibble]

No they haven't!

In the past it was simple.

Advertised: 1800
Actual: 2359

How far in the past? With NRS, TOCs can choose when their reservations close for any ticket type. However, there's a restriction in the fares system for Advance tickets which prevents them from being sold after a pre-determined time.

Now, it seems, according to Wibble's post made just under an hour before yours, the TOCs are free to choose, and they have chosen different times.

That's been the case since TOCs moved away from the old SAR/AXR tickets to their own TOC advance purchase tickets (e.g the old Virgin Value).

If you think that is simpler, you have a bright future at ATOC ahead of you

Allowing later booking of Advance tickets is a benefit for customers - surely that's a good thing!!

 

[route101]

How far in the past? With NRS, TOCs can choose when their reservations close for any ticket type. However, there's a restriction in the fares system for Advance tickets which prevents them from being sold after a pre-determined time.



That's been the case since TOCs moved away from the old SAR/AXR tickets to their own TOC advance purchase tickets (e.g the old Virgin Value).



Allowing later booking of Advance tickets is a benefit for customers - surely that's a good thing!!

Yeah ive often bought London to glasgow advances the night before .