Excess Advance ticket at station

premier01 · 10 Sep 2018

I have just been refused an excess (upgrade to 1st Advance) of an Advance ticket at a VT station as it was purchased online..well corporate travel agent.

Apparantely to do with this new tablet system which I have just read about on another thread!

Is this right? Any insight or work arounds?This seems like one of many more complex transaction that is going to be challenging with this new systems!

Surely stations are still selling Advance tickets so not sure why they can only excess to Anytime tickets?

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ForTheLoveOf · 10 Sep 2018

premier01 said:
I have just been refused an excess (upgrade to 1st Advance) of an Advance ticket at a VT station as it was purchased online..well corporate travel agent.

Apparantely to do with this new tablet system which I have just read about on another thread!

Is this right? Any insight or work arounds?This seems like one of many more complex transaction that is going to be challenging with this new systems!

Surely stations are still selling Advance tickets so not sure why they can only excess to Anytime tickets?

One step forward, two steps back. How typical for the rail industry!

If anything I'd be happy if I couldn't get this excess at the station - as I'd get them to sign a note saying so, and then be able to get on in First quite legitimately.

Wallsendmag · 11 Sep 2018

I’m sure Avocet can issue X/S, maybe it’s more due to the operator not knowing how? Was it on the day of travel?

PeterC · 11 Sep 2018

As a layman my understanding of an Advance is that it is issued for a specific seat on a specific train. Logically changing to a different seat / train combination would require cancellation and a new ticket rather than an upgrade.

Hadders · 11 Sep 2018

PeterC said:
As a layman my understanding of an Advance is that it is issued for a specific seat on a specific train. Logically changing to a different seat / train combination would require cancellation and a new ticket rather than an upgrade.

An excess is possible, depending on the ticket issuing system. I’ve obtained them several times.

Intermodal · 11 Sep 2018

PeterC said:
As a layman my understanding of an Advance is that it is issued for a specific seat on a specific train. Logically changing to a different seat / train combination would require cancellation and a new ticket rather than an upgrade.

That's what they want you to believe so they don't have to issue an excess!

island · 11 Sep 2018

This has nothing to do with the ticket issuing system nor where the original ticket was purchased, and everything to do with the clerk either not having been trained in how to amend the ticket or not being bothered to do it as it’s a faff.

Haywain · 11 Sep 2018

premier01 said:
I have just been refused an excess (upgrade to 1st Advance) of an Advance ticket at a VT station as it was purchased online..well corporate travel agent.

Was this on the day of travel? You would only be able to excess to an Advance ticket when it is still available for sale in its own right. Otherwise, you would be excessed to a walk-up ticket. If it wasn't on the day of travel it's probably because of the technicalities of the tablet based ticket issuing system they are now using (including staff knowledge).

Wallsendmag · 11 Sep 2018

Avocet is a cousin of our very own DORIS onboard TIS which very definitely has the ability to issue X/S.

premier01 · 12 Sep 2018

Haywain said:
Was this on the day of travel? You would only be able to excess to an Advance ticket when it is still available for sale in its own right. Otherwise, you would be excessed to a walk-up ticket. If it wasn't on the day of travel it's probably because of the technicalities of the tablet based ticket issuing system they are now using (including staff knowledge).

No it was on Tuesday Evening for travel on Friday AM- not sure whether worth trying amother station! It was just to upgrade from Standard Advance to First Advance on the same train.

There is still availability.

Haywain · 12 Sep 2018

premier01 said:
not sure whether worth trying amother station

I would say it's well worth trying another station in that case. And making a complaint to Virgin if the time difference results in you paying more than you would have done at the first attempt.

premier01 · 12 Sep 2018

So the consesnus is that there is no reason why this new system should prevent tickets purchased elshewher from being changed or excessed then?

Haywain · 12 Sep 2018

Avocet can issue excess fares - I bought one from Birmingham New Street a few weeks ago.

premier01 · 12 Sep 2018

Update-having struggled to get to a non-VT station I have just returned to Preston to try again.

I have been sent away again with no luck-the difference this time was instead of a very rude sales advisor it was a vpleasant chap who I has workedthere for years and was apologetic that he couldn't help-apparantly new instructions that came in with the new system.

This chap even waives the £ 10 charge when execcsing a Standard Advance to First Advance on same train- as per the correct process.

So inclined to think there is something afoot going on here.

Haywain · 12 Sep 2018

In which case I would recommend a strong complaint to Virgin Trains (by phone). And a visit to a ticket office operated by another TOC if it's possible in the time available. Did you buy online or at a station?

Wallsendmag · 12 Sep 2018

I’m sure any LNER Travel Centre would be happy to relieve you of the fare

premier01 · 13 Sep 2018

It's taken me 10 mins at a Northern Rail station to agree to it...they're now faffing with instruction manual and the systen for another 10 mins... looks like Fujitsu system...any ideas

Haywain said:
In which case I would recommend a strong complaint to Virgin Trains (by phone). And a visit to a ticket office operated by another TOC if it's possible in the time available. Did you buy online or at a station?

Bought from corporate travel agent who will only accept changes by post

Wallsendmag said:
I’m sure any LNER Travel Centre would be happy to relieve you of the fare

You mean happy to do the excess? Think it'll be too far for me to nearest LNER Station

Gareth Marston · 13 Sep 2018

sounds like there's very little demand for excess tickets in this part of Northern!

I've only done a season ticket refund once in 2 and a half years and haven't booked a Sleeper birth for months so .......

premier01 · 13 Sep 2018

So got it eventually but no exaggeration took 20 mins! The advisor seemed to be taking the proverbial and kept saying not possible- looking at the screen they just seemed to be going round in circles... it said excess to pay £ 10 but then they would click something and go back to beginning.

I will not say which station it was but I am minded to complain to both Virgin Trains for refusing to sell the excess and Northern to ensure training is put in place as 20 mins and having to not take no for an answer has wasted over an hour of my time.

premier01 · 13 Sep 2018

Haywain said:
In which case I would recommend a strong complaint to Virgin Trains (by phone). And a visit to a ticket office operated by another TOC if it's possible in the time available. Did you buy online or at a station?

What is the Virgin Trains phone number to complain?

Only E-mail, Social Media and Live Chat ( which always seems to be offline!) listed on the website!

snail · 13 Sep 2018

I thought the conditions allowed an excess to 1st but not 1st Advance. NRE states "As long as you are on the train shown on your ticket, simply pay the difference between your ticket and the First Class Single."

If it's the same origin and destination then you can have the original ticket replaced by a 1st Advance for the £10 fee.

Loop & Link · 13 Sep 2018

premier01 said:
Update-having struggled to get to a non-VT station I have just returned to Preston to try again.

I have been sent away again with no luck-the difference this time was instead of a very rude sales advisor it was a vpleasant chap who I has workedthere for years and was apologetic that he couldn't help-apparantly new instructions that came in with the new system.

This chap even waives the £ 10 charge when execcsing a Standard Advance to First Advance on same train- as per the correct process.

So inclined to think there is something afoot going on here.

Haywain said:
In which case I would recommend a strong complaint to Virgin Trains (by phone). And a visit to a ticket office operated by another TOC if it's possible in the time available. Did you buy online or at a station?

So basically a complaint, even though the staff has been professional, courteous, tried to do everything, but unfortunately couldn’t do it? Marvellous.

ForTheLoveOf · 13 Sep 2018

Loop & Link said:
So basically a complaint, even though the staff has been professional, courteous, tried to do everything, but unfortunately couldn’t do it? Marvellous.

It's not necessarily about the individual member of staff - it's about the corporate stupidity (sorry, policy) that has resulted in staff who would previously have been able to do this without a problem, having great difficulties in doing it at all.

krus_aragon · 13 Sep 2018

Gareth Marston said:
I've only done a season ticket refund once in 2 and a half years and haven't booked a Sleeper birth for months so .......

Are those booked nine months in advance?

Haywain · 13 Sep 2018

premier01 said:
What is the Virgin Trains phone number to complain?

According to Google it is 0333 103 1031

Loop & Link said:
So basically a complaint, even though the staff has been professional, courteous, tried to do everything, but unfortunately couldn’t do it? Marvellous.

Yes, definitely a complaint. Not being afforded the opportunity to change an Advance ticket, something which the T&Cs explicitly allow and the TOC receiving more money should welcome, is a matter worthy of complaint no matter how politely it is done. In any event, the OP stated that it was not polite on the first occasion.

Gareth Marston · 13 Sep 2018

krus_aragon said:
Are those booked nine months in advance?

The season ticket refunds?

krus_aragon · 14 Sep 2018

Gareth Marston said:
The season ticket refunds?

No, the sleeper births...

Gareth Marston · 14 Sep 2018

krus_aragon said:
No, the sleeper births...

I jest - April to October at weekends you really do need to book month ahead- if you can for the sleeper berths.

However as I said i rarely do them so the next one in will probably test my memory out a bit.....each station will have its own set of fares that it issues on a regular basis and other things will be as rare as hens teeth. An Excess is probably something i do once a month, whereas the number of issues will be in the thousands in the same period.

I'm sure Virgin would love to have only its own ticketing and not be part of National Rail- but that's not the game they signed up to. We can thank Robert Adley for that.

142blue · 14 Sep 2018

Just briefly:

Avocet will do Advance to Advance if bought at a VT ticket office

It will do Advance to Walk Up regardless of where it was purchased

If bought elsewhere, other TOC, online, corporate etc then advance to advance has to go back to the retailer.

I can't say too much more and I can not say I support this change but unfortunately it has to be followed.

Wallsendmag · 14 Sep 2018

Interesting

Excess Advance ticket at station

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