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Heathrow/Reading - Why Can’t GWR be as user friendly as Trans-Pennine?

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Envoy

Envoy

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I see that Trans-Pennine Express have a user friendly system for trains out of Manchester Airport that lets people pre-book but does not penalise them if they cannot make it to the pre-booked train. Why can’t GWR do the same for people from Heathrow/Reading.
https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/special-offers/manchester-airport

We understand that sometimes flights back to sunny Manchester are delayed and you may be concerned about missing your train; don't worry, with an Airport Advance you can catch the next available TransPennine Express train up to 3 hours after the departure time stated on the ticket.
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ForTheLoveOf

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Envoy said:
I see that Trans-Pennine Express have a user friendly system for trains out of Manchester Airport that lets people pre-book but does not penalise them if they cannot make it to the pre-booked train. Why can’t GWR do the same for people from Heathrow/Reading.
https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/special-offers/manchester-airport
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Because they are not compelled to do so, and it is more profitable to charge people again. Simple!
 
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Bletchleyite

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Envoy said:
I see that Trans-Pennine Express have a user friendly system for trains out of Manchester Airport that lets people pre-book but does not penalise them if they cannot make it to the pre-booked train. Why can’t GWR do the same for people from Heathrow/Reading.
https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/special-offers/manchester-airport
Click to expand...

In my experience GWR are a bit more like BR in pricing terms - most people use walk-ups and Advances are scarce. So they don't need that feature officially, as your ticket is mostly valid on the next train anyway.
 
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JonathanH

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Bletchleyite said:
In my experience GWR are a bit more like BR in pricing terms - most people use walk-ups and Advances are scarce. So they don't need that feature officially, as your ticket is mostly valid on the next train anyway.
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What? How can you determine that Advances are scarce on the GWR network? They are offered on as many GWR flows as they are on other networks.
 
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Clip

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Bletchleyite said:
In my experience GWR are a bit more like BR in pricing terms - most people use walk-ups and Advances are scarce. So they don't need that feature officially, as your ticket is mostly valid on the next train anyway.
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There are lots of advances on GWR - where do you get this idea from Neil?
 
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Samuel88

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JonathanH said:
What? How can you determine that Advances are scarce on the GWR network? They are offered on as many GWR flows as they are on other networks.
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Are they? I travel frequently between London and Bristol and have never found any advances, even when booking weeks in advance.
 
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Bletchleyite

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JonathanH said:
What? How can you determine that Advances are scarce on the GWR network? They are offered on as many GWR flows as they are on other networks.
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From my own perspective, I have never found an Advance offered at all (even at an unacceptably high price) on any GWR journey I have made, that I can recall, and I've made quite a few over the last few months.

By contrast, they have been offered (though sometimes poor value) on the vast majority of VTWC journeys.
 
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tgrb

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I can’t believe that, 50% of my journeys from Kemble or Chippenham to Paddington are advances even at fairly short notice
 
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mmh

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Of course there are advance fares on GWR. I've used many 16 quid London to Weston super Mare tickets.

They're not always great value, but neither are they on many TOCs.

A quick search for London to Bristol on Tuesday shows lots of advance fares just slightly less than the walk up fare. Just like it works on Virgin.
 
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island

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GWR doesn’t serve Heathrow, and as mentioned above it doesn’t have to offer any concessions if it feels it would not be profitable to do so.
 
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infobleep

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island said:
GWR doesn’t serve Heathrow, and as mentioned above it doesn’t have to offer any concessions if it feels it would not be profitable to do so.
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The question could then be changed to why doesn't the Department for Transport compel all TOCs to accept tickets when flights are delayed.

If that is considered unreasonable then why do Trans-Pennine Express offer it?
 
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Bletchleyite

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infobleep said:
The question could then be changed to why doesn't the Department for Transport compel all TOCs to accept tickets when flights are delayed.
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It would be nice if there was a general mandation to accept, on the next available service (taking into account that standees are not permitted on coaches, for instance), all public transport tickets where the missing of the public transport service was due to the failing of another public transport service (i.e. not just due to a failure to get out of bed, and based on legally specified planned connection times).

It sounds like something the EU could perhaps do on a blanket basis.
 
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infobleep

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Bletchleyite said:
It would be nice if there was a general mandation to accept, on the next available service (taking into account that standees are not permitted on coaches, for instance), all public transport tickets where the missing of the public transport service was due to the failing of another public transport service (i.e. not just due to a failure to get out of bed, and based on legally specified planned connection times).

It sounds like something the EU could perhaps do on a blanket basis.
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Is that before or after we leave the EU?
 
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