• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Virgin trains - not understanding rebooking price

Status
Not open for further replies.

silvercar

Member
Joined
18 Feb 2016
Messages
34
I would be grateful for any explanation of this scenario.

I originally booked the following for 2 adults using a Two together railcard:

WTF - MAN (Watford Junction - Manchester)

Journey 1:

Adult TWO TOGETHER RAILCARD fare Advance Single First

GBP 80.50 (2@GBP 40.25)

Journey 2:

Adult TWO TOGETHER RAILCARD fare Advance Single First

GBP 85.80 (2@GBP 42.90)

Total £166.30.

I then had to reschedule my trip. I understand the fare rules allow for rebooking at the same or a higher price, but not a reduction and that there is a £10 rebooking fee per passenger per journey.

Using the Virgin trains website I went through the rebooking. The system requires me to buy new tickets and then send off the originals for a refund less the £40 rebooking fee (£10 x 2 x2). This is very clear and I have sent off this following instructions.

For the rescheduled trip I booked and paid for:

Journey 1:

Adult TWO TOGETHER RAILCARD fare Advance Single First

GBP 80.50 (2@GBP 40.25)

Journey 2:

Adult TWO TOGETHER RAILCARD fare off peak single

GBP 117.00 (2@GBP 58.50)

Total £197.50.

I then went on the Virgin website and can see that an off peak single (as an online purchase) should be £59.10 (for 2 adults using a Two Together railcard).
I know that the minimum I should pay would be £85.80, but I can't see how the £117 is correct.

Can anyone explain it? I have tried customer service, but I have exchanged 10 messages and they can't see the issue.
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Hadders

Veteran Member
Associate Staff
Senior Fares Advisor
Joined
27 Apr 2011
Messages
12,984
The Off Peak Single (SVH) can only be purchased as part of a return journey. It's a case of computer says no because when you purchased your new ticis a ket you were buying tickets for a single journey, rather than a return. Clearly you're making a return journey and should be able to buy the online single.

I got caught by this a few years back (there'll be a thread on it somewhere. Took 3 or 4 escalations to get VTWC to understand the issue. Eventually they refunded me the difference under protest. Keep pestering them but they won't fix it.
 

silvercar

Member
Joined
18 Feb 2016
Messages
34
Thank you for the explanation, I was having great difficulty getting customer service to understand the issue.

Their response is that it is my fault for purchasing at the higher price. They suggest I go for a refund on those tickets and buy again, but that won't work because it will then be a single journey I would be purchasing. I can't explain it in such a way that they understand.
 
Joined
7 Jan 2009
Messages
859
Isn't this the ongoing 'Saver Half Saver' is not eligible for railcard discounts problem (even there is no advertising telling one this)? In general, the best thing is to stick with ADV, SSR or SVR fares and forget the Half Saver if one has a railcard.
 

gray1404

Established Member
Joined
3 Mar 2014
Messages
6,577
Location
Merseyside
I've had the Saver Half loads of times with the railcard discount applied. When did this change?
 

Merseysider

Established Member
Fares Advisor
Joined
22 Jan 2014
Messages
5,389
Location
Birmingham
Isn't this the ongoing 'Saver Half Saver' is not eligible for railcard discounts problem (even there is no advertising telling one this)? In general, the best thing is to stick with ADV, SSR or SVR fares and forget the Half Saver if one has a railcard.
That's the LNER version.

The Virgin SVH can be discounted with a railcard.
 

yorkie

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
6 Jun 2005
Messages
67,439
Location
Yorkshire
@silvercar have you had a resolution to this yet?
That's the LNER version.

The Virgin SVH can be discounted with a railcard.

Oh yes, I forgot that VT still remains ahead of LNER in a number of ways...!

Actually the LNER version can be discounted, but only on other retailers sites, and not on LNER's own site.

This is because the TIS used by LNER (which I believe is provided by Vix Technology) is apparently incapable of supporting it. It was Virgin who commissioned the website.
 

Wallsendmag

Established Member
Joined
11 Dec 2014
Messages
5,137
Location
Wallsend or somewhere in GB
@silvercar have you had a resolution to this yet?




Actually the LNER version can be discounted, but only on other retailers sites, and not on LNER's own site.

This is because the TIS used by LNER (which I believe is provided by Vix Technology) is apparently currently incapable of supporting it. It was Virgin who commissioned the website.

Fixed that for you
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top