TOC plans regarding advance tickets if destinations become no-go (Coronavirus)?

Elecman · 16 Mar 2020

Avanti still covering themselves in the brown stuff on social Media over thier attitude to fee free refunds of Advance tickets.

RailUK Forums

Bletchleyite · 16 Mar 2020

Elecman said:
Avanti still covering themselves in the brown stuff on social Media over their attitude

Fixed that for you, the last few words were unnecessary

trainophile · 16 Mar 2020

sheff1 said:
It has been pointed out many times that generally insurance will not cover costs of domestic rail journeys.

I have received emails from IHG (Intercontinental, Holiday Inn etc), Hilton & Marriott all stating that cancellation fees for any previoulsy booked "non-cancellable" stays in forthcoming weeks have been waived due to Covid-19.
It would appear major hotel chains are more interested in maintaining customer goodwill/loyalty than most TOCs who seem to have forgotten/do not care that their main competitor is the private/hired car.

I hope Travelodge and Premier Inn adopt a similar policy.

Bletchleyite · 16 Mar 2020

trainophile said:
I hope Travelodge and Premier Inn adopt a similar policy.

Premier Inn already did.

Trackman · 16 Mar 2020

Avanti have now waived the £10 fee for changing an amended journey. You cannot do it a third time.
Problem is, people are spending all day on the phone trying to get through to them.

Belperpete · 16 Mar 2020

The subject of this thread is about what will happen if destinations become no-go. I am aware of events that are not happening, but I am not aware of any areas or towns/cities in the UK that are going to be isolated. For example, the rugby match in Cardiff may have been called off, but Cardiff itself was still very much accessible. TfW were allowing people with tickets for travel to Cardiff on Saturday to travel on Sunday or Monday instead, which I thought quite generous. There are after all plenty of other things to do in Cardiff.

trainophile · 16 Mar 2020

Bletchleyite said:
Premier Inn already did.

Really? That's excellent news. I haven't had a notification for my several bookings though. I will have a look on their website.

trainophile · 16 Mar 2020

Belperpete said:
The subject of this thread is about what will happen if destinations become no-go. I am aware of events that are not happening, but I am not aware of any areas or towns/cities in the UK that are going to be isolated. For example, the rugby match in Cardiff may have been called off, but Cardiff itself was still very much accessible. TfW were allowing people with tickets for travel to Cardiff on Saturday to travel on Sunday or Monday instead, which I thought quite generous. There are after all plenty of other things to do in Cardiff.

I bet there wasn't much booze left in Cardiff though after the Scots had had 24+ hours to kill!

MontyP · 16 Mar 2020

alistairlees said:
LNER advances, no matter who they were retailed through, can be refunded without a fee. Unfortunately this is not being made very clear.

yorkie said:
Can anyone confirm that any Advance booked with LNER can be refunded, regardless of which company you are travelling with?

Where have they said only one change is allowed? If they are saying that, they are going to have to change the policy pretty quick!

I have got an LNER Advance to Leeds on Sat (bought for football) but I bought it through TrainPal, who are refusing to refund it. They are saying that if I book a ticket for the same journey on a different date, they will discount it by the amount of the original ticket less an admin fee - not exactly a refund in my opinion.

Haywain · 16 Mar 2020

MontyP said:
I have got an LNER Advance to Leeds on Sat (bought for football) but I bought it through TrainPal, who are refusing to refund it. They are saying that if I book a ticket for the same journey on a different date, they will discount it by the amount of the original ticket less an admin fee - not exactly a refund in my opinion.

I think you will probably be at the mercy of Trainpal with this but I wouldn't hold out a lot of hope, unfortunately. A business which focuses on the UK and, specifically, Italy but has no mention of the current situation on their front page doesn't look like one that wants to do more than just sell tickets.

Deerfold · 16 Mar 2020

Bletchleyite said:
Premier Inn already did.

They're allowing changes to bookings - we've got 3 coming up which cannot be used on those dates. Unfortunately we don't yet know when they will now be used (the first is for this Thursday).

trainophile · 16 Mar 2020

Deerfold said:
They're allowing changes to bookings - we've got 3 coming up which cannot be used on those dates. Unfortunately we don't yet know when they will now be used (the first is for this Thursday).

Same here, two in April, but obviously we have no idea when it would be safe to re-book them for. A refund would be much more use, or even a non-expiring credit note.

On a connected point, is it just me or is the Premier Inn website difficult to find your bookings on? I log in, but it wants a booking ref. and my surname and my date of arrival to find my booking - if I knew all that I wouldn't be searching for it! The only way I can access the individual bookings is searching back through my confirmation emails. Am I doing something wrong? Travelodge has an easily accessible list of current and past bookings.

CrispyUK · 16 Mar 2020

trainophile said:
On a connected point, is it just me or is the Premier Inn website difficult to find your bookings on? I log in, but it wants a booking ref. and my surname and my date of arrival to find my booking - if I knew all that I wouldn't be searching for it! The only way I can access the individual bookings in searching back through my confirmation emails. Am I doing something wrong? Travelodge has an easily accessible list of current and past bookings.

If you log in on the website, then click your name in the top corner it should give you a menu with a ‘Bookings’ option which lists cancelled, past, upcoming and checked in bookings linked to your account.

30907 · 16 Mar 2020

Deerfold said:
They're allowing changes to bookings - we've got 3 coming up which cannot be used on those dates. Unfortunately we don't yet know when they will now be used (the first is for this Thursday).

And you only have 14 days to rebook

. Crystal ball?

yorkie · 16 Mar 2020

MontyP said:
I have got an LNER Advance to Leeds on Sat (bought for football) but I bought it through TrainPal, who are refusing to refund it. They are saying that if I book a ticket for the same journey on a different date, they will discount it by the amount of the original ticket less an admin fee - not exactly a refund in my opinion.

My understanding is that Trainpal are obliged to refund it.

sheff1 · 16 Mar 2020

yorkie said:
My understanding is that Trainpal are obliged to refund it.

There was another thread where RailEurope were refusing to refund tickets. I don't know why people choose to book via these sort of third party sites ...... but each to their own.

221129 · 16 Mar 2020

yorkie said:
My understanding is that Trainpal are obliged to refund it.

On what grounds? As far as I was aware LNER are refunding their own advance tickets booked directly though them, The Trainline has likely come to an agreement with LNER to do the same. That doesnt mean other retailers are obligated to do the same.

Bletchleyite · 16 Mar 2020

221129 said:
On what grounds? As far as I was aware LNER are refunding their own advance tickets booked directly though them, The Trainline has likely come to an agreement with LNER to do the same. That doesnt mean other retailers are obligated to do the same.

The money for a refunded ticket comes from the TOC, so yes, they absolutely are.

221129 · 16 Mar 2020

Bletchleyite said:
The money for a refunded ticket comes from the TOC, so yes, they absolutely are.

LNER stated that they are only refunding advance tickets booked DIRECTLY through their site.

Elecman · 16 Mar 2020

Given the latest government advise is no non essential travel its time DaFT Lays down the rules on fee free refunds on all tickets including Advances. Any TOC not wanting to comply doesnt get any bail out but told to run up losses on the franchise till parent guarantee bond runs out. Aka LNER/ Northern

trainophile · 16 Mar 2020

CrispyUK said:
If you log in on the website, then click your name in the top corner it should give you a menu with a ‘Bookings’ option which lists cancelled, past, upcoming and checked in bookings linked to your account.

Ah, thanks for that, it works. Cleverly tucked away though, how on earth are we meant to know that?

Silver Cobra · 16 Mar 2020

I've taken the opportunity today to request refunds for advances for three upcoming journeys with LNER (to Leeds this Saturday, to Newcastle on March 24th and to Darlington for onward travel to Redcar on April 11th). The refund for the Leeds journey was processed immediately, as it was an e-ticket, and LNER say the money should be in my account within 5 days. For the other two, I need to send the paper tickets back to them, which I'll do tomorrow.

All in all, a very simple and swift process.

Deerfold · 16 Mar 2020

trainophile said:
Ah, thanks for that, it works. Cleverly tucked away though, how on earth are we meant to know that?

I find I have to log in twice to find my bookings.

westv · 16 Mar 2020

I asked LNER for 3 refunds:-
16/3 anytime return - £10 charge
16/3 advance - Being reviewed and will hear in 10 days
20/3 advance - Being reviewed and will hear in 10 days.

The "we won't charge a £10 fee" for LNER booked journeys is obviously not quite true.

williamn · 16 Mar 2020

Looks like Southeastern now also refunding advance tickets.

dvboy · 16 Mar 2020

I just hope people give TOCs (and other businesses) chance to put in place processes for dealing with refund requests and communicating them, rather than inundating them with requests immediately. Please be patient.

trainophile · 17 Mar 2020

dvboy said:
I just hope people give TOCs (and other businesses) chance to put in place processes for dealing with refund requests and communicating them, rather than inundating them with requests immediately. Please be patient.

If you're too patient the journey date will have passed so you would be refused automatically.

Haywain · 17 Mar 2020

trainophile said:
If you're too patient the journey date will have passed so you would be refused automatically.

Maybe, but people with bookings for April and May don’t need to be applying the second a company says it will give refunds.

trainophile · 17 Mar 2020

You would think that in the unprecedented current situation any valid tickets would be refunded without question.

The last laugh goes to those who have all along dissed Advance ticket buyers as being stingy and now getting their just deserts!

2L70 · 17 Mar 2020

What... you mean...

Chew-chew said:
These idiots can’t have it all their own way. If you get a cheap ticket, it comes with strings attached. If you want to flexibility to refund, buy a flexible ticket. Life is about choices. Some people like to blame everyone else when their choices don’t work out the way they wanted.

TOC plans regarding advance tickets if destinations become no-go (Coronavirus)?

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