Advance Ticket Swapping - Seatfrog

[AgeoftheTrain7]

Not sure if this has been mentioned on another thread, but Northern and LNER have just launched a soft launch of an Advance Ticket Swapping scheme in partnership with Seatfrog.

Looks interesting...

Seatfrog — Change your train, not your plans

Need to swap your train, have your plans changed? Look no further than Train Swap by Seatfrog. If you have an advance ticket, select a new travel time and swap. Train travel just got easier.

trainswap.seatfrog.com

 

[ServerHoster]

They've had it on LNER for a while.

 

[zero]

Is it going to cost less to buy a ticket for a different train and then hope for a swap than buying a more expensive advance for the train you want outright? If not then can you not achieve the same thing by using free changes to advances when booking with XC?

 

[AgeoftheTrain7]

Is it going to cost less to buy a ticket for a different train and then hope for a swap than buying a more expensive advance for the train you want outright?

That's a valid point - but there would be an element of risk involved, i.e., if your preferred train is not available to be switched to, or turns out to be a more substantial fee (it "starts at £2.50"!)

 

[Joe Paxton]

Re the tag line "Change your train, not your plans" - I know what they're getting at, but if you have Advance tickets and want to change them for a different train, then your (original) plans have indeed changed!

 

[jamiearmley]

Is it going to cost less to buy a ticket for a different train and then hope for a swap than buying a more expensive advance for the train you want outright? If not then can you not achieve the same thing by using free changes to advances when booking with XC?

The swap will always be to the current advance tier price available on the train you change to, with a minimum charge of £2.50.

You will always be better buying for the train you want in the first place, rather than mucking about.

Unlikely to be of much benefit for the ridiculous 'short distance' advance tickets, such as Leeds to crossgates : (here an advance might be £2.20, a day single £3.70, a seatfrog swap would be £2.50 minimum) ... But likely to be very useful for longer journeys, such as Leeds to Manchester.

 

[zero]

The swap will always be to the current advance tier price available on the train you change to, with a minimum charge of £2.50.

You will always be better buying for the train you want in the first place, rather than mucking about.

Unlikely to be of much benefit for the ridiculous 'short distance' advance tickets, such as Leeds to crossgates : (here an advance might be £2.20, a day single £3.70, a seatfrog swap would be £2.50 minimum) ... But likely to be very useful for longer journeys, such as Leeds to Manchester.

Right so it's exactly the same as using XC to book but with an extra £2.50 fee?

 

[jamiearmley]

Right so it's exactly the same as using XC to book but with an extra £2.50 fee?

Not an extra fee as such. If the price difference is less than £2.50, then you pay £2.50. if the price difference is greater than £2.50, you pay the price difference.

 

[Watershed]

Not an extra fee as such. If the price difference is less than £2.50, then you pay £2.50. if the price difference is greater than £2.50, you pay the price difference.

So essentially, for all this has been dressed up, this is just a way of changing your Advance for an admin fee of £2.50 rather than the £10 charged by most retailers. But with XC offering fee-free changes, there is no incentive to use this over XC.

 

[Haywain]

So essentially, for all this has been dressed up, this is just a way of changing your Advance for an admin fee of £2.50 rather than the £10 charged by most retailers. But with XC offering fee-free changes, there is no incentive to use this over XC.

Although the XC option relies on having booked with them to start with. People will have reasons to want to book with other retailers (like the forum's site) where this may serve a purpose.