Anytime Single appearing to cover two days

[trainophile]

I have an Anytime Single for TPE that reads:
From 03-May-18
Until
04-May-18

Does this mean it can be used any time on 4th May, or is it just for trains before 0429?

 

[Merseysider]

You can use it at any time on May 3rd, any time on May 4th and until 0429 on May 5th.

 

[trainophile]

Brilliant, thanks for that. I was changing my plans from 3rd to 4th so that avoids me having to pay out for a new ticket .

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

I have an Anytime Single for TPE that reads:
From 03-May-18
Until
04-May-18

Does this mean it can be used any time on 4th May, or is it just for trains before 0429?

As has been pointed out, the outbound portion of an Anytime ticket is valid for 2 (and a bit) days. Also, if you have booked your tickets through TPE's website or app then they can be posted to you for free (providing you've left enough time) and you can change Anytime and Off-Peak tickets (whether period or day, single or return, regular or super off-peak) for another day, journey, etc. You'll get a full refund - without administration fee - if you buy another ticket. You can return tickets by Freepost.

 

[trainophile]

As has been pointed out, the outbound portion of an Anytime ticket is valid for 2 (and a bit) days. Also, if you have booked your tickets through TPE's website or app then they can be posted to you for free (providing you've left enough time) and you can change Anytime and Off-Peak tickets (whether period or day, single or return, regular or super off-peak) for another day, journey, etc. You'll get a full refund - without administration fee - if you buy another ticket. You can return tickets by Freepost.

That would only be for TPE's own journeys I take it? Not long ago I tried to change an Off Peak Day Single ticket for a Virgin train journey that I had bought on TPE's website, but was told that this was not possible as the £10 admin fee exceeded the value of the ticket.

 

[Merseysider]

TPE will certainly allow Advance fares to be changed with no admin fee but last time I checked, this did not apply to flexible (eg Anytime) tickets. Has this changed?

 

[RJ]

As has been pointed out, the outbound portion of an Anytime ticket is valid for 2 (and a bit) days.

An Anytime Single is valid for two days. The outbound of an Anytime Return is valid for 5 days.

 

[trainophile]

An Anytime Single is valid for two days. The outbound of an Anytime Return is valid for 5 days.

Didn't know that. Shows how rarely I buy anything other than Advances .

 

[323235]

That would only be for TPE's own journeys I take it? Not long ago I tried to change an Off Peak Day Single ticket for a Virgin train journey that I had bought on TPE's website, but was told that this was not possible as the £10 admin fee exceeded the value of the ticket.

Unless you were trying to change the date of travel or excess a Route: TOC only ticket to Route: Any Permitted or similar then that is utter tosh.

Many clerks won't do excesses , are instructed not to do them or can't be bothered with the hassle. I've often felt many clerks think you are trying to cheat the system getting an excess and would rather make you pay more.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

That would only be for TPE's own journeys I take it? Not long ago I tried to change an Off Peak Day Single ticket for a Virgin train journey that I had bought on TPE's website, but was told that this was not possible as the £10 admin fee exceeded the value of the ticket.

Nope - I was surprised to see this but it seems a new policy.

It's for both changes and refunds - be aware that there are still plenty of outdated references to the £10 charge about their literature and website.

 

[Starmill]

CrossCountry also offer free amendments to any Advance ticket booked through their website if ToD has been selected.

 

[Joe Paxton]

CrossCountry also offer free amendments to any Advance ticket booked through their website if ToD has been selected.

Looks like TPX are following in XC's footsteps, but going further and also including walk-up tickets (i.e. Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak).

I've found XC's fee-free changes for Advance tickets very handy, so it's great to see another TOC offering that.

GTR's Money Back Guarantee (nee Rainy Day Guarantee) - as introduced by Southern - is perhaps more useful than TPX's offer of fee-free changes, as with GTR you can actually get a full refund on walk-up tickets booked via their sites so long as you haven't yet collected them.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Looks like TPX are following in XC's footsteps, but going further and also including walk-up tickets (i.e. Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak).

I've found XC's fee-free changes for Advance tickets very handy, so it's great to see another TOC offering that.

GTR's Money Back Guarantee (nee Rainy Day Guarantee) - as introduced by Southern - is perhaps more useful than TPX's offer of fee-free changes, as with GTR you can actually get a full refund on walk-up tickets booked via their sites so long as you haven't yet collected them.

You can't change Advance tickets for free on TPE though. So to summarise the benefits of certain booking websites:

- TPE will post all tickets for free and refund flexible tickets without a fee (even if picked up/posted)
- XC will refund you XC-only Advance tickets if you buy another Advance for the same route between 2 hours after buying and 24 hours before your first booked train
- Southern will give you a full refund if you buy tickets but don't pick them up
- TrainSplit will let you change Advance tickets to another date/time without a fee up to 28 days after your booked train, even if you miss it.

 

[Merseysider]

You can't change Advance tickets for free on TPE though.

...yes you can!

 

[trainophile]

...yes you can!

Yep seconded. I've done it several times. Excellent perk.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

...yes you can!

Link?

 

[Merseysider]

Link?

Eh? Look at your own post above, #10...

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Eh? Look at your own post above, #10...

Ah, I misread it - thought it referred to flexible tickets only. That's very useful indeed...

 

[Merseysider]

I think it’s only a matter of time before other operators follow suit to be honest

 

[robbeech]

I’m all for this kind of flexibility, to a point. However, we risk getting to point where advanced purchases become so flexible that the revenue generated from the more expensive walk up tickets will decrease and will have to be recovered by other means. It’s an extreme example I know but I can already buy an advance an hour or so before a train is due, and I could cancel one for no fee an hour after it has left.

 

[Joe Paxton]

I’m all for this kind of flexibility, to a point. However, we risk getting to point where advanced purchases become so flexible that the revenue generated from the more expensive walk up tickets will decrease and will have to be recovered by other means. It’s an extreme example I know but I can already buy an advance an hour or so before a train is due, and I could cancel one for no fee an hour after it has left.

No, you can't - an Advance can only be changed up to the time of departure, not after the train has left. Furthermore it's a change, not a cancellation, as Advance tickets are non-refundable.

 

[robbeech]

No, you can't - an Advance can only be changed up to the time of departure, not after the train has left. Furthermore it's a change, not a cancellation, as Advance tickets are non-refundable.

Ah. I was going from the above data that suggests that Southern will refund you on all tickets if you don’t pick them up and probably interwove that and the bit about that says XC will let you cancel an advance after your train has left if you buy another advance.

My point still stands about increasing flexibility too far though if we are not careful.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Ah. I was going from the above data that suggests that Southern will refund you on all tickets if you don’t pick them up and probably interwove that and the bit about that says XC will let you cancel an advance after your train has left if you buy another advance.

My point still stands about increasing flexibility too far though if we are not careful.

GTR's (Southern's) Money Back Guarantee only applies to walk-up tickets (Anytime, Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak), not Advances.

I appreciate your overall point.

 

[robbeech]

GTR's (Southern's) Money Back Guarantee only applies to walk-up tickets (Anytime, Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak), not Advances.

I appreciate your overall point.

That’s more sensible. It does seem things are progressing in a passenger friendly way though which whilst great in the short term could cause longer term problems.

 

[AnkleBoots]

- XC will refund you XC-only Advance tickets if you buy another Advance for the same route between 2 hours after buying and 24 hours before your first booked train

Thanks for posting this summary. Is XC not for any operator's Advance?

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Thanks for posting this summary. Is XC not for any operator's Advance?

Rereading their summary page on it, it seems it may be for any Advance. That doesn't tally with what I seem to remember, but if it is indeed this way then that's a step in the direction of TrainSplit. TrainSplit still delivers greater flexibility, being able to change Advance tickets even after they have "expired".