Booking tickets in advance “not available to buy”.

[dkidd91]

Hello all,

My first post on here, was just hoping to get some help in regards to booking tickets in advance.

I’ve got a new job in the city of London starting on Nov 1st and I’m looking at booking tickets from Stafford to Euston. Ideal time range is 07:00 Depart Stafford - 1730 return Euston .

I’ve checked tickets on most of the train company sites and tickets for this time and date range seem to be “unavailable to buy”. I presume this means that they are sold out. So I’m having to buy tickets with earlier depart timeouts and later return timings from 01 Nov to 25 Dec (as that’s within the 12 week period).

So now what I’d like to do is to find the cut off date or date in which tickets available beyond 25 December are made available so I can book the timings that suit me better. If I had the time of day that these tickets are released that would be even better.

Are the tickets released on a daily basis? So for example 12 weeks from today is 25th Dec. So in theory I should be able to book for up to the 25th Dec only. Then tomorrow I could book for 26th etc etc. But obviously I won’t be working Christmas Day or Boxing Day so won’t be buying these tickets so it’s probably not the best example.

Also noticed on Avanti, there is very limited tickets available for the 13th December for the whole week, does anyone know why this would be?

Thank you so much for your help guys. Really appreciate it

Dan

 

[800001]

Avanti are only releasing tickets days in advance now, due to the limited timetable they are operating.
So for your date, they will not yet be on sale.

For example tickets for today were only released Friday afternoon.

If you have Twitter, I suggest following them on there, as they post the dates when tickets will be released.

Or, maybe try and book and travel with London Northwestern Railway?

 

[dkidd91]

Ok great thank you.

Do you know of any rail companies (that operate for journeys between these two stations) that are releasing tickets 12 weeks in advance?

So I take it the option to buy tickets in advance for will depend on the rail operator I purchase the tickets with? This operator will also determine the amount of days that I could purchase these ticket in advance?

Thanks

Avanti are only releasing tickets days in advance now, due to the limited timetable they are operating.
So for your date, they will not yet be on sale.

For example tickets for today were only released Friday afternoon.

If you have Twitter, I suggest following them on there, as they post the dates when tickets will be released.

Or, maybe try and book and travel with London Northwestern Railway?

Just checked with Avanti and I can book tickets for now until December 13th (although not the most ideal timings). Looks like most tickets after that are sold out.

 

[3rd rail land]

I don't believe any TOCs release tickets anything like 12 weeks in advance. The only options you have are Avanti or LNWR. LNWR are more reliable but journey times will be longer but cheaper.

 

[alistairlees]

Hello all,

My first post on here, was just hoping to get some help in regards to booking tickets in advance.

I’ve just left the Army and I’ve got a new job in the city of London starting on Nov 1st and I’m looking at booking tickets from Stafford to Euston. Ideal time range is 07:00 Depart Stafford - 1730 return Euston .

I’ve checked tickets on most of the train company sites and tickets for this time and date range seem to be “unavailable to buy”. I presume this means that they are sold out. So I’m having to buy tickets with earlier depart timeouts and later return timings from 01 Nov to 25 Dec (as that’s within the 12 week period).

So now what I’d like to do is to find the cut off date or date in which tickets available beyond 25 December are made available so I can book the timings that suit me better. If I had the time of day that these tickets are released that would be even better.

Are the tickets released on a daily basis? So for example 12 weeks from today is 25th Dec. So in theory I should be able to book for up to the 25th Dec only. Then tomorrow I could book for 26th etc etc. But obviously I won’t be working Christmas Day or Boxing Day so won’t be buying these tickets so it’s probably not the best example.

Also noticed on Avanti, there is very limited tickets available for the 13th December for the whole week, does anyone know why this would be?

Thank you so much for your help guys. Really appreciate it

Dan

How many days a week are you expecting to travel?

 

[yorkie]

Just checked with Avanti and I can book tickets for now until December 13th (although not the most ideal timings). Looks like most tickets after that are sold out.

They are not sold out; furthermore once Advance fares do sell out, you can still buy walk-up (flexible/semi-flexible) fares which are not tied to specific trains.

However if Avanti have marked trains as 'reservation compulsory' in the data, then you won't be able to get them in conjunction with an itinerary, unless reservations have been released and are available at the time of booking.

It's a mess; basically Avanti (and some other train companies) are trying to deter people from travelling at the moment.

You can avoid Avanti by travelling with West Midlands Trains (whose trains are branded LNR on the Stafford to London route); these trains do not have seat reservations and are currently more reliable than Avanti, but you do have a longer journey time as they call at several stations between Stafford and London.

 

[alastair]

How often are you travelling? A season ticket could be worth considering, particularly as advances are presumably not going to be easy to find at peak hours.

There is this one:


Stafford
London Euston
Valid on West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services only.

Tickets
Flexi Season
Cost per day: £73.61Total period cost: £588.90
Flexi Season ticket, The cost per day for this ticket is £73.61. Total period cost is £588.90
£588.90per Flexi Season
The Flexi Season ticket is a Smart-only product, valid for 8 days of travel in 28 days — any time between two stations.


The equivalent (8 days in 28) on Avanti is massively more expensive at £975.40.

Avanti also do weekly season tickets (giving you unlimited travel between Stafford and Euston) for £374.10 and monthlies for £1219.20.

 

[Haywain]

I don't believe any TOCs release tickets anything like 12 weeks in advance.

None useful to the OP anyway.