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Buying unnecessarily expensive ticket. Why?

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Brucey

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An observation, more than anything else.

When I was travelling a few days ago, two ladies boarded a Southern service (not GX) at Gatwick Airport. Their tickets were Gatwick Airport to London Victoria, Any Permitted, Anytime Single at £18.90 each.

This was in the middle of the day (so not peak) and the tickets were purchased just 10 minutes prior to me seeing them.

Goodness knows why they bought this ticket when they were making the whole journey in one go and not even using the Gatwick Express.
 
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Failed Unit

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An observation, more than anything else.

When I was travelling a few days ago, two ladies boarded a Southern service (not GX) at Gatwick Airport. Their tickets were Gatwick Airport to London Victoria, Any Permitted, Anytime Single at £18.90 each.

This was in the middle of the day (so not peak) and the tickets were purchased just 10 minutes prior to me seeing them.

Goodness knows why they bought this ticket when they were making the whole journey in one go and not even using the Gatwick Express.

Didn't know any better? Didn't want to risk getting accussed having the wrong ticket because the fare system is too complex?
 

hairyhandedfool

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A couple of people I sell tickets to insist on the Anytime fare as their company won't entertain expenses claims of less than £14.
 

Squaddie

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When I was travelling a few days ago, two ladies boarded a Southern service (not GX) at Gatwick Airport. Their tickets were Gatwick Airport to London Victoria, Any Permitted, Anytime Single at £18.90 each.

Goodness knows why they bought this ticket when they were making the whole journey in one go and not even using the Gatwick Express.
It's rather unlikely that they asked for the most expensive ticket - they probably simply asked for two singles to London and that's what the clerk decided to sell them. How are passengers supposed to know that there are so many different fares for the same journey?
 

tannedfrog

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Because the helpers at Gatwick wear Gatwick Express uniform and are keen to promote the service?
 

tony_mac

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Or because the ticket machines have such a ridiculous number of options, they don't know what they are all for. So people buy the most expensive ticket to make sure that they don't get 'fined'.
 

SickyNicky

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At Gatwick the "helpers" seem to be desperate to get you to buy an any permitted ticket. A couple of months ago, I turned up at Gatwick at 9.20 and fiddled with the machine a bit to buy "the cheapest ticket to London". I knew this was an FCC only ticket for £10 valid from 9.32 but a "helper" came along and "helpfully" pushed the anytime, any permitted button for me when I asked for the cheapest ticket. This was £33.20 for an anytime return :o

I walked away. I also emailed FCC about it.
 

Failed Unit

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At Gatwick the "helpers" seem to be desperate to get you to buy an any permitted ticket. A couple of months ago, I turned up at Gatwick at 9.20 and fiddled with the machine a bit to buy "the cheapest ticket to London". I knew this was an FCC only ticket for £10 valid from 9.32 but a "helper" came along and "helpfully" pushed the anytime, any permitted button for me when I asked for the cheapest ticket. This was £33.20 for an anytime return :o

I walked away. I also emailed FCC about it.

What did FCC do - surely what the helpers is doing is illegal.
 

John55

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An observation, more than anything else.

When I was travelling a few days ago, two ladies boarded a Southern service (not GX) at Gatwick Airport. Their tickets were Gatwick Airport to London Victoria, Any Permitted, Anytime Single at £18.90 each.

This was in the middle of the day (so not peak) and the tickets were purchased just 10 minutes prior to me seeing them.

Goodness knows why they bought this ticket when they were making the whole journey in one go and not even using the Gatwick Express.

Why not ask them? If you are in a position to know so much about their tickets it seems rather odd you did not point out there were cheaper options.
 

NSEFAN

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Failed Unit said:
What did FCC do - surely what the helpers is doing is illegal.

The sooner the dedicated GatEx service is replaced, the better, as it would avoid this petty cashcow milking. I would imagine there's some kind of legal loophole to keep the "helpers" in place.

As for buying more expensive tickets, I sometimes buy an anytime ticket rather than an off-peak, as it allows me to break my journey en route to have a look at different stations, whereas I believe this isn't permitted with an off-peak ticket.
 

island

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The helpers don't have to be impartial, and I think a couple of the windows aren't impartial either.
 

SickyNicky

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What did FCC do - surely what the helpers is doing is illegal.

I haven't heard back from them, although I didn't ask to be told what they did about it.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
As for buying more expensive tickets, I sometimes buy an anytime ticket rather than an off-peak, as it allows me to break my journey en route to have a look at different stations, whereas I believe this isn't permitted with an off-peak ticket.

There are no break of journey restrictions on the FCC only off peak day return, the not Gatwick Express off peak day return, the Any Permitted off peak day return or the Southern Only off peak day return.
 

Failed Unit

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The irony is, on the Gatwick express you can't break your journey.(if you use the express) The other operators anytime tickets are cheaper.
 

jkdd77

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As for buying more expensive tickets, I sometimes buy an anytime ticket rather than an off-peak, as it allows me to break my journey en route to have a look at different stations, whereas I believe this isn't permitted with an off-peak ticket.

If it's of any help, *most* Off-Peak singles and returns do permit break of journey (on both legs, in the case of Off Peak Returns). Off-Peak Returns to and from Southampton generally do permit break of journey on both legs. Notable exceptions to this general rule include those from Southampton to Gatwick Airport and those priced by Virgin to destinations in Wales/North West England/ Scotland, which, if routed via London (or with a permitted route via London) typically prohibit BoJ on the outward leg, but permit it on the return leg.

In any case, merely using station facilities (or viewing from within) would not be considered as a break of journey in any case.
 

radamfi

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At Three Bridges the TVMs now finally offer the £10 FCC Only Super Off Peak Day Travelcard. I remember reading on here that TVMs don't have to be impartial and don't have to offer all tickets - is that still the case? Unfortunately, it is no longer offered if you want to use a Network Railcard.
 
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