Change of ticket route excess (involving a change of ticket type)

[142056]

I wondered if anyone could shed light on my confusion

Bath Spa to Manchester is the journey I would be making, outward journey on a Friday afternoon/evening (d1836 a2157)
Then returning on the Monday morning following this.

I'd like to make the outward via Bristol as it's quicker, but if I buy the Off peak return SVR this restricts me to departing after 0930 on the return.
I'd like to arrive in Bath before 1130ish, and thought about going via Newport (depart Manchester at 0730).
The Anytime Return via Hereford is cheaper than the Any Permitted SVR, so would I be able to just take the 0730 journey? Or would I have to somehow get the ticket changed?

Thanks

 

[yorkie]

Without getting a map out and looking at timetables and looking up the fares, it's not easy to answer that question.

But I will say this: the Route: via Hereford Anytime Return (SOR) can be excessed to travel via any permitted route on the return portion by excessing to the appropriate fare, in this case the Off Peak Return (SVR) for the price of £3.20.

You may find our RailUK Fares & Ticketing Guide helpful, we have this particular scenario covered: 4.2.1 Excess procedures: change of route

 

[hairyhandedfool]

If the ticket you would need, for the route/service you have taken, is cheaper than the ticket you hold, you should be fine, but at worst the guard would furnish you with a new piece of orange card, at no cost, for the new route ("Advance" tickets excepted).

If the ticket needed is more expensive, the guard would charge you the difference between the fares, or half the difference for one portion of a return ticket ("Advance" ticket excepted)

 

[142056]

Without getting a map out and looking at timetables and looking up the fares, it's not easy to answer that question.

But I will say this: the Route: via Hereford Anytime Return (SOR) can be excessed to travel via any permitted route on the return portion by excessing to the appropriate fare, in this case the Off Peak Return (SVR) for the price of £3.20.

You may find our RailUK Fares & Ticketing Guide helpful, we have this particular scenario covered: 4.2.1 Excess procedures: change of route

Thanks for this. I'd had a look at the other article, but if buying the Anytime via Hereford Return from Bath Spa, I'd want the Outward portion excessing to the Off peak - is this possible!?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

If the ticket you would need, for the route/service you have taken, is cheaper than the ticket you hold, you should be fine, but at worst the guard would furnish you with a new piece of orange card, at no cost, for the new route.

It's what I have thought, though in my experience Commonsense doesn't always seem in abundance.

 

[yorkie]

Thanks for this. I'd had a look at the other article, but if buying the Anytime via Hereford Return from Bath Spa, I'd want the Outward portion excessing to the Off peak - is this possible!?

Either portion is OK. I've re-read your post several times, the "via Bristol" applies to either route, I realise now it's the outward journey you'd be excessing. That's fine.

It's what I have thought, though in my experience Commonsense doesn't always seem in abundance.

Agreed.

I'd much prefer to be asking for a change of route excess to a more expensive route, and the worst that can happen is you may have to remind the clerk/guard that the excess is to the appropriate fare (not full fare) rather than travelling at a time the ticket wasn't valid and arguing that I should be zero-excessed to a cheaper route but a less restrictive ticket type, as I'd imagine some guards would take the view that you are, in fact, not requiring a change of route at all, and treat you as travelling at an invalid time (which is the full difference to the appropriate ticket type, which could be open to interpretation, and given one [incorrect - IMO] interpretation would result in a doubling of the price, I'd not be taking that chance...).

It's also £3.20 cheaper to do it that way, and indisputably valid without getting into a debate.

 

[bb21]

Thanks for this. I'd had a look at the other article, but if buying the Anytime via Hereford Return from Bath Spa, I'd want the Outward portion excessing to the Off peak - is this possible!?

The excess is "Half the difference between the price already paid and price of the cheapest Return ticket, available for immediate travel that allows the customer to travel on the route and Train Company of their choice." (Quoting The Manual, Section 10.4, correct as of 31st January.)

So yes.

 

[142056]

Thanks everyone. It's starting to make sense now.

Can I just check, say I do get the Off-Peak return, could the 0-excess for the return part be done once the outward part has been used?

 

[bb21]

There is nothing to say not that I can see.

 

[yorkie]

Thanks everyone. It's starting to make sense now.

Can I just check, say I do get the Off-Peak return, could the 0-excess for the return part be done once the outward part has been used?

in theory you can get a zero excess, if you can find a member of staff willing to do it, but 2 problems:

1) as I said earlier, the ticket is already valid via Hereford (so does the change of route procedure apply? ....)
2) some staff won't issue zero excesses ( a search for threads containing zero excess will provide some insight and experiences)

And if you can't find someone to do it before you board the train, what do you do if the guard treats you as travelling at an invalid time?

 

[headshot119]

Staff not being willing to issue zero excess fares can be an issue. I've had three instances over the past month or so of wishing to get an excess but not being able to as the staff member wasn't happy to do it, however I've still been able to travel as I wanted to, and staff treated me fairly.

One was an over distance - The guard endorsed the ticket to the effect of allow travel to XYZ same price as ABC.

The second was an over distance - The member of ticket office staff told me if I was stopped by a member of staff to ask them to contact said ticket office, she doubted I would have a problem.

The third was a change of route - The ticket office staff told me I didn't need to bother, I spoke to the guard before boarding the train who was happy to take me without fuss.