Continued fee free refunds if current restrictions are extended?

[gray1404]

Would it be fair to say that all TOCs/retailers will continue to offer fee free refunds if the government extends the current restrictions after Easter? I'm specifically thinking about travel that was only booked from the end of March onwards here too.

Also, are there any retailers who's systems are offering fully automated refunds that can be applied for online? No need to email in tickets or wait for a human to approve the refund. I'm thinking about advance tickets here.

 

[robbeech]

I do not think there is an end date to this offer of free refunds whilst we are in the current situation. One thing that is important to note is the offer generally only applies to tickets purchased BEFORE 23/03/20 for travel ON OR AFTER 23/03/20, as time passes the number of tickets bought before this date will naturally reduce until there are none left so this offer will become meaningless of its own accord anyway.

 

[gray1404]

What about for tickets purchased after 23/03/20 and now for travel if the government chooses to extend lockdown beyond 13/04/20 Easter Monday?

 

[alistairlees]

What about for tickets purchased after 23/03/20 and now for travel if the government chooses to extend lockdown beyond 13/04/20 Easter Monday?

Normal fees apply, unless your service is cancelled, in which case you may obtain a refund.

 

[gray1404]

I suspect this will have to change if government extend current restrictions beyond 13 April.

 

[30907]

I suspect it won't. I would advise against booking Advance tickets any distance in advance at the moment.
I refer you to your immediately previous thread:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...kets-to-be-on-sale-again.202984/#post-4515912

 

[221129]

I suspect this will have to change if government extend current restrictions beyond 13 April.

No it most likely wont.

 

[yorkie]

I suspect this will have to change if government extend current restrictions beyond 13 April.

I doubt it for the remainder of April; it's foreseeable that there may be restrictions until the end of April at least. May is perhaps a grey area, but I'd certainly hold off booking anything for early May as things stand.

If the travel is for reasons not allowed under the legislation then I would not book anything at this stage.

A forum member has asked me to point out that you can only claim force majeure on an event that was unforeseeable; it would be difficult to argue that you were not aware that restrictions may be extended beyond the current end date (at least until the end of April). Therefore, only book an Advance fare for the foreseeable future if you are prepared to accept that risk, or if the travel is essential.

 

[westv]

I've booked a few AP tickets for end of May/beginning of June with LNER. I was undecided but thought I'd get them now in case the price went up in the full knowledge that I might have to amend the dates.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Would it be fair to say that all TOCs/retailers will continue to offer fee free refunds if the government extends the current restrictions after Easter? I'm specifically thinking about travel that was only booked from the end of March onwards here too.

Also, are there any retailers who's systems are offering fully automated refunds that can be applied for online? No need to email in tickets or wait for a human to approve the refund. I'm thinking about advance tickets here.

Daydream about it by all means, but don't waste time and effort (and money) planning any future travel at the moment.

 

[JBuchananGB]

I’m sitting on some Advance tickets for travel on June 5, which I purchased on March 8. For a non-essential leisure trip, to a specific event.
I will certainly wait until nearer the time to decide what to do.

 

[gray1404]

If the government extends the restrictions then the TOCs will have no choice but to refund. This will be on the basis that on the date the customer booked, they booked for unrestricted dates. Failure to do this will really make the railway look very anti customer. Really depends on government restrictions at the time of booking.

 

[Bletchleyite]

My view is that they should stop selling Advances at the moment entirely, other than perhaps Advance Purchase on the Day. This removes this issue for new bookings.

 

[Wallsendmag]

If the government extends the restrictions then the TOCs will have no choice but to refund. This will be on the basis that on the date the customer booked, they booked for unrestricted dates. Failure to do this will really make the railway look very anti customer. Really depends on government restrictions at the time of booking.

The TOCs aren't the ones making the decision, remember everyone had a management contract currently.

 

[MikeWh]

If you watch the daily briefings from number 10 you will be in no doubt that no-one is setting a date for restrictions to end. Where organisations have made changes up to a date it has almost universally been extended already. There is no way that leisure travel is going to be ok just after the Easter weekend. If I was a betting man I'd offer very long odds on May 1st, more realistic odds on June 1st.

 

[Joe Paxton]

If the government extends the restrictions then the TOCs will have no choice but to refund. This will be on the basis that on the date the customer booked, they booked for unrestricted dates. Failure to do this will really make the railway look very anti customer. Really depends on government restrictions at the time of booking.

You are looking for others to confirm your desire that you'll be able to get a refund for an Advance ticket booked now for future travel, if there are still travel restrictions in place when the date of travel comes around. I rather doubt you're going to get any such confirmation.

I'd move on from this avenue of wishful thinking... it's a dead end!

 

[Joe Paxton]

My view is that they should stop selling Advances at the moment entirely, other than perhaps Advance Purchase on the Day. This removes this issue for new bookings.

I'm minded to agree with that.

 

[gray1404]

As it happens Joe, you are wrong, I do not actually have any advance tickets booked for travel in the future. However, what I am advocating is the right and moral thing that should happen in terms of how customers should be treated.

 

[Joe Paxton]

As it happens Joe, you are wrong, I do not actually have any advance tickets booked for travel in the future. However, what I am advocating is the right and moral thing that should happen in terms of how customers should be treated.

I didn't intend to suggest that you actually already have Advance tickets booked for future travel, though re-reading what I wrote upthread I realise it could read as such.

What I did intend to suggest was that I think it'd be unwise to book any Advance tickets now for potential future travel, in the hope of a refund if there are still travel restrictions at the time of travel. I can imagine refunds might potentially be offered in such a scenario, but I don't think anyone can guarantee anything like that.

I understand - and sympathise - with the thinking behind your question though (or at least my reading of it). During these 'lockdown' times, it's nice to think about the future and possible plans.

 

[gray1404]

Thanks Joe, I understand where you're coming from now. Sorry for any misunderstanding.

 

[westv]

I noticed today that LNER have removed the 30/4/20 cut off date for fee free ticket refunds booked via their website.
Bookings prior to 23/3 remain cash refund and after 23/3 remain account credit.

 

[alistairlees]

I noticed today that LNER have removed the 30/4/20 cut off date for fee free ticket refunds booked via their website.
Bookings prior to 23/3 remain cash refund and after 23/3 remain account credit.

They have caught up with the RDG announcement of 27th March with respect to there no longer being a cut off date for travel.

 

[Starmill]

It has been rumoured that other ideas such as lifting of time restrictions or free travel for holders of NHS ID have already been ruled out by the Department, so your suggestion that Advance tickets will be discontinued looks unlikely to succeed. Of course, the question over exactly what terms should apply to Advance tickets when there's a changeable timetable and a deeply uncertaint future of restrictions is still open.