As I was out walking the dog in the glorious sunshine this afternoon a thought occurred, an Anytime Return is normally a very expensive ticket (let's take the London Terminals to Edinburgh SOR at £304 as an example from here on out) but then think about what you actually get for that money. You can travel at any time you like and on the outward leg break your journey as many times as you like across five days then return any time within a month again breaking your journey as much as you like (feel like stopping off in Newcastle for two weeks to visit family/friends? No problem! Stop again in York for another week? Why not!). But not only that there are a wide variety of routes you can use such as WCML all the way or perhaps Euston - Manchester - Settle - Carlisle - Edinburgh or St Pancras - Sheffield - Leeds - York - Edinburgh and many others.
So for that price when you look at what you get it's not actually that bad £304 and your buying yourself a heck of a lot of flexibility. But my question is this, how many people actually use all of that flexibility they're paying for? My guess is not many, I would guess that most people buying this ticket would take a direct train from Kings Cross to Edinburgh then return a couple of days later again taking a direct train back to Kings Cross. Not using any of the break of journey rights or any of the other routings that are available.
So my thinking is this, what about introducing a new ticket in a price band below that of the SOR? I'm thinking a ticket that has a restriction on the route (EC Only), restricts you to travelling outwards in one day (but doesn't restrict break of journey on that day) and whilst you can return at any time within a month once you start the return again you have to finish in one day (but again no restriction on break of journey on that day). So a much more restrictive ticket than the existing SOR but you could price it at a lower level to compensate (and it's still valid at anytime). You could also introduce a similar ticket for SVRs and SSRs.
Now I'm aware that this would be a nightmare to implement within the existing fare structure so I'm less interested in that side of things and more if firstly people agree with me that the flexibility of Anytime Returns is chronically under used (so people aren't getting value for money) and then secondly if that introducing a new product along the lines I've suggested above would actually fill a gap in the market (for something cheaper than a SOR but keeps it's anytime properties).
So what do people think? Some merit to my thoughts or has my mind be addled by the midday sun
So for that price when you look at what you get it's not actually that bad £304 and your buying yourself a heck of a lot of flexibility. But my question is this, how many people actually use all of that flexibility they're paying for? My guess is not many, I would guess that most people buying this ticket would take a direct train from Kings Cross to Edinburgh then return a couple of days later again taking a direct train back to Kings Cross. Not using any of the break of journey rights or any of the other routings that are available.
So my thinking is this, what about introducing a new ticket in a price band below that of the SOR? I'm thinking a ticket that has a restriction on the route (EC Only), restricts you to travelling outwards in one day (but doesn't restrict break of journey on that day) and whilst you can return at any time within a month once you start the return again you have to finish in one day (but again no restriction on break of journey on that day). So a much more restrictive ticket than the existing SOR but you could price it at a lower level to compensate (and it's still valid at anytime). You could also introduce a similar ticket for SVRs and SSRs.
Now I'm aware that this would be a nightmare to implement within the existing fare structure so I'm less interested in that side of things and more if firstly people agree with me that the flexibility of Anytime Returns is chronically under used (so people aren't getting value for money) and then secondly if that introducing a new product along the lines I've suggested above would actually fill a gap in the market (for something cheaper than a SOR but keeps it's anytime properties).
So what do people think? Some merit to my thoughts or has my mind be addled by the midday sun