Does CrossCountry still allow you to rebook Advance tickets without fee

[bakerstreet]

The CrossCountry site (online and NOT via the app) has for a long while allowed you to rebook an Advance ticket, as long as it is done by 1800 the day before travel, and provided that the origin and destination are the same.

This was available long before Book With Confidence

Looking at their site tonight it is now a little confusing as it still states the policy referred to above, but in the same text area talks about the confidence scheme too, with an expiry date

I think the 'change my ticket' policy is still valid but I can imagine that someone could refuse my change request by quoting the November 2022 date in the refund section if they did not see it as I see it.

(I know I can seek advice from CC, but the best advice tends to come from this site)

https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/customer-service/ticket-refunds-and-amends:

Can I change my ticket?	Can I get a refund?	Next steps
You can amend your Advance train ticket without paying a £10.00 admin fee with CrossCountry. You may change your date and time of travel, but your origin and destination must remain the same. Any changes must be made before 18:00 the day before the original travel date.	We are introducing an easement to the terms & conditions of Advance tickets, to help you gain confidence in travelling by rail again. Advance tickets are not refundable. However, if the train you purchased a ticket for is cancelled a refund will be provided. Until 30 November 2022, if you do not wish to amend your Advance tickets, they can be exchanged for Rail Travel Vouchers, which are valid for 12 months from the date of issue. National Rail Travel Vouchers must not be exchanged for cash.	You can change your ticket in the My Account section of our site or Train Tickets app. If you purchased your ticket without being logged into your account or do not hold an account, you can register and add your guest booking to your account by following the “Login to manage your booking” link, found at the bottom of your confirmation e-mail. Alternatively, please contact Web Support on [email protected] or 0371 244 2389. Our Web Support lines are open Monday - Sunday: 08:00-22:00. To request a Rail Travel Voucher please e-mail our Customer Relations Team on [email protected]. Please include your booking reference number

 

[Watershed]

The CrossCountry site (online and NOT via the app) has for a long while allowed you to rebook an Advance ticket, as long as it is done by 1800 the day before travel, and provided that the origin and destination are the same.

This was available long before Book With Confidence

Looking at their site tonight it is now a little confusing as it still states the policy referred to above, but in the same text area talks about the confidence scheme too, with an expiry date

I think the 'change my ticket' policy is still valid but I can imagine that someone could refuse my change request by quoting the November 2022 date in the refund section if they did not see it as I see it.

(I know I can seek advice from CC, but the best advice tends to come from this site)

https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/customer-service/ticket-refunds-and-amends:

Having just checked on a booking that I have (which was made after the end of the Book with Confidence scheme), I can confirm that XC still allows you to change Advance tickets without an admin fee. It's actually quite a slick interface and you can even do it within the app.

 

[bakerstreet]

Having just checked on a booking that I have (which was made after the end of the Book with Confidence scheme), I can confirm that XC still allows you to change Advance tickets without an admin fee. It's actually quite a slick interface and you can even do it within the app.

Thank you so much for taking the time to check this.
Do you think you can now change tickets which were originally booked on the app, or you can just use the app to change an existing ticket?
There used to be a restriction that you could only change if ticket was actually booked online (not app)

 

[Watershed]

Thank you so much for taking the time to check this.
Do you think you can now change tickets which were originally booked on the app, or you can just use the app to change an existing ticket?
There used to be a restriction that you could only change if ticket was actually booked online (not app)

Their site says purchases made through either medium are eligible. I do recall the mobile app exclusion existing in the past, but it's evidently no longer in place.

 

[bakerstreet]

Their site says purchases made through either medium are eligible. I do recall the mobile app exclusion existing in the past, but it's evidently no longer in place.

Excellent thank you @Watershed

 

[Feuillesmortes]

This is such a tempting promotion that I would struggle to book anywhere else for a straightforward advance.

Any way tickets.railforums.co.uk/ can match this, perhaps by offering free changes in return for a small monthly subscription?

 

[Watershed]

This is such a tempting promotion that I would struggle to book anywhere else for a straightforward advance.

Any way tickets.railforums.co.uk/ can match this, perhaps by offering free changes in return for a small monthly subscription?

There are also other retailers that offer fee-free changes - for example, Railsmartr.

 

[zero]

I have an upcoming trip where I need to be in York, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds then return to York on the same day.

I was going to waste a Northern free ticket on this, but Northern advances are very cheap, and it seems that even on the day of travel advances may be available at reasonable prices.

The problem is I don't know how long I need to spend in each place, but if I finish my activities earlier than expected it would be good to get the next train to the next place rather than waiting for a later booked train.

Would it make sense to book separate advances with the Crosscountry website/app and then if it turns out I can take an earlier train, change all the remaining tickets for free, maybe paying a small extra fare?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Northern Advances are often still cheap on the day (they mostly just exist to proliferate a stupid price war with TPE, not to genuinely yield manage loadings), so it'd be an option just to buy them as you go, but I guess you could indeed do this (worst case you change them to an Anytime Day Single).

 

[Feuillesmortes]

(worst case you change them to an Anytime Day Single).

It looks like Railsmartr would even refund if I have understood correctly.

 

[Adam Williams]

It looks like Railsmartr would even refund if I have understood correctly.

They shouldn't ordinarily, if it's an Advance ticket.

 

[zero]

Seems like a loophole if you can change an advance to an anytime single for free, and then refund that with a £10 admin fee

 

[Bletchleyite]

Seems like a loophole if you can change an advance to an anytime single for free, and then refund that with a £10 admin fee

You can't refund it for a £10 admin fee. I'm not sure what basis any refund would be on, but I guess the difference between the Anytime and the original Advance.

An Anytime excessed from an Advance also retains the same TOC restriction as the Advance had, at least theoretically (though Trainline based sites refund and reissue, so you do get an unrestricted one).

 

[MrJeeves]

It looks like Railsmartr would even refund if I have understood correctly.

They don't, sadly. If you search their FAQs, it says Advance tickets are only refundable in the normal circumstances (abandonment of journey, disruption, etc.).

You searched for advance - Railsmartr.co.uk

railsmartr.co.uk

 

[Feuillesmortes]

They don't, sadly. If you search their FAQs, it says Advance tickets are only refundable in the normal circumstances (abandonment of journey, disruption, etc.).

You searched for advance - Railsmartr.co.uk

railsmartr.co.uk

​

No extra charges​

Why should you pay extra fees just to get your train tickets? We never add any fees - not even for refunds.

Interesting!

 

[Adam Williams]

Interesting!

This isn't really about refund fees - Advances are non-refundable by design. It's advertised all over the place in the ticket type terms and conditions. Railsmartr aren't lying when they say they don't charge for refunds; they're just not possible in this case.