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East Coast rewards after February 2015?
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Never mind the Rewards scheme, the question for me is what booking engine are they going to use? Stagecoach use theTrainLine on all their other franchises, so am I going to have to go elsewhere to use the excellent ATOS webTIS Mixing Desk, which lets not forget was originally commissioned by GNER.
cjp
Member
Having, at long last, accumalated just enough points to get a first class ticket London to Inverness and not enough to get back (so I will fly back) with no more such rewards I will stop using their site to buy all possible tickets.
I would have thought that the marginal cost of the free tickets outweighs the commision they would have gained.
I compare the number of reward points for say a M&S voucher to gain an idea of the cost to East Coast of a free ticket.
All my purchases have been with my money, nothing claimed back as expenses and it has taken me forever
to get my needed points
I would have thought that the marginal cost of the free tickets outweighs the commision they would have gained.
I compare the number of reward points for say a M&S voucher to gain an idea of the cost to East Coast of a free ticket.
All my purchases have been with my money, nothing claimed back as expenses and it has taken me forever
to get my needed pointsIt is permissible to book a Rewards ticket on behalf of someone else, so if you name your price maybe someone can help you out
Ironically most of the Rewards tickets I've used were booked by someone else, and most of the points I've earned have been tickets for other people!
It's also been confirmed that vouchers get you points, you then have an unlimited amount of time to redeem the vouchers. So you can effectively get points earlier. The only downside is for people who then use the vouchers to book 1st class tickets (as they lose out on half a point per pound).
DarloRich
Veteran Member
I think this will happen. I am going to spend my points ASAP and then move to using the Southern web site for ticket purchases
Given tickets can be booked 3 months in advance I'd guess that bookings should be open up to the end of May by the time the franchise ends - I'd be very surprised if the cut off for travelling was March 1st but of course I could be wrong.
Mutant Lemming
Established Member
Why 28th Feb ?
Not that I wish to panic people into using up their points but a problem I can foresee is that with a limited number of free tickets available and with the number of points floating around that many have accumulated there may not be enough of them to go round.
Could end up going to the first class lounge at Kings Cross for lunch for a few weeks.
New Franchise starts 1 March. It seems unlikely they'd close it down at the stroke of midnight (and we've in fact been told it will continue for a period of time after) but if you wanted to be absolutely safe then it would be wise to redeem and book prior to 1 March.
coxy
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It is permissible to book a Rewards ticket on behalf of someone else, so if you name your price maybe someone can help you out
Ironically most of the Rewards tickets I've used were booked by someone else, and most of the points I've earned have been tickets for other people!
It's also been confirmed that vouchers get you points, you then have an unlimited amount of time to redeem the vouchers. So you can effectively get points earlier. The only downside is for people who then use the vouchers to book 1st class tickets (as they lose out on half a point per pound).
Wish I'd cottoned on to the eVouchers much earlier than I did - would have been able to buy 1 voucher each month to cover all my travels. Would have been able to make several free trips by now
shinkansen1966
Member
Last week, I converted 900 of my East Coast Rewards points into 4 x free standard class tickets. According to EC Rewards, these 4 x standard class tickets have to be used by 1 June 2015. (six months for date they were converted from points into free tickets).
Stagecoach tweeted me saying they'll honour these 4 x free tickets right up until 1 June 2015.
Stagecoach tweeted me saying they'll honour these 4 x free tickets right up until 1 June 2015.
Presumably they should then be bookable another 12 weeks after that?
shinkansen1966
Member
I was thinking exactly the same thing.
At some point, Stagecoach and Virgin are going to have to explain exactly what they are going to do with existing rewards scheme.
Well that's exactly 12 weeks after they start their franchise so that could be what they mean.
Kite159
Veteran Member
I'm going to wait until I hit 900 points (currently at 782 with 300-odd pending) to cash out with the 4 standard singles tickets.
I can see any points remaining in the account after a certain date being transformed into Nectar points, so might be worth cashing out before that date for e-vouchers as 1 point = 1p is better than 0.5p of nectar points. Although you never know the conversion rate might be 1 east coast point being worth 2 nectar points
I can see any points remaining in the account after a certain date being transformed into Nectar points, so might be worth cashing out before that date for e-vouchers as 1 point = 1p is better than 0.5p of nectar points. Although you never know the conversion rate might be 1 east coast point being worth 2 nectar points
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Techniquest
Veteran Member
I think it shows how rubbish the Nectar scheme is these days (it was never amazing, but at least in the early days you got X amount of bonus points for buying certain products which was a good way to boost the points balance!) when you see how much negativity there is against it remaining in this thread. I didn't see the rest of it pre-splitting into a separate thread, and I have no intention to read it.
I haven't held a Nectar card in a long time, and the idea of gaining Nectar points was such a welcome idea recently-ish, that when I was asked to input my Nectar card number on ScotRail's website (I had to use it to book a trip on the Cally Insomny, couldn't do so on East Coast) I bellowed with laughter and thought "Hahaha, no chance! Why would ANYONE want to use Nectar in this day and age?!" Seriously, I see it going the same way as MSN Messenger in a few years' time.
The need to claim my East Coast Rewards ticket (I only have enough points for one Standard Class single) is mounting, I was looking to claim it for next week but I am making myself keep hold of it for a trip in early February! Expect a trip report in the middle of February entitled something like "Techniquest's Farewell to East Coast"
Once it goes over to Nectar, I'll use anyone else, rewards programme or not. I just wish I'd used the current scheme for longer than I have been using it for!
FWIW, I'm looking forward to Virgin's presence on the ECML.
I haven't held a Nectar card in a long time, and the idea of gaining Nectar points was such a welcome idea recently-ish, that when I was asked to input my Nectar card number on ScotRail's website (I had to use it to book a trip on the Cally Insomny, couldn't do so on East Coast) I bellowed with laughter and thought "Hahaha, no chance! Why would ANYONE want to use Nectar in this day and age?!"
Seriously, I see it going the same way as MSN Messenger in a few years' time.The need to claim my East Coast Rewards ticket (I only have enough points for one Standard Class single) is mounting, I was looking to claim it for next week but I am making myself keep hold of it for a trip in early February! Expect a trip report in the middle of February entitled something like "Techniquest's Farewell to East Coast"
Once it goes over to Nectar, I'll use anyone else, rewards programme or not. I just wish I'd used the current scheme for longer than I have been using it for!
FWIW, I'm looking forward to Virgin's presence on the ECML.
Kite159
Veteran Member
Imagine the scene at Edinburgh where you have a VWC departure around the same time as a Virgin East Coast departure. I can see confusion happening with passengers heading for the train which Virgin written on the side only to end up with a slow-train to Euston via Birmingham rather than a fast train to Kings Cross
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Aye that'll be well confusing! Used to have the same sort of problem at Birmingham New Street, with trains to both Edinburgh via the ECML and Glasgow via the WCML both leaving within a few minutes of each other (1200 and 1203 for example), thankfully it's not such an issue these with Edinburgh-bound XC services at xx03 and Virgin's WCML services at xx15.
Bit like at the moment on the first train of the day. The 0540 EC to London and the 0548 EC to London will both be sat there for a while before departure. Get the 0548 and you're an hour later in London.
Or people could check the platform number of their train. Or ask (or check online) which is quicker.
And a UPFN if they were using an Advance!
Mutant Lemming
Established Member
Especially as you'll be getting the same cack service in 1st with kiddies playset cardboard box meals, paper or plastic cups and beer sourced as locally as Guatemala or Mexico.
Why did Branson get EC and why has he still got WC ?
At least with East Coast some money was going IN to the public coffers.
Virgin Trains beer is brewed at Redwillow Brewery in Macclesfield, 0.7 miles from Macclesfield railway station. Guatemala and Mexico are located 5,370 miles and 5,454 miles from the nearest Virgin Trains station respectively.
They submitted the best bid for East Coast (probably paying the largest amount of money to the government). On the West Coast, it was found there were flaws in the calculations of awarding the line to FirstGroup so it has remained with Virgin Trains until a new bidding process can begin.
Virgin Trains East Coast will be paying around double (some people say three times) as much money back to the government than Directly Operated Railways ever did.
RochdalePioneers
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Allegedly. Let's put it like this. GNER couldn't do anywhere near that. Neither could National Express. East Coast are the most successful and pay less than half what's claimed of Stagecoach.
So, either its impossible and they will join the fail list. Or it is possible by ramping up the fares hugely. Either way, for anyone with a brain and a calculator, the winning premium looks highly suspicious.
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Only if they are a bit thick.
Has everyone done a md rush to spend their points yet or are you all holding on?
bb21
Emeritus Moderator
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Well, I have redeemed my 1400, but partly because some are expiring this month. That said I am glad I have done so and won't need to worry about it.
shinkansen1966
Member
Just how many people are going to take EC rewards free trips in 2015 ? That's all lost revenue for new the franchise holder.
Well I have almost 58000 points to use- which equates to 128 first class tickets!!! No way I can use these by end of February- I travel to London at least once a week but need to use peak trains to get down there & usually am peak coming back so cannot redeem for the business trips and tend to use with friends & family in summer for off peak trips. I really hope there is an extension of use period beyond end February otherwise I have a lot to lose!
You only need to redeem them by whatever date they set. We do not yet know when this will be*
But if possible I suggest people do so by 4th January so you can get 4 x 1st at the existing 'price' of 1400pts.
Once redeemed you get you 6 months to book the tickets. And a booking can potentially be up to 12 weeks in advance.
So you have several months yet in which to travel.
* I'd assume you won't be able to redeem points once Virgin take over in March but in practice they might let you do so for a few more weeks. They really should announce it soon to let people know where they stand.
But if possible I suggest people do so by 4th January so you can get 4 x 1st at the existing 'price' of 1400pts.
Once redeemed you get you 6 months to book the tickets. And a booking can potentially be up to 12 weeks in advance.
So you have several months yet in which to travel.
* I'd assume you won't be able to redeem points once Virgin take over in March but in practice they might let you do so for a few more weeks. They really should announce it soon to let people know where they stand.
I've used dozens of free 1st class rewards tickets Friday peak time from Kings X.
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