East Coast rewards after February 2015?

[Stats]

I will still put some money on the reward scheme continuing, but with free travel tickets dropped, leaving lounge passes and the other 'rewards' available (magazine subscriptions etc)

I don't understand why there are some forum members that are thinking the Reward scheme will continue. Stagecoach have already said they are launching a new loyalty scheme in partnership with Nectar in which customers will be able to collect and redeem points against ICEC travel.

 

[theblackwatch]

I don't understand why there are some forum members that are thinking the Reward scheme will continue. Stagecoach have already said they are launching a new loyalty scheme in partnership with Nectar in which customers will be able to collect and redeem points against ICEC travel.

I think what people are meaning is that Nectar points will be able to be used for things like First Class Lounge passes.

 

[CockneySparrow]

I wonder if EC have had an influx of revenue from people buying evouchers and bringing other purchases forward this weekend?

More than likely, but not due to people thinking the scheme will close as most probably don't know or care about the franchise award, they would more than likely be bought before the amount required for rewards goes up
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But no-one lost any Nectar points they'd collected with FCC.

No they haven't, the point was that FCC website has become more of a holding page since Govia took over, and the point is that its more than likely the EC will follow suit, become a holding page, no updates, no booking tickets etc etc
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More expensive than Waitrose?! That can't be correct!

Ouch, that's pretty dire if that change really does kick in! I would anticipate a large drop in people using Nectar cards/shopping in Sainsburys if that happens. Which would please my boss endlessly, all those rich customers...

Maybe I should investigate these cashback offers some forum members use, it could mount up quite quickly!

It will kick in 1 point for every pound spent, collect 500 points for the normal £2.50, also the points for bag reuse has been scrapped, however a member of staff did tell me that they might go down the route of offering bonus points for buying certain products, like what Morrisons have started to do

Also in the same email or a different one around the same time Sainsburys only price check against Asda only none of the others are considered

http://www.sainsburys-live-well-for-less.co.uk/products-values/nectar/nectar-is-changing/

 

[Techniquest]

they might go down the route of offering bonus points for buying certain products

As they did when Nectar was launched, it was a fantastic idea but it soon stopped. I remember the Nectar card actually looked professional back then too, not this horrible looking thing they have now.

Don't start me off on that useless pile of rubbish Morrisons bragged about SO much when they launched it...

I still say the best supermarket loyalty card is the Tesco Clubcard. Nice and simple at 1 point per £1 spent, and the reward vouchers are much more sensibly done than Sainsburys. Oh, and they regularly send you bonus points vouchers and money off vouchers too. I still don't use a Clubcard very often, but my Mum uses hers a lot more than me. I use mine when I'm in Birmingham normally on a supply stock-up before the main event of a bash, occasionally on the way home from a bash. For my normal shopping, I have no need to visit Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl or Waitrose, so my need for and use of loyalty schemes with that lot is slim to none!

Anyway, let's not turn this thread in a supermarket warzone!

I've booked my Rewards ticket and looking forward to using it on 5th February!

 

[JaJaWa]

I will still put some money on the reward scheme continuing, but with free travel tickets dropped, leaving lounge passes and the other 'rewards' available (magazine subscriptions etc)

Virgin have said they are replacing the rewards scheme with Nectar. They could launch Nectar redemptions for lounge passes or First Class upgrades though, which if they don't cost masses of Nectar points could be nice!

 

[Hadders]

What's wrong with being able to redeem Nectar points for train travel?

 

[ModernRailways]

Virgin have said they are replacing the rewards scheme with Nectar. They could launch Nectar redemptions for lounge passes or First Class upgrades though, which if they don't cost masses of Nectar points could be nice!

But it would have to cost a fair bit, as the only way East Coast can give out the free tickets is because people are booking and paying through them and are only getting the points through East Coast.

Someone may never spend a penny with Virgin East Coast (VEC), but spends a lot in Sainsburys and so gets the same deal, but then VEC haven't actually gained any money from that customer/passenger.

 

[Starmill]

I think it will be a very bad deal for Stagecoach-VT on the East Coast. The East Coast scheme got the balance right - people booked travel for almost all journeys on there and then EC gave them free travel on their own terms. If the new scheme using Nectar points offers rail redemptions, that opens the floodgates for the loyal customers of Sainsburys, who hardly ever travel by rail, into free travel. If they only offer an ability to earn points (they made a fuss of being able to earn them when buying your overpriced coffee onboard) and no redemptions that are anything to do with train travel, who would bother booking with them for that? It could be the case, as someone said up thread that the members of nectar all get to choose how many points they give to people, that the money that changes hands on their nectar contract may be adequate compensation for them for giving away free tickets or upgrades in exchange for nectar points. Who knows. Could be very good PR for them!

 

[yorkie]

I think we'd need to find out how many points are required, to find out more.

As far as I'm concerned, having to spend £1,400 to get 4 x free 1st tickets (which was the case until yesterday) is a reasonable deal, so if it's comparable offer, then I'll be happy with that, especially if you can earn more points through Sainsburys etc.

But if it's significantly worse, then I will book elsewhere (perhaps Southern because of their Money Back Guarantee) and it will be their loss.

 

[Starmill]

I'm skeptical that a rail related redemption for nectar points will be introduced. But if one is, I'll be very pleased.

 

[ModernRailways]

I think we'd need to find out how many points are required, to find out more.

As far as I'm concerned, having to spend £1,400 to get 4 x free 1st tickets (which was the case until yesterday) is a reasonable deal, so if it's comparable offer, then I'll be happy with that, especially if you can earn more points through Sainsburys etc.

But if it's significantly worse, then I will book elsewhere (perhaps Southern because of their Money Back Guarantee) and it will be their loss.

I've already started booking with Southern simply because I know I won't have any benefit booking with East Coast now. Earning points is pointless because I won't earn enough to get anything other than a one or two day lounge pass.

I still get EC Delay Repay regardless of where I purchase, but Southern are now my go to site for tickets (and on the odd occasion RSH as I use my Clubcard a lot)

 

[westv]

I'll still use the EC website as I would rather have print at home for my tickets than having to insert my debit card numerous times in the ticket collection machine when collecting a monthly batch.

 

[Kite159]

Virgin have said they are replacing the rewards scheme with Nectar. They could launch Nectar redemptions for lounge passes or First Class upgrades though, which if they don't cost masses of Nectar points could be nice!

Or likely have an option to exchange Nectar points into e-vouchers to be used on their website at the usual reward rate (200 points to £1 voucher), with maybe a promotional sale ever so often where the reward rate is halved.

I've already shifted towards FTPE (cashback & nectar available) to buying my tickets.

 

[Stats]

I'm skeptical that a rail related redemption for nectar points will be introduced. But if one is, I'll be very pleased.

They said there will be. But I'd be very surprised if it's anything other than the usual £2.50 off for every 500 points.

New partnership with Nectar, the UK's leading coalition loyalty scheme, allowing customers to collect points and also redeem them against their travel with ICEC, a rail industry first

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I think it will be a very bad deal for Stagecoach-VT on the East Coast. The East Coast scheme got the balance right - people booked travel for almost all journeys on there and then EC gave them free travel on their own terms. If the new scheme using Nectar points offers rail redemptions, that opens the floodgates for the loyal customers of Sainsburys, who hardly ever travel by rail, into free travel.

That's the whole point though - to attract new customers. Stagecoach's payments to Government are based on passenger growth. To benefit from East Coast's scheme you need to already have travelled by train. With a Nectar scheme not only can you give discounts by redeeming Nectar points to people who don't normally travel by train, thereby hopefully giving them a good experience that they will come back as a full fare paying passenger, but you can, I think, also use Nectar's customer database to send marketing emails to people you wouldn't be able to reach through your own database. For example, I got a marketing email from TPE last week through Nectar.

 

[Starmill]

They said there will be. But I'd be very surprised if it's anything other than the usual £2.50 off for every 500 points.

Ah right, I appear to have misunderstood that. Still a naff redemption.

That's the whole point though - to attract new customers. Stagecoach's payments to Government are based on passenger growth. To benefit from East Coast's scheme you need to already have travelled by train. With a Nectar scheme not only can you give discounts by redeeming Nectar points to people who don't normally travel by train, thereby hopefully giving them a good experience that they will come back as a full fare paying passenger, but you can, if you so choose, also use Nectar's customer database to send marketing emails to people you wouldn't be able to reach through your own database. For example, I got a marketing email from TPE last week through Nectar.

Maybe. Although if that's to work, they have to actually offer a good experience to people who try the train for the first time in a while...

And that'd need to outweigh the potential loss of custom that currently goes through their site.

 

[Techniquest]

So then, which website is best for cashback when buying tickets guys? Please feel free to forward details via PM.

When the full details of the Virgin East Coast and Nectar are unveiled, I will see if it's any good, if so I'll get my own Nectar card again (lost my old one). In the meantime I'll continue to chuck in some points when booking through FGW's website to my Mum's card, who I'm sure is happy to have received nearly 100 extra points onto it this year!

Mind you, I saw one of the receipts from Sainsburys recently, which had a balance of 319 points on it at the time. That value was only something like £1.39, or was it £1.56, can't be sure now. Either way, it will take a LONG time to get free tickets with Virgin East Coast!

 

[CockneySparrow]

But it would have to cost a fair bit, as the only way East Coast can give out the free tickets is because people are booking and paying through them and are only getting the points through East Coast.

Someone may never spend a penny with Virgin East Coast (VEC), but spends a lot in Sainsburys and so gets the same deal, but then VEC haven't actually gained any money from that customer/passenger.

I don't think Nectar works like that, when someone makes a purchase in Sainsbury's or another outlet where you can gain points that retailer then pays money into a pot to Nectar, when a reward is redeemed the outlet then gets some of that money from the pot for the reward if that makes any sense, so the answer to your question is that Virgin will get money from Nectar for use of the lounge, basically the same principal as people redeeming points in Argos

Suppose if you were to redeem anything like free tickets with VEC it would work like the Tesco RSH deal

 

[GNER 91128]

I wouldn't mind if Nectar is introduced with a decent rate of return for money spent, it would have to be significantly better than the 2 points per £, or 500 = £2.50 for it to be worthwhile! and there must be away to redeem points to put for tickets or at least an e-voucher which can be used to by tickets or again the whole thing would be pointless! I often use my points in exchange of expedia vouchers, the last one being 40,000 = £200 to pay for a trip for my girlfriend and I. the option to do that on EC is the minimum I expect out of a rewards programme!

 

[Marton]

What is the %age of the ticket value retained by EC and other online sellers?

Nectar doesn't seem to offer the proper reward to users, especially those of us with regular big ticket spends, in my case c£350 per week.

 

[island]

I believe it is 5%.

 

[fusionblue]

So then, which website is best for cashback when buying tickets guys? Please feel free to forward details via PM.

I'd love to know this too please...

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I have made some bookings last night using the special offer East Coast fares, but I see that my account has not had extra reward points added. Are they not credited using this special fare? Thank you.

 

[Tetchytyke]

So then, which website is best for cashback when buying tickets guys?

If you're after cashback then any of the websites listed on websites like Quidco will be a good start.

Gatwick Express offer 4%, EMT offer 2.5% (EMT tickets), Raileasy offer 2% and EMT and TPE offer 1% (all bookings). Some people here have claimed that you can go through GatEx to the Southern Mixing Deck and still get the 4%, but I've not tested it.
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I have made some bookings last night using the special offer East Coast fares, but I see that my account has not had extra reward points added.

Give it time, it's not instant.

My points are there.

 

[mad_rich]

Be aware that there is usually no availbility to use reward tickets for a few days either side of Easter as the trains are busier - so they probably can't be used in 1st week of April this year.

Wednesday 1st April has just appeared, and I managed to get a redemption for the train I wanted NCL-KGX. (Whether I'll get breakfast in First Class on Virgin EC I don't know...)

Nothing yet for Thursday or Good Friday.

I had thought rewards availability was released at the same time as Advance tickets, but it was at least a few days between the two in this case.

Still got 3 tickets to use, and I'm in two minds as to whether to fritter them away before the deadline!

 

[GNER 91128]

I've just logged on to East Coast today and it's asking me to join rewards with no sign of my points balance! I hope they haven't disappeared.

 

[trainophile]

I've just logged on to East Coast today and it's asking me to join rewards with no sign of my points balance! I hope they haven't disappeared.

Mine are still there, and the four tickets I've yet to book.

 

[GNER 91128]

I'm just getting this atm:

 

[Chrism20]

You haven't by chance clicked the marketing opt out box when logging onto wifi on the train have you?

I've done this a few times and it suspends my rewards membership, you have to phone up and ask them to reactivate. Your points will still be there.

 

[Techniquest]

So then, which website is best for cashback when buying tickets guys?

If you're after cashback then any of the websites listed on websites like Quidco will be a good start.

Gatwick Express offer 4%, EMT offer 2.5% (EMT tickets), Raileasy offer 2% and EMT and TPE offer 1% (all bookings). Some people here have claimed that you can go through GatEx to the Southern Mixing Deck and still get the 4%, but I've not tested it.

Cheers, I'll investigate those properly when the opportunity arises, possibly later
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Cheers, I'll investigate those properly when the opportunity arises, possibly later

Hmm, I'm not convinced. 1p in every £1 cashback would mean it could take quite some time to get anything worthwhile out of it. Topcashback suggests tickets for TPX get up to 4.72% (so 4.72p per £1) which would be handy if I was travelling much with them! Not many TOCs on there or Quidco by the looks of things.

Worth a look when I next book tickets though.

 

[CockneySparrow]

Not sure whether this has already been mentioned but it looks like Stagecoach have registered www.virgineastcoast.co.uk

So it looks like the current site will become a FCC type of page and everyone diverted to the new site, unless they plan to use it as a corporate site