Excess a Single Ticket to a Return?

[Paul Kelly]

Eh? If I can buy a totally unrestricted anytime for the same price an on Off-Peak, then the machine really should try to sell me the more flexible ticket (other case: if there are e.g. Off Peak Returns, and Off Peak Day Returns which are brought down to the same price, and one restriction is a subset of the other). The machine can quite easily have a button explaining this and offering the hidden tickets

That isn't easy; that's really complicated! The machine would need full details of the restrictions in a computer readable format and would need to know what time of the day it was and when the passenger wanted to return etc. I was trying to think of simple changes (like colour-coding) that could be very easily made. All TVMs these days have colour screens as far as I know?

Regarding reducing choice, I was thinking that some railcards don't allow discounts on first-class tickets so that would instantly simplify things.

And I have to agree that I don't find the popular tickets screen very useful. Takes maybe up to 5 seconds scanning the screen only to realise that the ticket you want isn't there anyway, or that there is one that might do but you need to see the full choice for your destination to be sure it's the right one, and then have to go through the destination entry process anyway...

 

[jon0844]

The other popular one being people trying to enter the booking reference, rather than the collection reference, and wondering why they can't enter nine digits...

Cheers,

Barry

Why have two? And if there are two, why not allow you to enter either (the first bringing up your booking and then linking to a collection). Given it's hard to change an interface later, as it confuses people, it's vital to get things right in the first place. If people are getting mixed up, someone should have tried to design a system to reduce it from happening.

There many people in-between that of a total idiot and an expert. I'm clued up, but even I have to concentrate hard when using TVMs.

As more and more people buy smartphones and use a variety of apps, most of the rail related ones allow you to search by station codes. I see absolutely no reason for TVMs not to allow this, as well as ordinary A-Z searching, at the same time - eliminating stations as you enter text.

Many TOCs include the codes on route maps to help people using apps too - so I am sure that anyone that isn't a total newbie on the railway would get to know the codes for the places they frequently go to. Like airport codes, they're no longer reserved for people who work in the industry.

Most apps, including the FCC ticket app on Android, now starts with you choosing your origin/destination, then if it's single/return, if it's standard/first and then options to enter times. Only then does it search and present the tickets, so you can be given relevant tickets.

Given that's how it's done online and on your phone, the TVM system is actually the odd-one-out now! In fact, TVMs will seem so complicated that you'll have not only got rid of ticket offices, but TVMs too - as everyone will just book on their mobile (and in the case of an NFC enabled phone, may even find the phone operates the gates too!).

 

[RJ]

I use the Chiltern App on my Nokias/Blackberry as it seems to be the only one with a full range of Zone R/U locations. The app has it's weaknesses though, the wrong route is sometimes shown and there are certain things that haven't been though out very well. Try buying a ticket from London to Gatwick Airport and see how it compares with Avantix.

 

[Goatboy]

Result: £40 of RTV's. Thanks for the help guys

 

[yorkie]

Result: £40 of RTV's. Thanks for the help guys

Good result, glad we were able to help

 

[34D]

Result: £40 of RTV's. Thanks for the help guys

There's some good guys on here. I have a question though, going back to the original query: I buy a single and later go to a counter or a guard to change to a return. Have we concluded whether I am _entitled_ to this, or rely on good service? In either case, would this be for the situation where I said I had made a mistake, or any situation where my needs changed?

I must admit that if I was going to go London York and could see 2 hour delays due to incident on route, the temptation could be to get a £84 single (knowing it would all come back due to 2 hour delay) than a £85 return knowing half would come back....

 

[bb21]

I must admit that if I was going to go London York and could see 2 hour delays due to incident on route, the temptation could be to get a £84 single (knowing it would all come back due to 2 hour delay) than a £85 return knowing half would come back....

Yes but the issue is that seeing you were going to get a return anyway, you still need to pay for an inflated single to come back.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Yes but the issue is that seeing you were going to get a return anyway, you still need to pay for an inflated single to come back.

But if you get the full £84 back then you can buy another single at £84 and have the complete return journey for nothing. Whereas if you had bought the £85 return the journey would have cost you £42.50...

 

[calc7]

But if you get the full £84 back then you can buy another single at £84 and have the complete return journey for nothing. Whereas if you had bought the £85 return the journey would have cost you £42.50...

But you will have paid £84 twice...

 

[bb21]

But if you get the full £84 back then you can buy another single at £84 and have the complete return journey for nothing. Whereas if you had bought the £85 return the journey would have cost you £42.50...

As calc7 said, you would have paid £168 but only got £84 back, so in effect have paid £84 for a return journey, saving £1 on the un-compensated return fare.

Of course if I were in that situation I would either come back on APs (if returning another day) or possibly come back on GC.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Oh yes slight daftness from me there. Obviously you would need to be similarly delayed on the return journey as well for it to cost nothing but then you'd be no better off than if you bought a return in the first place...