Gatwick Flyaway

[Bill Badger]

Have just learnt that the Gatwick Flyaway ticket was quietly withdrawn by GWR in January.

Means that for the 2 of us to travel to Gatwick in the peak goes up from £40 to £72, if there is more than 2 of you the cost increase is even more stark. Ah well even with parking charges the car will be the way we go in the future.

 

[Mathew S]

Have just learnt that the Gatwick Flyaway ticket was quietly withdrawn by GWR in January.

Means that for the 2 of us to travel to Gatwick in the peak goes up from £40 to £72, if there is more than 2 of you the cost increase is even more stark. Ah well even with parking charges the car will be the way we go in the future.

With 3 or more of you, GroupSave would give you a one third discount. For two people, it's worth looking at whether a Two Together Railcard would give you enough discount over a year to be worth the cost. Or, if you travel with children, a Family & Friends Railcard gives excellent value for money.

 

[Bill Badger]

With 3 or more of you, GroupSave would give you a one third discount. For two people, it's worth looking at whether a Two Together Railcard would give you enough discount over a year to be worth the cost. Or, if you travel with children, a Family & Friends Railcard gives excellent value for money.

No children so Family and Friends is not an option and Two Together is unlikely to generate enough saving as only occasional travellers together. Groupsave can be an option at some times but unfortunately isn't available on anytime tickets, which was the key advantage of the Flyaway.

It's annoying but I assume it's simply they don't want the extra patronage on the route.

 

[JB_B]

No children so Family and Friends is not an option and Two Together is unlikely to generate enough saving as only occasional travellers together. Groupsave can be an option at some times but unfortunately isn't available on anytime tickets, which was the key advantage of the Flyaway.

It's annoying but I assume it's simply they don't want the extra patronage on the route.

Which route is it?

 

[FenMan]

Which route is it?

North Downs Line: Reading - Gatwick

 

[bkhtele]

Gatwick flyaway has been replaced by a new ticket type GOR available in the thames valley area. GWR allow group save all day on these tickets.e.g br fates from reading £40 anytime return. Still more expensive than old flyaway.

 

[FenMan]

Gatwick flyaway has been replaced by a new ticket type GOR available in the thames valley area. GWR allow group save all day on these tickets.e.g br fates from reading £40 anytime return. Still more expensive than old flyaway.

Where is the all-day Groupsave concession documented please? I cannot find anything on GWR's site.

 

[bkhtele]

Internal document Jan 2019 fares brief: Other changes/ Gatwick flyaway withdrawn/ New Ticket type GOR "Groupsave discount available all day."
No idea where this is documented externally ticket offices should be aware or you could email/tweet customer services for details.

 

[FenMan]

Internal document Jan 2019 fares brief: Other changes/ Gatwick flyaway withdrawn/ New Ticket type GOR "Groupsave discount available all day."
No idea where this is documented externally ticket offices should be aware or you could email/tweet customer services for details.

Thanks. The internal brief needs to be externalised as the Groupsave discount is not offered when searching National Rail Enquiries for an itinerary for multiple travellers. Also GWR's own travel planner does not offer the Groupsave discount for weekday departures from Reading before 08:38, which is the first off peak departure.

 

[Haywain]

for the 2 of us to travel to Gatwick in the peak

Unfortunately, I don't think suggestions of railcards are very helpful in view of this.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Unfortunately, I don't think suggestions of railcards are very helpful in view of this.

Railcards are certainly valid in the evening peak.

 

[alistairlees]

Thanks. The internal brief needs to be externalised as the Groupsave discount is not offered when searching National Rail Enquiries for an itinerary for multiple travellers. Also GWR's own travel planner does not offer the Groupsave discount for weekday departures from Reading before 08:38, which is the first off peak departure.

That will be because the data says groupsave doesn’t apply before then I should imagine. Sending round documentation won’t fix anything. The best approach is to only produce rail products that can be supported in the existing data structure, or to change the data structure.

 

[Haywain]

Railcards are certainly valid in the evening peak.

The evening peak exists for a very small minority of walk up tickets, even in the south east. And to the best of my knowledge not for tickets on the North Downs line, so my point stands.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Thanks. The internal brief needs to be externalised as the Groupsave discount is not offered when searching National Rail Enquiries for an itinerary for multiple travellers. Also GWR's own travel planner does not offer the Groupsave discount for weekday departures from Reading before 08:38, which is the first off peak departure.

I think that's just a bug in those journey planners. Some sites will offer the discount, e.g. TrainsCanBeCheaper.info shows it correctly (see attached screenshot for four passengers leaving Reading on Monday morning at 07:04, returning a week later).

(Edit: N.B. you must select GroupSave Discount in the drop-down list of railcards; it won't apply it automatically.)

 

[FenMan]

I think that's just a bug in those journey planners. Some sites will offer the discount, e.g. TrainsCanBeCheaper.info shows it correctly (see attached screenshot for four passengers leaving Reading on Monday morning at 07:04, returning a week later).
View attachment 60422
(Edit: N.B. you must select GroupSave Discount in the drop-down list of railcards; it won't apply it automatically.)

A pretty important bug! Given that GWR's own Journey Planner does not offer the correct fare, they have work to do. There's also the question of sorting out compensation for those who are being overcharged at the moment. Or <cynic>maybe that was the plan all along?</cynic>