junglejames
Established Member
- Joined
- 8 Dec 2010
- Messages
- 2,069
Not sure if this has come up before, anyway, something i came across the other day.
Brought myself said single online (FGWs site). Price £19.50. Journey planner shows route via Ebbsfleet and HS1. When i pick ticket up, it says Route: Any Permitted.
No problems so far you would think.
However when it came to putting the ticket in the machine at Ebbsfleet, the machine never accepted it. Woman took a long look at it, then let me through, but said guard onboard may want to excess it. I questioned why, and she said she wasnt sure it was valid on HS1, and that even from Ebbsfleet, it was more expensive. I assured her it must be, and told her South Eastern are wrong if they are claiming an Any Permitted ticket isnt valid. We checked the ticket machines at Ebbsfleet, and sure enough, South Eastern charge you £1 more from Ebbsfleet to Ashford.
Anyway, guard on the train didnt flinch, and accepted it. A little later I asked him about whether he considered it valid. He said it was a grey area, as South Eastern have told guards they must sell the ticket with route: plus Ebbsfleet, at a cost of £20.50. (Surely that isnt right?)
We had a discussion about the meaning of 'Any Permitted'. He admitted i was right in how I see it (any route permitted by the routeing guide), and that it should be valid, but again reiterated that South Eastern have told them they cant sell the 'Any Permitted' ticket. Therefore they arent sure what SE see as valid and not valid.
However he said nobody should quibble over £1, and so nobody should bad an eyelid at the 'any permitted' ticket, no matter what SE think.
This got us onto a discussion about the complexity of fares. He mentioned how the person who had come up with all South Easterns fares, had been asked to explain them. Apparently he couldnt! He also admitted there were loads of anomalies, just in the SE region, but obviously he wasnt able to devulge said anomalies!
Anyway. Does anyone know what South Easterns stance is on this ticket? Obviously it is valid, but what do SE really think?
Plus, surely telling staff they arent allowed to sell the 'Any Permitted' ticket if the passenger intends to use HS1, is wrong? That is blatantly telling staff they cant sell the cheapest valid ticket.
Brought myself said single online (FGWs site). Price £19.50. Journey planner shows route via Ebbsfleet and HS1. When i pick ticket up, it says Route: Any Permitted.
No problems so far you would think.
However when it came to putting the ticket in the machine at Ebbsfleet, the machine never accepted it. Woman took a long look at it, then let me through, but said guard onboard may want to excess it. I questioned why, and she said she wasnt sure it was valid on HS1, and that even from Ebbsfleet, it was more expensive. I assured her it must be, and told her South Eastern are wrong if they are claiming an Any Permitted ticket isnt valid. We checked the ticket machines at Ebbsfleet, and sure enough, South Eastern charge you £1 more from Ebbsfleet to Ashford.
Anyway, guard on the train didnt flinch, and accepted it. A little later I asked him about whether he considered it valid. He said it was a grey area, as South Eastern have told guards they must sell the ticket with route: plus Ebbsfleet, at a cost of £20.50. (Surely that isnt right?)
We had a discussion about the meaning of 'Any Permitted'. He admitted i was right in how I see it (any route permitted by the routeing guide), and that it should be valid, but again reiterated that South Eastern have told them they cant sell the 'Any Permitted' ticket. Therefore they arent sure what SE see as valid and not valid.
However he said nobody should quibble over £1, and so nobody should bad an eyelid at the 'any permitted' ticket, no matter what SE think.
This got us onto a discussion about the complexity of fares. He mentioned how the person who had come up with all South Easterns fares, had been asked to explain them. Apparently he couldnt! He also admitted there were loads of anomalies, just in the SE region, but obviously he wasnt able to devulge said anomalies!
Anyway. Does anyone know what South Easterns stance is on this ticket? Obviously it is valid, but what do SE really think?
Plus, surely telling staff they arent allowed to sell the 'Any Permitted' ticket if the passenger intends to use HS1, is wrong? That is blatantly telling staff they cant sell the cheapest valid ticket.