GroupSave questions (Greater Anglia)

[DynamicSpirit]

I'm taking a large group from Liverpool Street to Chelmsford next Sunday, hopefully using GroupSave super-offpeak returns, and wanted to check a couple of things about how the tickets work.

1. At Liverpool Street, can you buy GroupSave tickets from the ticket machines, or do you need to go to a manned ticket office?
2. Do people get individual tickets or is it one ticket for the group? The motivation behind this question is to see if people can split into smaller groups (but still at the groupsave threshold of 3 people) for the return journey with their tickets still valid. If - say - you buy a group-save for 6 people: Could they travel back in two groups of 3 people?
3. If paying by card, is it OK for each person to pay separately for his/her own ticket, or do the tickets for the group have to go through in one single transaction?

Thanks!

 

[tom73]

I hope this might be of some help to you https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/tickets-fares/discounts/groupsave-tickets

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Thanks, I did read that page before I posted here, but as far as I can see, it doesn't answer any of my questions.

 

[ashkeba]

1. I don't know what machine type is currently there.
2. Individual tickets marked in large letters, similar to how railcard tickets are marked. You must travel together and I would not risk splitting up on GA because revenue staff seem sharp and most penalties are steep.
3. One transaction I think.

 

[IanD]

2. Do people get individual tickets or is it one ticket for the group? The motivation behind this question is to see if people can split into smaller groups (but still at the groupsave threshold of 3 people) for the return journey with their tickets still valid. If - say - you buy a group-save for 6 people: Could they travel back in two groups of 3 people?

The TOCs say that the group must travel together at all times. When I use groupsave tickets I tend to to buy in threes if possible which gives a bit of flexibilty. Eg if 6 people are travelling buy two groups of three; for 7, a 3 and a 4; 8=4+4 or 5+3; 9=3x3 etc. It may not be necessary if it just says GropupSave on the ticket but if it specifies the number of travellers then this way you can split up on the return regardless.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

The TOCs say that the group must travel together at all times. When I use groupsave tickets I tend to to buy in threes if possible which gives a bit of flexibilty. Eg if 6 people are travelling buy two groups of three; for 7, a 3 and a 4; 8=4+4 or 5+3; 9=3x3 etc. It may not be necessary if it just says GropupSave on the ticket but if it specifies the number of travellers then this way you can split up on the return regardless.

Yeah I think that's the key thing. If each person gets a ticket that just says, 'GroupSave', then presumably all that will matter at ticket inspection is that there are at least 3 people in the group with basically identical tickets. And in that case, it would be fine for a group of - say - 6 people to split into two groups of 3. But if the tickets are marked in some way that links each ticket with the specific group, then it would presumably not be possible as the tickets would become not valid.