Have I only been given half the ticket I paid for?

[theshillito]

Hi. For the first time, I bought "Day Travelcard from CREWE to London Zones 1-6" ticket. Ticket type is "OFF-PEAK TCDS" and route "LDN MIDLAND ONLY" and cost £43. I normally just get a return and use my oyster, but my oyster card is missing (presumed lost).

I am very confused about the return portion of this ticket, because I wasn't given one. It's just one ticket with the 2nd July as the start date. I bought it under the impression that it's a return ticket plus a travelcard for both the day I depart for London and the day I return. Was I mistaken? Have I just bought a single ticket and need to buy another one to get back to Crewe? Alternatively, is this some weird day return arrangement that costs a few quid more than a standard 1 month return?

Can someone help? Thanks.

 

[Hadders]

A travelcard is issued as one ticket. It covers your outward journey to London, unlimited travel in Zones 1-6 (a few exceptions but not relevant here) and then your return journey home from Euston to Crewe.

You have to return on the same day.

 

[theshillito]

You have to return on the same day

Oh. So a ticket that costs more than the standard off peak return is actually a day return? huh?

 

[robbeech]

That does indeed appear to be a single ticket though according to NRE.
Offpeak single with Zone 1-6 being £43

 

[MikeWh]

It is a day ticket valid on the date printed on the ticket only. Travelcards always only print on one ticket, it is both the out and return portions as well as being a travelcard.

 

[robbeech]

My mistake, NRE wording threw me a little, it is a return but as Mike says, it is for return the same day.

Rob

 

[Hadders]

Oh. So a ticket that costs more than the standard off peak return is actually a day return? huh?

But you do get unlimited travel on trains, tubes and buses in London Zones 1-6 as well.

 

[theshillito]

Okay, so here's what I don't get:

A standard off peak return valid on London Midland only is £39. A London travelcard (just the london bit) is £12.10. I admit you save a few quid on this ticket, but seriously, how many people would take a day trip on London Midland to London? By the time you get there it's lunchtime, which gives you only a few hours there before the last train back to Crewe at a reasonable hour. It's such a weird ticket to exist from Crewe. If it was a Virgin one, I'd understand, but then it gets weirder: you can't actually buy a "Day Travelcard" valid on Virgin, who would actually make sense using for day trips! You can only buy "travelcard" tickets with London Midland. Why does this ticket exist? I'm baffled.

 

[Clip]

Okay, so here's what I don't get:

A standard off peak return valid on London Midland only is £39. A London travelcard (just the london bit) is £12.10. I admit you save a few quid on this ticket, but seriously, how many people would take a day trip on London Midland to London? By the time you get there it's lunchtime, which gives you only a few hours there before the last train back to Crewe at a reasonable hour. It's such a weird ticket to exist from Crewe. If it was a Virgin one, I'd understand, but then it gets weirder: you can't actually buy a "Day Travelcard" valid on Virgin, who would actually make sense using for day trips! You can only buy "travelcard" tickets with London Midland. Why does this ticket exist? I'm baffled.

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=CRE&dest=0035&rte=474&tkt=WDT

They do a saturday TC which makes sense as most people who would be doing so would do so on a saturday. LM's market Im afraid

 

[causton]

Why does this ticket exist? I'm baffled.

There are many people who will buy tickets like this. If people spend a whole day doing Southern and London Midland Only from Brighton to Liverpool Advances, I'm sure there is a market for these! You can get into London at 10:20ish and then leave at 20:13 (off the top of my head) which is still a good 10 hours. Bearing in mind how many people that buy Travelcards to go just one or two places, more than enough time!

 

[EM2]

Okay, so here's what I don't get:

A standard off peak return valid on London Midland only is £39. A London travelcard (just the london bit) is £12.10. I admit you save a few quid on this ticket, but seriously, how many people would take a day trip on London Midland to London?

Football fans would be just one example.

 

[theshillito]

Okay, so maybe I was a bit too draconian with that, but I'm a bit miffed with it being a very expensive day return compared to a standard month-long return. Oh well, we learn something every day.

 

[PeterC]

Why does this ticket exist? I'm baffled.

At a guess administrative convenience. Plenty of people will want this type of ticket from local stations betwenn Birmingham and Watford so there will be a standard forumula to determine the fare. No doubt it is easier to apply the formula to the whole of London Midland than to have special fares for part of the network.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

It would bw daft for them to cut off the tickets at a set point when they think "people won't be interested in them".

 

[Bletchleyite]

It would bw daft for them to cut off the tickets at a set point when they think "people won't be interested in them".

Indeed, doing that creates fares anomalies and encourages splitting.

Day trips from the North West to London are a perfectly normal thing, I was taken there for a long Saturday day trip as a kid a number of times, out on the first train, back on the last.

 

[Starmill]

You can have a First Class Annual Travelcard from Berwick-upon-Tweed if you want for £38,292.00. I can't imagine anyone does, but does that mean they should withdraw it?

 

[MichaelAMW]

Okay, so maybe I was a bit too draconian with that, but I'm a bit miffed with it being a very expensive day return compared to a standard month-long return. Oh well, we learn something every day.

My guess would be that LM offer one off-peak return and it is intended for both day and longer return journeys. You could say there's no discount for just going for a day or you could say there's no premium for staying away longer. The Travelcard element, however, forces the ticket to be valid for one day only.

It's not "very expensive" by comparison as it's only around 10% more and, as you yourself have pointed out, you get an all-zones Travelcard thrown in.

 

[Hadders]

London Midland offer the following return tickets between Crewe and London Euston. These are 'London Midland Only' - there is a range of 'Any Permitted' fares priced by Virgin as well:

Super Off Peak £29
Off Peak £39
Anytime £99
1st Off Peak £71
1st Anytime £142

The return portion of the above are all valid for a month.

In addition there are the following Travelcards:

Off Peak £43
Anytime £104
1st Anytime £161

As previously stated a travelcard is a day return ticket but also offers travel in London Zones 1-6.

Seems to me to be a good range of tickets to suit all tastes.