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[paul1609]

I have a question concerning the "share of saving" fee and the beta cross london by contactless function. It appears to me that the site still charges the fee on the London Element of the fare even though Im not buying that. The overall fee was 17.2% or £6.19 on the saving of £34 which is beginning to get a bit rich for me. I have to use the contactless London feature to avoid being sold an Zone U1 ticket from Euston To St Pancras. The fee is also in excess of the maximum 15% that the information button advertises. I bought the individual tickets in the end.

 

[MrJeeves]

The overall fee was 17.2% or £6.19 on the saving of £34 which is beginning to get a bit rich for me. The fee is also in excess of the maximum 15% that the information button advertises.

This has caught me out in the past too. The saving advertised is after the share of saving has been added on to the total.

TrainSplit found tickets that saved you £40.55, 15% of which is £6.19, subtract that from the £40.55 which makes the £34.46.

 

[paul1609]

This has caught me out in the past too. The saving advertised is after the share of saving has been added on to the total.

TrainSplit found tickets that saved you £40.55, 15% of which is £6.19, subtract that from the £40.55 which makes the £34.46.

Ah thanks that makes sense. £6 fees on £24 tickets does seem a bit steep though. An interesting side topic for me anyway was that because one of the tickets of my basket of 6 journeys was routed +any permitted the whole lot were delivered by TOD even though all the trains Im booked on can use e tickets. Itll be interesting how many tickets I get printed out at Rye!

 

[Egg Centric]

£6 fees on £24 tickets does seem a bit steep though.

Not sure that's a good way to look at it - if they somehow delivered you tickets that cost 5 pence each, it'd be fees of about a tenner on 5 pence tickets, but would still work out massively in your favour

 

[paul1609]

Not sure that's a good way to look at it - if they somehow delivered you tickets that cost 5 pence each, it'd be fees of about a tenner on 5 pence tickets, but would still work out massively in your favour

Yes youre right. i think the issue I have is that trainsplit is charging its commision on a full price product which I would never buy even if trainsplit didint exist. I think that very few people from Kent would generally buy cross London tickets now. You use a site to check for availability of the now very small quotas of through cheap advances. If thats not available youd then look at a cheap advance from London and buy a flexible ticket to London. That immediately finds some of the savings that Trainsplit s charging you for. I know that you cant please all the people all the time. In this instance an openjawed trip to the northwest Trainsplit did find a split (and a route I like) via Sheffield that I wouldnt have checked so I was happy to pay a modest split fee on and they did get the commision on the whole trip.

 

[AdamWW]

Yes youre right. i think the issue I have is that trainsplit is charging its commision on a full price product which I would never buy even if trainsplit didint exist. I think that very few people from Kent would generally buy cross London tickets now. You use a site to check for availability of the now very small quotas of through cheap advances. If thats not available youd then look at a cheap advance from London and buy a flexible ticket to London.

Yes there will be times that they area asking for a relatively large fee for an "obvious" split when you wouldn't paid the full amount. In which case you can of course just do it as separate bookings on Trainsplit.

 

[Adam Williams]

You use a site to check for availability of the now very small quotas of through cheap advances

TrainSplit will work out its fee based on the cheapest available through ticket(s), and will combine through Advance Singles in each direction if that works out cheaper for the customer to use as the basis for computing the commission.

 

[Haywain]

Yes youre right. i think the issue I have is that trainsplit is charging its commision on a full price product which I would never buy even if trainsplit didint exist. I think that very few people from Kent would generally buy cross London tickets now. You use a site to check for availability of the now very small quotas of through cheap advances. If thats not available youd then look at a cheap advance from London and buy a flexible ticket to London. That immediately finds some of the savings that Trainsplit s charging you for. I know that you cant please all the people all the time. In this instance an openjawed trip to the northwest Trainsplit did find a split (and a route I like) via Sheffield that I wouldnt have checked so I was happy to pay a modest split fee on and they did get the commision on the whole trip.

That may be so but I think that Trainsplit is quite open about how the fee is calculated. You are almost suggesting that there should be differential fees depending on what the customer knows about ticketing, and that isn't practical.

 

[paul1609]

That may be so but I think that Trainsplit is quite open about how the fee is calculated. You are almost suggesting that there should be differential fees depending on what the customer knows about ticketing, and that isn't practical.

Its not actually clear quite clear how that fee is calculated though hence my original question (and the clarification from other posters). I agree about the differential fees being impractical and I do roughly understand the economics of third party retaillers, my point is that in marginal cases (like the north to hs1) a £6 plus fee is begining to look expensive. Its roughly the fare for the "Intercity" leg of the journey if I do it by long distance coach by Flixbus etc.

 

[mangyiscute]

I don't know if this has been suggested before, but an option to have a fixed outbound but flexible return would be very useful as on a lot of trips I know which train I am taking outbound but not sure what time i'll be returning at.

 

[trainophile]

I would like the option of a "via" or "avoid" in one direction that isn't automatically applied to both. Sometimes the suggested journeys include a return fare leg, but it's not required to have the rest of the journey identical in both directions.

For example, when travelling from Hereford to Paignton, the journey offered includes an Anytime Return Hereford to Taunton, changing at Newport. This is fine on the outbound, but on the return I wish to change at Cardiff instead of Newport (I know it's doubling back but would have more chance of getting a seat!). If there was a way of forcing this option it would be great. Currently I can only do this by choosing "via Cardiff" both ways, thus unnecessarily adding on to the outbound journey.

 

[Adam Williams]

I would like the option of a "via" or "avoid" in one direction that isn't automatically applied to both. Sometimes the suggested journeys include a return fare leg, but it's not required to have the rest of the journey identical in both directions.

This is already supported

Uncheck the "Use these options for return" switch and you'll then be able to set it per-direction:

 

[trainophile]

This is already supported

Uncheck the "Use these options for return" switch and you'll then be able to set it per-direction:

View attachment 155312

Oh wow, thank you! However it would still mess up the Hereford to Taunton return changing at Newport bit wouldn't it?

Edit: Ignore me, I'll have a play with it!

 

[mangyiscute]

Oh wow, thank you! However it would still mess up the Hereford to Taunton return changing at Newport bit wouldn't it?

Edit: Ignore me, I'll have a play with it!

I will note I don't think there's support yet for it to suggest like buying your normal ticket plus a newport to cardiff return, if that is the cheapest ticket combination - plz correct me if wrong.

 

[trainophile]

I will note I don't think there's support yet for it to suggest like buying your normal ticket plus a newport to cardiff return, if that is the cheapest ticket combination - plz correct me if wrong.

That's what I've done on occasions. It's not bank-breaking with a railcard, just a bit of a faff.

 

[cb a1]

I'm going to visit family. Although I'm going to Bare Lane I often buy a ticket to Lancaster just in case I'm in the mood to visit the Tite and Locke ... (and a return to Bare Lane is £6 on the train or £4 on the bus).

I set up my search and then looked at the difference between the cheapest fixed price ticket and the cheapest flexible ticket. The flexible ticket is £91.10 no matter what itinerary.
I then changed the destination to Bare Lane expecting a fare of £97.10 no matter what itinerary but get a myriad of different prices with some as high as £133.20 but the lowest still only at £97.70.

Seems odd, so thought I'd flag it .

 

[Haywain]

Although I'm going to Bare Lane I often buy a ticket to Lancaster just in case I'm in the mood to visit the Tite and Locke

Surely you have to go via Lancaster anyway to get to Bare Lane, so buying a ticket to Lancaster leaves you having to pay more to finally get to Bare Lane? However, over a long distance journey there is unlikely to be a difference in the through fares as they are priced in 'clusters'. The differences you are seeing in fares vary because different splits are being offered.

 

[mangyiscute]

I'm going to visit family. Although I'm going to Bare Lane I often buy a ticket to Lancaster just in case I'm in the mood to visit the Tite and Locke ... (and a return to Bare Lane is £6 on the train or £4 on the bus).

I set up my search and then looked at the difference between the cheapest fixed price ticket and the cheapest flexible ticket. The flexible ticket is £91.10 no matter what itinerary.
I then changed the destination to Bare Lane expecting a fare of £97.10 no matter what itinerary but get a myriad of different prices with some as high as £133.20 but the lowest still only at £97.70.

Seems odd, so thought I'd flag it .

Having a look at brfares.com, it looks like Perth to Lancaster has a cheaper scotrail and tpe only ticket for £91.10 (so not valid on avanti) and then a £112.30 via Carlisle ticket which is valid on avanti.
Bare Lane only has the £112.30 ticket, so this will be offered.
Trainsplit will then check splits, however, and therefore find cheaper tickets for Perth to Bare Lane and hence offers these cheaper split tickets, and they can vary on each train depending on stopping patterns.
Anything over £112.30 will be a non-off-peak train.

I have looked at the search, however, and it is confusing me why a fare of £133.20 is offered, when the routes and times seem completely fine for the £112.30 ticket which is obviously cheaper.

 

[infobleep]

Next week I will be travelling from Haywards Heath to Guildford via London Bridge. I will need to be on the 8:49 service to London Bridge. I have a meeting within walking distance of London Bridge and around 12:30 I will be departing Waterloo for Guildford.

I tried to put in allow additional time to change but it is allowing that time at every interchange. As this journey involves two interchanges, London Bridge and Waterloo East, it is then routing me from Waterloo during the evening peak rush hour, around 18:00. I only need to allow the additional time at London Bridge to cover the meeting and not Waterloo East.

In reality I would walk to Waterloo but a through ticket might still be cheaper. I would be back in Guildford before 16:00, which roughly when some ticket types, such as Evening Out singles, are no longer valid from Waterloo, for around 3 hours. I'm not saying it would suggest an Evening Out single for any part of my journey but it isn't able to check those.

Is there away to achieve what I'm trying to do? Is this quite niche thing I am looking to do?

 

[Adam Williams]

Next week I will be travelling from Haywards Heath to Guildford via London Bridge. I will need to be on the 8:49 service to London Bridge. I have a meeting within walking distance of London Bridge and around 12:30 I will be departing Waterloo for Guildford.

I tried to put in allow additional time to change but it is allowing that time at every interchange. As this journey involves two interchanges, London Bridge and Waterloo East, it is then routing me from Waterloo during the evening peak rush hour, around 18:00. I only need to allow the additional time at London Bridge to cover the meeting and not Waterloo East.

In reality I would walk to Waterloo but a thought ticket might still be cheaper. I would be back in Guildford before 16:00, which roughly when some ticket types, such as Evening Out singles, are no longer valid from Waterloo, for around 3 hours. I'm not saying it would suggest an Evening Out single for any part of my journey but it isn't able to check those.

Is there away to achieve what I'm trying to do? Is this quite niche thing I am looking to do?

If you want additional time at a specific interchange point, add a "Change At" Via point and you'll then be able to set the number of extra mins for just that specific change.

 

[Haywain]

a thought ticket might still be cheaper.

Is this the next thing to move on to from eTickets?

 

[Adam Williams]

Is this the next thing to move on to from eTickets?

Does that make purchasing tickets with the intent of doughnutting a "thought crime", perhaps?

 

[ainsworth74]

If you want additional time at a specific interchange point, add a "Change At" Via point and you'll then be able to set the number of extra mins for just that specific change.

It's very powerful is that. I once managed to force it to give me an overnight break of journey on the return portion of an Off-Peak Return so the itinerary was something like Newcastle Airport at 2330 to Newcastle, then Newcastle to Darlington at 11xx the next morning

 

[Benjwri]

It's very powerful is that. I once managed to force it to give me an overnight break of journey on the return portion of an Off-Peak Return so the itinerary was something like Newcastle Airport at 2330 to Newcastle, then Newcastle to Darlington at 11xx the next morning

Not sure what you mean, my 5 hour layover in London on an advance later in the month is entirely coincidental, and I will of course not be breaking my journey, and waiting at Paddington for those 5 hours!

 

[infobleep]

If you want additional time at a specific interchange point, add a "Change At" Via point and you'll then be able to set the number of extra mins for just that specific change.

Thanks. That is perfect. I had it set to change or pass.

Is this the next thing to move on to from eTickets?

If only one could think how much they want to pay and it became the price. Wouldn't be cost effective though.

Does that make purchasing tickets with the intent of doughnutting a "thought crime", perhaps?

As per forum rules I will correct my mistake.

 

[Class172]

If you want additional time at a specific interchange point, add a "Change At" Via point and you'll then be able to set the number of extra mins for just that specific change.

It's very powerful is that. I once managed to force it to give me an overnight break of journey on the return portion of an Off-Peak Return so the itinerary was something like Newcastle Airport at 2330 to Newcastle, then Newcastle to Darlington at 11xx the next morning

Oooh I didn’t realise it offered that level of granularity. I agree the feature to force interchange time is very powerful by itself, but I had previously only applied it to all changes in a journey. This is incredibly useful to know!

 

[AdamWW]

Just discovered an interesting feature of Trainsplit.

I added an e-ticketable ticket to my basket, followed by one which had to be ToD.

This forced both purchases to be ToD. Fair enough, it's perhaps too complex to mix the two.

BUT: The "choose were you want to collect your ticket" bit only appeared for the second ticket so it defaulted to collecting both sets at the start station for the second journey, which was several days later than the first one.

You can of course change the collection station and in any case it doesn't actually make any difference, but I could imagine someone being caught out by this if the first journey started somewhere which didn't offer ticket collection.

 

[Adam Williams]

This forced both purchases to be ToD. Fair enough, it's perhaps too complex to mix the two.

We do support mixed fulfilment, but only when one ticket is not ToDable and we really have to, in order to retail the booking (i.e. E-Tickets have been forced by the TOC). It's too difficult a concept for most users to understand.

BUT: The "choose were you want to collect your ticket" bit only appeared for the second ticket so it defaulted to collecting both sets at the start station for the second journey, which was several days later than the first one.

Worth noting that the station you select here doesn't actually do or mean anything. You can always collect from any station. Selecting one is an RDG requirement so that customers can be informed/understand if they were planning on collecting from a station with no ToD facilities that that might be a bad idea. It's probably something to ask at booking level, maybe?

 

[AdamWW]

Worth noting that the station you select here doesn't actually do or mean anything. You can always collect from any station. Selecting one is an RDG requirement so that customers can be informed/understand if they were planning on collecting from a station with no ToD facilities that that might be a bad idea.

Indeed, and I said so above.

But I think in an ideal world the default station offered in cases like this would be the starting station for the first journey to be made, not a later one.

If the first journey started from a station with no collection facilities it might be easy to miss that fact, particularly since the first journey was originally going to be an e-ticket until overridden by adding the second one to the basket.

I concede that it's not exactly going to be a common occurance though.

 

[Haywain]

Worth noting that the station you select here doesn't actually do or mean anything. You can always collect from any station. Selecting one is an RDG requirement so that customers can be informed/understand if they were planning on collecting from a station with no ToD facilities that that might be a bad idea. It's probably something to ask at booking level, maybe?

It's quite important though, at times. Some months ago I bought a ticket on the LNER app for a journey involving Merseyrail and was happy with ToD. However, it was after payment that the app gave me the option of selecting a collection station and it didn't include the station I was departing from less than 30 minutes later which had no facilities.