LNER booking engine: misleading presentation

[Trainbike46]

The LNER booking engine has the advance "Fixed tickets" and flexible tickets on different tabs. To me, this seems customer-unfriendly and potentially confusing, because:
- you can't see as easily how much extra you would pay to get a flexible ticket
- If standard class advance tickets are not available, it will only advertise first class tickets, at a much higher price, while flexible standard class tickets are available.
- open returns don't show up as easily
- Trains may appear "sold out" when they are definitely not sold out

Why has LNER made their booking engine so bad? How much of a risk is there that this will form the basis for the new BR booking engine that has been promised?

In the example below, the cheapest option by far is an off-peak return, but this is hidden on the "flexible tickets" tab

 

[Bletchleyite]

It only does this when limited screen real-estate is available. On a computer it doesn't do it. On a phone, the app presents a better user interface.

Edit: it also does it for a return booking where it squashes the out/return into halves of the screen. That's less than ideal, it'd be better to separate them vertically instead.

 

[Trainbike46]

It only does this when limited screen real-estate is available. On a computer it doesn't do it. On a phone, the app presents a better user interface.

Edit: it also does it for a return booking where it squashes the out/return into halves of the screen. That's less than ideal, it'd be better to separate them vertically instead.

I was going to say, my screenshot is from a computer. About a quarter of the screen is blank white space, which I didn't include in my screenshot...

 

[alistairlees]

The UI is terrible. People should stop making excuses for it. All they have to do is optimise it for their own trains and tickets - it’s not like it’s asking a challenge as trying to present all trains and tickets…

 

[voyagerdude220]

I personally much preferred the "Mixing Deck" style of online train ticket website. I certainly agree that the current LNER train ticket search engine could be greatly improved.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I personally much preferred the "Mixing Deck" style of online train ticket website. I certainly agree that the current LNER train ticket search engine could be greatly improved.

I think it works pretty well when you're buying a single - I'd never noticed this as I've never bought a return from the LNER site other than an open return of some sort (I know LNER hate these but they do sell them ). The code that folds the table down if there's limited screen real estate (including when showing a return journey) is just a bit badly conceived.