LNER Perks

[Willie Bee]

I have some money in the LNER perks scheme and not I can use it to reduce the cost of a future ticket, but it looks as if this only applies to tickets bought through the app.

I find it much easier using the PC, rather than a small phone screen, but I'll give it a go .. as soon as the tickets I am after become available.

Just wondering though, are the tickets exactly the same via the app ?

It just seems strange .. many older folk are not great with modern IT, so why not let users spend their perk money on the normal LNER website

 

[Deerfold]

I have some money in the LNER perks scheme and not I can use it to reduce the cost of a future ticket, but it looks as if this only applies to tickets bought through the app.

I find it much easier using the PC, rather than a small phone screen, but I'll give it a go .. as soon as the tickets I am after become available.

Just wondering though, are the tickets exactly the same via the app ?

It just seems strange .. many older folk are not great with modern IT, so why not let users spend their perk money on the normal LNER website

The tickets are the same, except that the app does some rudimentary split ticketing.

 

[island]

The app forces you to use e-tickets unless the ticket purchased cannot be fulfilled to e-ticket.

 

[Wallsendmag]

The tickets are the same, except that the app does some rudimentary split ticketing.

Cheek, offering one ticket instead of a handful is a positive move

 

[Deerfold]

Cheek, offering one ticket instead of a handful is a positive move

But odd that it's only available on the app. My point was it's not as good as some other ticket splitting sites.

Cheek, offering one ticket instead of a handful is a positive move

One that's apparently not available to third party vendors.

 

[westv]

Bring back EC Rewards!

 

[Deerfold]

Bring back EC Rewards!

Now that was a good scheme. Though I think the Kings X lounge is a bit busy these days for them to be doing Lounge Passes.

 

[Adam Williams]

Cheek, offering one ticket instead of a handful is a positive move

Happy to start writing BE records for LNER services into Lennon as if it was a single Advance ticket that was purchased at the price of the combinant split tickets and then generate a single E-Ticket barcode.

Should help with getting a through seat reservation from RARS too if we lie and pretend it's one ticket.

I take it we'll have no problem getting this through accreditation as a TPR given this is such a positive move? Level playing field and all that?

 

[sheff1]

Happy to start writing BE records for LNER services into Lennon as if it was a single Advance ticket that was purchased at the price of the combinant split tickets and then generate a single E-Ticket barcode.

Should help with getting a through seat reservation from RARS too if we lie and pretend it's one ticket.

I take it we'll have no problem getting this through accreditation as a TPR given this is such a positive move? Level playing field and all that?

What has Belgium, a deceased Beatle, Refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts and The Pensions Regulator got to do with LNER Perks ?

​

 

[Adam Williams]

What has Belgium, a deceased Beatle, Refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts and The Pensions Regulator got to do with LNER Perks ?

​

As much as I appreciate where the forum's guidelines on expanding acronyms come from, me doing so isn't going to immediately make my post any more intelligible to folks who don't currently and have never previously worked in the industry. I'm not convinced BE even does stand for anything, it's an arbitrary two letter record type code. The following resources are about as useful a primer as you'll get in the public domain:

SDCI+ - Linus Norton

Ticket Issuing Systems: SDCI+ Linus Norton

docs.google.com

RARS2 (Rail Availability & Reservation Service)

The Rail Availability & Reservation Service (RARS2) is a modern availability and reservation platform offering improved functionality for the GB rail industry.

www.raildeliverygroup.com

TPRs are third party retailers, also referred to as independent retailers or third party investor licensees.

 

[Willie Bee]

Thank you everyone who has provided answers to my original comment / quesion

 

[mangyiscute]

The tickets are the same, except that the app does some rudimentary split ticketing.

Just had a look at this and you can't use the split save with a railcard! absolutely crazy

 

[Deerfold]

Just had a look at this and you can't use the split save with a railcard! absolutely crazy

Perhaps that's why it never does as well as other sites for me (I buy from LNER when there's no saving for the points but not when there's a split elsewhere).

 

[westv]

Just had a look at this and you can't use the split save with a railcard! absolutely crazy

If I was writing this prior to my 60th birthday this year I say "Quite right that there's no additional discount!"
If I was writing after, I'd say "That's not good at all"

 

[sheff1]

As much as I appreciate where the forum's guidelines on expanding acronyms come from, me doing so isn't going to immediately make my post any more intelligible to folks who don't currently and have never previously worked in the industry. I'm not convinced BE even does stand for anything, it's an arbitrary two letter record type code. The following resources are about as useful a primer as you'll get in the public domain:

TPRs are third party retailers, also referred to as independent retailers or third party investor licensees.

Can't see what any of that has to do with LNER Perks either ???

 

[Adam Williams]

Can't see what any of that has to do with LNER Perks either ???

If you read my original post, you'll see it responds to a point made by another member about LNER's split ticketing offering in this thread.

I think you knew that already though.

 

[robbeech]

Perhaps some of this IS off topic but I think the discussion warrants its own thread if I’ve understood it right. @Adam Williams are you suggesting that LNER are able to offer something that other retailers are not ?

 

[Adam Williams]

Perhaps some of this IS off topic but I think the discussion warrants its own thread if I’ve understood it right. @Adam Williams are you suggesting that LNER are able to offer something that other retailers are not ?

My understanding of what LNER are doing is working out the cost of the "cheapest" (according to their implementation) Advance split combination and then getting the user to pay for that. They then pretend that they're retailing a through Advance ticket instead (at the cheapest public price, I think - not sure what happens if there is no longer any advance availability!) and discount the through fare price down to the price of the split combination (you can see evidence of this in the booking confirmation email where the difference is shown as an "e-Voucher"). I believe if a retailer tried to do this they'd be expected to pay the difference to the TOC if they offer their own discount - i.e. they'd make a loss on every split ticket purchase. As LNER is both the retailer and the train operator, the funds are going to go to them via ORCATS anyway so they can decide to take this hit on the basis that the passenger could've booked elsewhere or not booked and they'd have lost the money compared to the through Advance anyway. It's very much a hack.

The price on the E-Ticket is not what was paid - so if you tried to do this to a TOC that was unaware and then the passenger claimed delay repay, there would be all kinds of trouble and I suspect the potential to recover more revenue than was paid in. I also believe only one reservation is made using the ticket type of the through Advance (not what the passenger paid for), which will guarantee LNER are able to get a through seat reservation - whilst other retailers who correctly retail the comvination of split tickets are required to make a reservation for each and every split part of the journey with no guarantee that the passenger will get the same seat allocated each time.

 

[yorkie]

My understanding of what LNER are doing is working out the cost of the "cheapest" (according to their implementation) Advance split combination and then getting the user to pay for that. They then pretend that they're retailing a through Advance ticket instead (at the cheapest public price, I think - not sure what happens if there is no longer any advance availability!) and discount the through fare price down to the price of the split combination (you can see evidence of this in the booking confirmation email where the difference is shown as an "e-Voucher"). I believe if a retailer tried to do this they'd be expected to pay the difference to the TOC if they offer their own discount - i.e. they'd make a loss on every split ticket purchase. As LNER is both the retailer and the train operator, the funds are going to go to them via ORCATS anyway so they can decide to take this hit on the basis that the passenger could've booked elsewhere or not booked and they'd have lost the money compared to the through Advance anyway. It's very much a hack.

The price on the E-Ticket is not what was paid - so if you tried to do this to a TOC that was unaware and then the passenger claimed delay repay, there would be all kinds of trouble and I suspect the potential to recover more revenue than was paid in. I also believe only one reservation is made using the ticket type of the through Advance (not what the passenger paid for), which will guarantee LNER are able to get a through seat reservation - whilst other retailers who correctly retail the comvination of split tickets are required to make a reservation for each and every split part of the journey with no guarantee that the passenger will get the same seat allocated each time.

I suggest anyone in a position to do so continues gathering evidence as I suspect that, after the GTR and Boundary Zone class action cases, the next one could be relating to retailing; it looks like a goldmine of abuse by certain TOCs to me.

 

[YorkC]

AIUI you can use your LNER perks balance to buy evouchers which you can use on the website - although it says only to buy LNER advances still.