Milton Keynes to/from Olympia

[100andthirty]

We are travelling out from MK to Olympia on the direct Southern service and back from Euston. We don't need the tube. Would a retun via London ve valid for both legs? Thanks in advance.? Off peak both ways.

We were actually sold MK to Olympia NOT via London and Olympia to MK via London an a cost nearly double the price of the return mentiond above.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Hadders]

I'd have bought an Off Peak Day Return from MKC to KPA route: Not Via London costing £23.60 and excessed the return portion to a route: + Via London ticket which would have cost £2.80.

It's not exactly clear what you were sold. I'm assuming an Off Peak Day Single from MKC to KPA route: Not Via London for the outward journey (£23.50) and an Off Peak Day Single from KPA to MKC route: + Via London for the return (£29.10)

A Travelcard from Milton Keynes (Any permitted) is £27.80 and would have been better than the two singles you were sold.

 

[100andthirty]

Hi Hadders. Thanks. The tickets you mentioned are exacy what we were sold at the ticket office. Do we have causwe to complain?

 

[Hadders]

I would certainly complain. In fairness to the ticket clerk it does sort of depend on what you asked for if you said something like:

'I need a ticket to travel to Kensington Olympia and then one to travel from Euston back to Milton Keynes' then the ticket clerk was possibly technically correct.

If you said:

'I need to travel to Kensington Olympia on the direct service returning via London' then you were mis-sold imo.

In any case I'd write in to London Midland explaining what happened and see if they will offer you some vouchers as a gesture.

I'd always suggest asking on here first for anything slightly complex as collectively we'll always give the correct advice.

 

[bb21]

Are the two journeys on the same day?

 

[Bletchleyite]

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=MKC&dest=0035&rte=777&tkt=ODT

An Off Peak (Day) Return route "Not Via London" with half excessed Via London would be correct. Though as, if it's over two days, these differ in price by all of 70p I'd just buy the via London one, typically the more expensive routed ticket is valid via the cheaper route "de facto" as the excess would be zero-fare.

Only if your journey is in the peak in one or both directions and not on the same day would two singles be relevant.

Yes, complain.

 

[Hadders]

I wouldn't.

A Southern Only Off Peak Day Travelcard is £21.00 and is valid for both journeys.

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=MKC&dest=0035&rte=777&tkt=ODT

But the OP was returning from Euston so would've got an LM or VT service.

 

[Bletchleyite]

But the OP was returning from Euston so would've got an LM or VT service.

Ah, yes, sorry, I'm being thick. I'll amend.

 

[Hadders]

There are no evening restrictions on the return portion of the Off Peak Day or Off Peak tickets so no need to Anytime singles unless any travel is in the morning peak.

 

[100andthirty]

Thanks Bletchleyite.. that is what I would have preferred....simpler all round. £52 for two off peak singles is a lot even compared with the anytime return any train fare of about £39.

 

[100andthirty]

Thanks to all for the feedback. A further thought .......

Would an "any train" MKC to zone 1-6 travel card have been valid. This is cheaper than the MKC to Kensinton Olympia via London.

Also, Hadders mentioned thd direct route return ticket plus an excess which is the cheapest. Could all this have been sold at MKC ticket office before starting the journey?

By the way, I tried to compose a complaint on my phone on the way home. I had the issue nicely explained, and hit 'send'. Then get an error message along the lines of 'entries in this box musf be strings of length 0 to 1000', with is pure computer speak but I interpret means the message can't be more than 1000 characters long. Will add this to the complaint.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes and yes.

 

[philthetube]

Thanks to all for the feedback. A further thought .......



By the way, I tried to compose a complaint on my phone on the way home. I had the issue nicely explained, and hit 'send'. Then get an error message along the lines of 'entries in this box musf be strings of length 0 to 1000', with is pure computer speak but I interpret means the message can't be more than 1000 characters long. Will add this to the complaint.

Gl adding to complaint if you can't fir it all in now.

 

[IanD]

Yes, complain.

Depends what they asked for. If they asked for a ticket to Olympia and a ticket back from Euston then that sounds like what they were sold so no grounds for complaint. (One would hope they would be directed to the cheaper option in that case but as I understand it there is no obligation to offer such advice.)

If they asked for a ticket that would allow them to travel to Olympia but return from Euston then they probably do have grounds for complaint.

 

[IanD]

Actually, the combination sold sounds like what you'd get if you booked via the VTWC website and didn't select the 'Look for more expensive fares' option which would reveal the cheaper fares.

 

[Hadders]

MKC ticket office should have been able to sell you the excess however many members of staff are not familiar with excesses so it is sometimes necessary to shop around.

A change of route excess can be purchased on board with no penalty so that's always an option if all else fails.

 

[IanD]

We don't even know if they used the ticket office.

 

[Bletchleyite]

MKC ticket office should have been able to sell you the excess however many members of staff are not familiar with excesses so it is sometimes necessary to shop around.

A change of route excess can be purchased on board with no penalty so that's always an option if all else fails.

In my experience MKC ticket office will do route excesses but they get them wrong, they charge you the full difference not half of it. This is the most common error with them.

 

[yorkie]

We are travelling out from MK to Olympia on the direct Southern service and back from Euston. We don't need the tube. Would a retun via London ve valid for both legs? Thanks in advance.? Off peak both ways.

We were actually sold MK to Olympia NOT via London and Olympia to MK via London an a cost nearly double the price of the return mentiond above.

Thanks in advance.

It really isn't clear what you asked for, but a return from Milton Keynes (MKC) to Kensington Olympia (KPA) routed 'Not via London' (£23.60) with a change of route excess (£2.80) to the "+ via London" fare would be a total of £26.40, assuming you were returning the same day. There is no compulsion to use the tube; you could start 'short' at Euston.

What exactly happened?

 

[86211]

There are no evening restrictions on the return portion of the Off Peak Day or Off Peak tickets so no need to Anytime singles unless any travel is in the morning peak.

There are evening restrictions (Monday to Friday) from London Euston.

 

[yorkie]

There are evening restrictions (Monday to Friday) from London Euston.

Not if the ticket to Kensington Olympia had been purchased.

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=MKC&dest=KPA&rte=200&ldn=1&tkt=CDR

Restriction Code: JC

APPLICABLE DAYS

Mondays-Fridays

OUTWARD TRAVEL

Not valid on trains timed to
depart after 0429 and before
0930

RETURN TRAVEL

Not valid on trains timed to
depart after 0429 and before
0930

Or if the cheapest possible ticket, suggested above, but would have required a change of trains at Harrow & Wealdstone, had been puchased:

http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=MKC&dest=0035&rte=777&tkt=ODT

Restriction Code: C0

APPLICABLE DAYS

Mondays-Fridays

OUTWARD TRAVEL

Not valid on trains timed to
depart after 04:29 which
arrive at London Terminals or
Kensington Olympia before
09:50

RETURN TRAVEL

Not valid on trains timed to
depart after 04:29 which
arrive at OR DEPART any London
Terminals or Kensington
Olympia before 09:50

The Travelcard routed Any Permitted does have evening peak restrictions, but that would be a pointless ticket to purchase in this case, as it costs more than a return to KPA, and the original poster (OP) told us the use of the tube isn't required, so no need for a Travelcard.

It is difficult to advise when someone say something like "Off peak both ways", as we do not know what is meant by "off peak" as it varies so much.

 

[island]

Depends which ticket, to be fair. And on which Euston barrier staff you meet. I had an off-peak return from London to Manchester thrust back at me at the manual check to board the 18:57 once because "off peak starts at seven". Except it doesn't.

 

[sheff1]

We don't even know if they used the ticket office.

Don't we ?

I thought this post was clear:

Hi Hadders. Thanks. The tickets you mentioned are exacy what we were sold at the ticket office.

 

[100andthirty]

Thanks all for the continued input, and apologies for my terrible typing.

My wife was sold tickets valued at £52 and some pence. We have been debating on here various tickets in the £23 to £29 range are valid. Whilst the MKC to Zone 1 to 6 off peak at £27 and some pence may not be the cheapest and provide an unwanted tube option, it is nearly half £52 and this or one of the other options should have been offered by the ticket office person.

We actually said to the ticket person....."we want to go to Olympia on the direct train but come back from Euston today".

I think they have an obligation to sell the cheapest ticket, not one of the most expensive and do that even if the customer doesn't use some precise, even pedantic, wording

By the way, the Olympia to MKC via London ticket did include the tube as it has the dagger symbol. (I've learnt that much from this forum)

I will complain and will use something that is more flexible that LM's web site eg an email!

 

[yorkie]

If they do not refund you, and assure you that sufficient measures are in place to ensure the correct fares will be sold in future, refer them to Transport Focus: https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/contact/complaint/

You can also report a consumer law breach to the ORR.

 

[island]

...neither of which bodies will do anything other than send you a sympathetic letter, sadly.

 

[100andthirty]

Email complaint was sent on 22nd June; acknowledged the same day. Today, I've had a letter with factual responses to the points I raised and a voucher covering the difference between what was paid and what should have been paid.

 

[Hadders]

That's a good result. Thanks for letting us know.

You're always certain to get excellent advice about fares here.