Joe Paxton
Established Member
- Joined
- 12 Jan 2017
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SWR are introducing new "Semi Flex Return" fares where the outward journey is only valid on the booked train(s), and the return journey is valid during Super Off-Peak times.
It seems they are only available for journeys either to or from London Waterloo. I think they might only be available for travel from 14 January onwards (i.e. this coming Tuesday).
They need to be booked by 23:59 the day beforehand. Unlike Advance tickets, a Network Railcard does offer a discount on these fares. They only come in Standard class flavour, not First class (at least not yet).
As an example, they are listed on BR Fares here for a Bournemouth to Waterloo journey - scroll down to the "Advance Purchase Fares – Standard Class" heading:
www.brfares.com/#!fares?orig=BMH&dest=WAT
They have the ticket codes XE1 to XE9. The restriction code is UE. The more expensive tiers appear to have some availability (for outward travel) during the morning shoulder peak.
The cheaper tiers also cost less than a walk-up single ticket, however to take advantage of this - i.e. using the flexible return leg only - one would have to plan ahead and find and book a journey with a cheap outward leg (which you’d then discard).
The only mention I can find of these new Semi Flex tickets in any reporting is in this Telegraph article dated 2 January, which features a comment from an unnamed SWR spokesperson in which they also mention a "Weekender" ticket, but I can’t see any sign of that existing yet. (Southeastern have long offered Weekender tickets which are priced at either the same or a little more than the Off-Peak Day Return.)
It seems they are only available for journeys either to or from London Waterloo. I think they might only be available for travel from 14 January onwards (i.e. this coming Tuesday).
They need to be booked by 23:59 the day beforehand. Unlike Advance tickets, a Network Railcard does offer a discount on these fares. They only come in Standard class flavour, not First class (at least not yet).
As an example, they are listed on BR Fares here for a Bournemouth to Waterloo journey - scroll down to the "Advance Purchase Fares – Standard Class" heading:
www.brfares.com/#!fares?orig=BMH&dest=WAT
They have the ticket codes XE1 to XE9. The restriction code is UE. The more expensive tiers appear to have some availability (for outward travel) during the morning shoulder peak.
The cheaper tiers also cost less than a walk-up single ticket, however to take advantage of this - i.e. using the flexible return leg only - one would have to plan ahead and find and book a journey with a cheap outward leg (which you’d then discard).
The only mention I can find of these new Semi Flex tickets in any reporting is in this Telegraph article dated 2 January, which features a comment from an unnamed SWR spokesperson in which they also mention a "Weekender" ticket, but I can’t see any sign of that existing yet. (Southeastern have long offered Weekender tickets which are priced at either the same or a little more than the Off-Peak Day Return.)
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