Nothern delay repay calculation

[Winthorpe]

I claimed compensation for a delayed return journey from Eccles - Wigan. I was travelling on the 19th December on an Off Peak Day Return fare, which is £6.50.

Northern have calculated compensation of £1.63 based on a delay of 48 minutes (which was broadly the correct delay):

Your planned route (scheduled times):
Departing 2235 from Manchester Oxford Road to Salford Crescent arriving 2242.
Departing 2247 from Salford Crescent to Wigan Wallgate arriving 2323.

Route we think you took (actual times):
Departed 2243 from Manchester Oxford Road to Salford Crescent arrived 2253.
Departed 2338 from Salford Crescent to Wigan Wallgate arrived 0011.
​

Is £1.63 the correct compensation due for this delay? This amounts to 25% of the return fare for a 30 - 59 minutes delay. This seems strange when a single fare (which is nearly the same price as the return fare) would be compensated at 50% of the fare...

 

[Bertie the bus]

Yes, it is correct. Expecting compensation based on the value of a ticket you didn't buy is a bit strange. You got 50% of the portion of the journey you were delayed on, which equates to 25% of the total value of the ticket.

 

[Winthorpe]

Yes, it is correct. Expecting compensation based on the value of a ticket you didn't buy is a bit strange. You got 50% of the portion of the journey you were delayed on, which equates to 25% of the total value of the ticket.

Thanks

 

[Bertie the bus]

It is worth remembering in future that with Northern it is usually worth requesting compensation in complimentary tickets. Complimentary tickets are often worth far more than the money you would receive for delays. In this case you would have got a complimentary single. Get delayed again by 30+ minutes and that's a free return to anywhere on the Northern network.

 

[Winthorpe]

It is worth remembering in future that with Northern it is usually worth requesting compensation in complimentary tickets. Complimentary tickets are often worth far more than the money you would receive for delays. In this case you would have got a complimentary single. Get delayed again by 30+ minutes and that's a free return to anywhere on the Northern network.

Thank you, that's good advice. I'm going to request free tickets as compensation in future....

 

[SteveM70]

It is worth remembering in future that with Northern it is usually worth requesting compensation in complimentary tickets. Complimentary tickets are often worth far more than the money you would receive for delays. In this case you would have got a complimentary single. Get delayed again by 30+ minutes and that's a free return to anywhere on the Northern network.

30+ is a free single; 60+ is a free return; 120+ is two free returns. But your point is correct, if the ticket is of low value then the free tickets can be far more worthwhile than monetary compensation.

My 15yo has just had a claim accepted for a 30+ delay and will be getting a free single ticket. If he’d gone for money he’d have got 2.5 pence.

 

[SteveM70]

Thank you, that's good advice. I'm going to request free tickets as compensation in future....

And if you’re delayed over half an hour using your free ticket......get your claim in and you’ll get another. At the moment it’s the gift that keeps giving.

A couple of years ago I used a free return to do Hebden Bridge to St Bees and back. £64.50 worth of travel, and delayed nearly 3 hours on the way back including doing the last leg from Manchester in a minibus paid for by Northern and containing me, my mountain bike and one other passenger. So that was two more free returns, with which I made similar trips. So ultimately an hour’s delay on a journey costing about £7 gave me pushing £200 worth of free travel

 

[Winthorpe]

30+ is a free single; 60+ is a free return; 120+ is two free returns. But your point is correct, if the ticket is of low value then the free tickets can be far more worthwhile than monetary compensation.

My 15yo has just had a claim accepted for a 30+ delay and will be getting a free single ticket. If he’d gone for money he’d have got 2.5 pence.

I completely take your point about the free tickets. I setup my delay repay account when I was a season ticket holder. Cash payments for the regular peak-time delays made sense then. Now I travel only occasionally, and off peak, the free tickets are much better value than the minor cash payments...

A couple of years ago I used a free return to do Hebden Bridge to St Bees and back. £64.50 worth of travel, and delayed nearly 3 hours on the way back including doing the last leg from Manchester in a minibus paid for by Northern and containing me, my mountain bike and one other passenger. So that was two more free returns, with which I made similar trips. So ultimately an hour’s delay on a journey costing about £7 gave me pushing £200 worth of free travel

That's definately the delay repay that keeps on giving