prices cheaper at stations than online? LEI to LONDON ST PAN

[martyn29]

a mate of mine went to Leicester station yesterday and got a return ticket for £27! whereas online the cheapest I could find was £41, how did this work?
He is catching the 1400 train from LEIC to LON ST PAN and catching the 20:25 train back to Leic (this is next wed 12th sept)
how did they do this?

Cheers

 

[dan_atki]

Just checking thetrainline - instead of issuing a return they have issued two singles for the journey:
Outward: MML Advance E £11.00
Return: MML Advance G £16.00

Cheapest Return is a saver for £41.70

 

[martyn29]

Just checking thetrainline - instead of issuing a return they have issued two singles for the journey:
Outward: MML Advance E £11.00
Return: MML Advance G £16.00

Cheapest Return is a saver for £41.70

cheers

 

[dan_atki]

No problem

 

[rail-britain]

Depending on which website you use, and what criteria, it will normally quote the SAVER Return first
For Value Advanced fares, these are normally found when you change the settings to singles
Equally, you may find some are retricted to that specific TOC website (GNER being an example)

 

[Daniel]

Because he was traveling on specific trains the ticket clerk could sell him advanced purchase tickets. Ticket clerks have a legal obligation to sell you the cheapest possible fare, when they can.

 

[Max]

Equally, you may find some are retricted to that specific TOC website (GNER being an example)

GNER values aren't restricted to their own website, it's just that you get a 10% discount on the GNER website.

 

[Nick W]

Ticket clerks have a legal obligation to sell you the cheapest possible fare, when they can.

Not very well enforced here clearly.

 

[yorkie]

Not very well enforced here clearly.

Where is "here", can you please elaborate?

 

[Tom]

Ipswich station - and I have personal experience to boot!

 

[rail-britain]

GNER values aren't restricted to their own website, it's just that you get a 10% discount on the GNER website.

Correct, by visiting the TOC website you get their own fare
GNER aren't the only one doing this!
Virgin also have two tiers of discount, 10% and 20%
First Group have a 10% discount scheme

Stagecoach are about to amend their megatrain.com website, to remove the Glasgow - Manchester and Edinburgh - Morpeth routes
These have to be the biggest discounts around!

 

[Nick W]

Where is "here", can you please elaborate?

Well today i'm off to Ipswich station to find out why they sold a standard class ticket £1 more than a first class ticket that was available
despite the fact i had the exact price of the ticket i wanted on paper.

Edit: problem solved

 

[yorkie]

Well today i'm off to Ipswich station to find out why they sold a standard class ticket £1 more than a first class ticket that was available despite the fact i had the exact price of the ticket i wanted on paper.

if you can explain, that might help....

what exactly did you (was it you?) ask for? (from? to? date? time?) what did they say in reply?

as you are reluctant to explain, then I'll assume )) you asked specifically for a Saver, and you have since found out you could have got AP FC tickets, in which case I have no sympathy. :razz: