Mike@Raileasy
Verified Rep
- Joined
- 1 Dec 2011
- Messages
- 104
All done in my spare time .
I had a lady come to my window the other day asking for an open return to Brighton. I gave her the price and she wasn't happy - she claimed she always paid less for this journey. She was adamant that I should do some typing on the computer to find a cheaper fare. I tried asking which ticket(s) she had bought in the past, or how much she had paid in the past but she couldn't tell me either. Looking for the price of two singles instead was about as far as I was prepared to go without any further input from her - in this case, it wasn't cheaper.
Later, I found that splitting at Gatwick would be cheaper, i.e
Coulsdon South to Brighton SVR is £28
2x Coulsdon South to Gatwick SDS @ £5.20 each is £10.40
Gatwick to Brighton SOR is £10.00
So there was a saving to be had. However I wasn't about to go investigating split ticketing options - there are only two windows where I am and more often than not mine is the only one open! That said, I do get quite a few people ask for me specifically to find splits for them for some reason :?. Sometimes people are even happy to go down the road to the shops whilst I look for them. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't help one chap find a good deal on a single to Redcar - I was stupefied that a Super Off Peak single was in the region of £125! Best I could do was save a tenner or so by using a GC only ticket for part of the way.
There are also times where I might suggest rookie level splits if people compain about the price. Singles to FGW territory for example. A Super Off Peak single from my station to Cardiff is now £76.50 - but a Travelcard + single from Paddington is £55. A £30 premium for a cross London journey is a bit on the steep side. Occasionally I might suggest a cheaper Travelcard instead of a single. For example, a Coulsdon South to Milton Keynes single is £30 - but Off Peak Milton Keynes Travelcards are priced between £20 and £28.70. It all depends on the situation.
great work, a £10 saving is still good