Sandy to Blackfriars irregular commute - minimising the cost

[countrygal]

Hello, I have recently started a new job in London that has unpredictable shifts – a mix of days, nights and working from home over weekdays and weekends – and I am looking for advice on finding the most economical fares to use.

Normally I end up having a handful of the same shift types in a row, but not always. I live in Sandy and travel to Blackfriars. I looked at the Flexi Season ticket but this doesn’t seem to be beneficial as you can’t use it with a railcard (I hold a veterans railcard). Therefore, if I am on days (and travelling out at peak time) the best fare seems to simply be an anytime return Sandy to London Thameslink for £25.20. To my surprise the same ticket in the opposite direction (for when I’m on nights) seems cheaper at £19.65. At weekends I do the same but with the relevant off-peak tickets.

My American Express card also has a promotion running for 10% off LNER so I have been buying my tickets via their website. This has been fine, although for some reason it seems to issue e-tickets on weekdays and physical tickets for collection at the weekend.

Grateful for any thoughts on whether I should be doing anything differently.

 

[30907]

1. It's quite common for Day Return tickets to be priced lower for journeys starting in Central London than for those starting outside - it reflects the relative demand.

2. There is no Anytime (period) Return for your journey, but there is an Off-Peak Return valid one month at £24.80 which isn't much more than an Anytime Day Single. This might come in handy when starting a sequence of nights, but carries a weekday morning peak restriction which you would need to work around. It is worth knowing about though!

 

[countrygal]

30907 - a much belated thank you. Both for reassuring me but also for pointing out the one month off-peak return option which as you suggest isn't often suitable but does prove helpful occasionally.