Saver Half (again!)

[Sleeper]

I'm trying (but failing) to book travel next Thursday 9th for the following journeys:-

(1) London Kings Cross to Leeds on 09:33, Advance Single First (£36.30 with Senior Railcard).

(2) Leeds to London Terminals, semi-flexible "Saver Half" (also £36.30 with Senior Railcard). The Saver Half product is shown at this link: http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?...c=SRN&expert=on&flow=2&multi=0&fare=9&tkt=SSU.

Following advice on the Forum last October I was able to purchase a similar combination of tickets from Raileasy, but can't now find out how to get the necessary mixture of non-flexible and flexible tickets in a single transaction. I believe the Saver Half is only available in combination with an Advance, so cannot be obtained as a separate purchase.

I emailed Raileasy with a similarly worded query a couple of days ago, but have received no reply.

Can anyone on the Forum help with this please?

(I realise that the Advance price may have increased by now. The Saver Half is the problem.)

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

As far as I am aware, LNER's website sells the (Super) Saver Half tickets even on a one-way journey and there are multiple problems with the retailing of such tickets on other sites. You can simply buy it there and it should cost you the same, plus you will get free WiFi for the return journey (as otherwise it would be chargeable in Standard).

 

[cactustwirly]

I'm trying (but failing) to book travel next Thursday 9th for the following journeys:-

(1) London Kings Cross to Leeds on 09:33, Advance Single First (£36.30 with Senior Railcard).

(2) Leeds to London Terminals, semi-flexible "Saver Half" (also £36.30 with Senior Railcard). The Saver Half product is shown at this link: http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?...c=SRN&expert=on&flow=2&multi=0&fare=9&tkt=SSU.

Following advice on the Forum last October I was able to purchase a similar combination of tickets from Raileasy, but can't now find out how to get the necessary mixture of non-flexible and flexible tickets in a single transaction. I believe the Saver Half is only available in combination with an Advance, so cannot be obtained as a separate purchase.

I emailed Raileasy with a similarly worded query a couple of days ago, but have received no reply.

Can anyone on the Forum help with this please?

(I realise that the Advance price may have increased by now. The Saver Half is the problem.)

Thanks in anticipation.

Have you tried using a different booking engine, like LNER?

 

[Sleeper]

As far as I am aware, LNER's website sells the (Super) Saver Half tickets even on a one-way journey

Thanks but I have just re-checked, and the ticket I want is not offered on the LNER site. The site *will* allow a flexible outward ticket, but only a "discounted" Super Off-Peak Single at £54.50.

I can't see a ticket at this price on the BRFares website, and so I wonder whether LNER have somehow put up the price. Or whether they are not giving me my railcard discount on this particular ticket - that would make sense arithmetically. (2/3 x £54.50 is approx £36.30.)

@cactustwirly - Yes, tried not only LNER and Raileasy, but also TicketySplit and the NR Jouirney Planner. Most will not allow fixed-train and flexible tickets in the same purchase package.

 

[cactustwirly]

Thanks but I have just re-checked, and the ticket I want is not offered on the LNER site. The site *will* allow a flexible outward ticket, but only a "discounted" Super Off-Peak Single at £54.50.

I can't see a ticket at this price on the BRFares website, and so I wonder whether LNER have somehow put up the price. Or whether they are not giving me my railcard discount on this particular ticket - that would make sense arithmetically. (2/3 x £54.50 is approx £36.30.)

@cactustwirly - Yes, tried not only LNER and Raileasy, but also TicketySplit and the NR Jouirney Planner. Most will not allow fixed-train and flexible tickets in the same purchase package.

That looks right, as there are 2 super off peak single prices, £110 & £54.50
So guess the latter is your saver-half

 

[Sleeper]

That looks right, as there are 2 super off peak single prices, £110 & £54.50
So guess the latter is your saver-half

I'm actually seeing £109 and £54.50 on the LNER website, these being the Adult fares. When the Senior Railcard is specified, the £109 reduces to £71.95, but the £54.50 does not reduce. It seems I am not being offered the Senior railcard discount, which I believe I am entitled to. (This is clear from the Railcard service specification.)

The higher price Super Off-Peak Single seems to kick in when travel is via York and involves TPE. But the route for both products is Any Permitted, with no mention of Operator restrictions, and the same 1L validity code. So why would you ever buy the more expensive option?

I'm tempted on principle to buy the ticket and demand a refund, but I suppose a possible outcome would be withdrawal of the ticket to the disadvantage of those without railcards.

Please, does anyone know another site which will sell me this ticket and give me the Senior Railcard discount?

 

[47513 Severn]

I can get Greater Anglia to offer the combination you want with Senior railcard discount both ways. I specified a return time of around 6pm the same day but it should give the same result anytime the saver half is valid. See the attached screenshot.

I seem to recall there being some kind of problem with the LNER website incorrectly applying railcard discounts. Wallsendmag may be able to advise if this is the case here

 

[Sleeper]

I can get Greater Anglia to offer the combination you want with Senior railcard discount both ways.

Thanks @47513 Severn, I'll give them a try.

 

[yorkie]

That looks right, as there are 2 super off peak single prices, £110 & £54.50
So guess the latter is your saver-half

The East Coast ones were never called 'Saver Half' fares and were traditionally/originally available singly. Then they weren't... and now they are again!

LNRE's provider appears to be unable to handle the discount properly for some reason (why they don't change supplier to someone who can is very puzzling!) and so it appears as "discounted"; and as it is already "discounted" it cannot be further discounted with a Railcard. This bug has been in place for many months. Very odd. Can't they fix it?!

 

[Wallsendmag]

Yes, hopefully fairly soon

 

[Gerald Fiennes]

LNER's website can't handle 'two' discounts, and they (as VTEC) amended their blurb back in March to make this clear-ish when I queried it back then -- notwithstanding the Railcard Ts and Cs claiming that discounts are available. Just another example of misleading ticketing information that they should be called out on, so perhaps time to raise it with one of the national newspapers? ORR has the power under revised consumer protection law to take action here, but hasn't done so to date....

 

[Sleeper]

Just to say, I managed to get the "Saver Half" I wanted from Greater Anglia as @47513 Severn suggested. Treated myself to 1st Class on a fixed train ticket out, but overall paid just about the same as an Off-Peak Return would have been.

I first tried GWR (as I have an account) but they are not even offering the £54.50 ticket!

Refreshingly, GA didn't even insist on an account. So I avoided yet another password to remember.

What a mess this all is, given that you are supposed to be able to buy the same products from any operator at the same price. Look how much trouble I've been put to to get the tickets I wanted, and then only with help from the Forum. Ordinary people are bound to wonder whether they have bought the most suitable tickets at the cheapest price. And little wonder that many don't consider the train, and avoid the whole issue by driving.

The "Saver Half" product itself seems really useful. It must be very commomplace for travellers to have a return journey to make, where they're happy to commit to a fixed time in one direction, but need flexibility for the other direction. I have no problems if it has to be sold as one of a pair. It's a shame it's not made available - properly implemented - more widely.

Thanks again to all who responded. At the Fat Controller would have said, you're a Really Useful Forum!

 

[Hadders]

What a mess this all is, given that you are supposed to be able to buy the same products from any operator at the same price. Look how much trouble I've been put to to get the tickets I wanted, and then only with help from the Forum. Ordinary people are bound to wonder whether they have bought the most suitable tickets at the cheapest price. And little wonder that many don't consider the train, and avoid the whole issue by driving.

I don't disagree but the simplest solution would be to remove the Saver Half completely, forcing passengers to pay more.