SWT red dot day type tickets (20th Aug)

[wintonian]

Whilst using the cash machine at my local Tesco Express this evening on the screen was an ad for a SWT go anywhere on SWT for £10 offer.

I don't know which other machines or stations are involved or wheather this is confined to the express stores but the voucher is printed on the recipt and tickets have to be bought from the station named on the voucher (its printed on so can't be changed) and travel has to commence from the same station.

I'll upload a copy of the voucher later.

url: rainbowday.co.uk

Have not looked at web site myself yet as out on the phone.

 

[323235]

Seems to very much like EMT Red Dot Day, only over 3 days rather than one.

 

[lemonic]

Seems to very much like EMT Red Dot Day, only over 3 days rather than one.

It is only 1 day, Saturday 20 August, but you can purchase the tickets from 17-20 August.

 

[thefab444]

Seems to very much like EMT Red Dot Day, only over 3 days rather than one.

It's only on one day (Sat 20th), just you can pick up your ticket from the 17th.

EDIT: Beaten by aleksander.

 

[323235]

ah i just saw 17th-20th in bold, must read more carefully.

 

[wintonian]

Seems to very much like EMT Red Dot Day, only over 3 days rather than one.

The ad said travel on the 20th but the voucher says hand it in between the 17th and 20th so I assume travel is on the 20th but vouchers can be exchanged from the 17th

Edit: struggling between 0 and 3 gprs bars when according to Orange I should have a very good 3G signal, so I'm a bit late replying

 

[trc666]

Can confirm that it is a Rainbow Day, tickets can only be purchased / collected at Winchester. £10 adult, £5 child, no railcard or Groupsave discounts, but Weekend First upgrades (£5 per person) can be used subject to available space.

Tickets allow unlimited Standard Class travel on all SWT and Island Line services on Saturday 20 August 2011, ferry connections to from the Isle of Wight are NOT included though.

Full terms and conditions are here.

 

[dmacw]

So, you can only buy it at Winchester, but can use it anywhere? So you could start the day anywhere on the SWT network?

 

[wintonian]

Can confirm that it is a Rainbow Day, tickets can only be purchased / collected at Winchester. £10 adult, £5 child, no railcard or Groupsave discounts, but Weekend First upgrades (£5 per person) can be used subject to available space.

Tickets allow unlimited Standard Class travel on all SWT and Island Line services on Saturday 20 August 2011, ferry connections to from the Isle of Wight are NOT included though.

Full terms and conditions are here.

Thanks for that.

I see it is only 5 tickets per person but do you need a voucher for each ticket?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

So, you can only buy it at Winchester, but can use it anywhere? So you could start the day anywhere on the SWT network?

Don't forget from what I can tell so far you need a voucher which I seems to only be avalible from certain cash machines which ones I don't know but I may investigate a bit and I suggest it may only be Tesco ones in the area.

 

[thefab444]

You get the voucher by filling in a form on the website you linked to.

One voucher entitles you to up to 5 tickets.

 

[wintonian]

You get the voucher by filling in a form on the website you linked to.

One voucher entitles you to up to 5 tickets.

Ah ok I didn't see that, I assumes that is was a cash machine thing, I was being very aware of the utter shambles the last one turned out to be and I can only compare it to getting the 19:16 from reading to Plymouth on a Friday where I have learnet it is in fact possible to fit a least 3 people in a toilet on a HST!

Accordingly I thought they were (sensiably) not making it as easy to get hold of as most will want to go to Bournemouth or Weymouth, at least this time I can go in the oppersate direction and pop down Exeter or Bristol for example.

and thanks for answering my question about how many tickets can be obtiained with one voucher.

 

[thefab444]

I think the filling in a form before getting the voucher bit is to give them an idea of numbers, so that they can pull the offer if too many people sign up to avoid what happened in 2009 with the Midsummer Madness thing. However, as the voucher is just a JPEG file, you could easily get hold of one even if they do pull the website.

 

[wintonian]

I think the filling in a form before getting the voucher bit is to give them an idea of numbers, so that they can pull the offer if too many people sign up to avoid what happened in 2009 with the Midsummer Madness thing. However, as the voucher is just a JPEG file, you could easily get hold of one even if they do pull the website.

I think the red dot day idea (i.e. only available from a single station) is also to combat the serious overcrowding that we saw in 2009 and for ages I have been think that something more like this would be better.

Edit: a bit irrelevant now but here is the cash machine voucher.

 

[bb21]

They are surprisingly good value for money. I would definitely take advantage of it had I not already committed myself to West Yorkshire Challenge. There are still a few bits and bobs with SWT that I need to clear in the country end, for example, Bristol area.

 

[embers25]

Major props to SWT (never thought I'd say that!) Winchester had massive promo of Rainbow Day and they had coupons on the counters and managers available just like EMT. The difference was that they had added Rainbow Day to all the automatic tikcet machines so you could buy your £10 rover from the machine and they had coupon boxes next to the machines so they could collect the vouchers. EMT should learn from this as it removed almost all queuing. Also the ticket shows as a "Desiro Day Out" on the ticket office issuing machine altho somewhat disappointingly it didn't say that on the ticket. The barriers at Winchester took them but nowhere else has yet and Southampton C said they hadn't been updated to take them as they weren't expecting many there, which is probably right. I'm still slightly baffled why for the second year they've done this on Bournemouth Air Show weekend as the trains are packed as it is. Also yet again the guards are marking them..what is it with guards and day rover tickets!! Then again at least they all know what it is. So well done SWT...here's to many more Rainbow Days!

One other thing this shows is just how easy it really is to add a fare to one of there ticket machines so why they have STILL not updated their machines with new destinations and all available fares is clearly pure profiteering and not software as they claim.

 

[wintonian]

Major props to SWT (never thought I'd say that!) Winchester had massive promo of Rainbow Day and they had coupons on the counters and managers available just like EMT. The difference was that they had added Rainbow Day to all the automatic tikcet machines so you could buy your £10 rover from the machine and they had coupon boxes next to the machines so they could collect the vouchers. EMT should learn from this as it removed almost all queuing. Also the ticket shows as a "Desiro Day Out" on the ticket office issuing machine altho somewhat disappointingly it didn't say that on the ticket. The barriers at Winchester took them but nowhere else has yet and Southampton C said they hadn't been updated to take them as they weren't expecting many there, which is probably right. I'm still slightly baffled why for the second year they've done this on Bournemouth Air Show weekend as the trains are packed as it is. Also yet again the guards are marking them..what is it with guards and day rover tickets!! Then again at least they all know what it is. So well done SWT...here's to many more Rainbow Days!

One other thing this shows is just how easy it really is to add a fare to one of there ticket machines so why they have STILL not updated their machines with new destinations and all available fares is clearly pure profiteering and not software as they claim.

and my 1st upgrade says from Winchester to Rainbow Day having the effect that my day ranger is Now effectively a 1st class all network day ranger for £15!!!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Well found out they don't work the barriers at Sailsbury or Waterloo, however the ones at St Davids were open so not an issue.

All staff seem to well aware of what the tickets are, unlike FGW in my experience (embers25 will know what I mean) So for a change I will give SWT some credit here.

 

[embers25]

Aaah the fun of fGW last time lol! I was finally told no barriers would take them except Winchester. Waterloo didn't seem too impressed when I offered them a choice of my Rainbow ticket or a Route Southern Travelcard from Epsom after both were rejected! All guards knew but Woking staff looked quizically at me at first. I thought it funny that Winchester barrier staff were still questioning break of journey on other tickets even surrounded by managers!!!!

 

[wintonian]

Yes I realy do think ATOC or 'someone' should send a kind of 'hit squad' down toSWT land though I will say there are some really exelent, knowledgeable staff (mostly ex BR or shortly after) down here and some others that do try and help the pax when they ask for something diferent or unusual. But the training/ systems are diabolical, e.g I asked for a saver return to a destination that was unrestricted via a ceartain route and it transpired that they couldn't't physicaly sell it before 09:00/ 09:30 or when ever it became valid.by other routes.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Yes I realy do think ATOC or 'someone' should send a kind of 'hit squad' down toSWT land though I will say there are some really exelent, knowledgeable staff (mostly ex BR or shortly after) down here and some others that do try and help the pax when they ask for something diferent or unusual. But the training/ systems are diabolical, e.g I asked for a saver return to a destination that was unrestricted via a ceartain route and it transpired that they couldn't't physicaly sell it before 09:00/ 09:30 or when ever it became valid.by other routes.

I think somebody was telling lies, STAR issues tickets for any journey at any time of day.