Thameslink Off Peak Accompanied Child £2 tickets

[youngpete]

Does anyone know why the above tickets do not seem to be valid for Thameslink services on the Rainham (Kent) and Sevenoaks services, both across London and also within Kent.
Young Pete

 

[Clip]

May be an oversight since the changeover - Have you contacted them about this?

 

[CyrusWuff]

At a guess, it's because fares for the relevant flows are set by Southeastern rather than GTR, but their "Kids for a Quid" offer only applies for journeys wholly on Southeastern services (e.g. London Bridge to Sevenoaks).

 

[youngpete]

Yes I have and had a variety of answers. Firstly it was because the journey crossed London, on pointing out that a Brighton to Bedford journey qualified for a £2.00 child ticket, they then said South Eastern set the fares on the route. South Eastern replied that Thameslink are free to set any promotional fares themselves as the tickets in question are. Another reply said that they are only available on Southern services until I pointed out that Thameslink advertise them. The last reply was that because it was not possible to book it from a South Eastern station it cannot be valid (the person replying having tried). Alluded to cross London journies again but this is not the full answer as they cannot be booked on journies for example Rainham Kent to Maze Hill on TL Trains either. Have now escalated to a Manager in TL but still waiting a response. But its obvious from the answers I received no one really seems to know.

 

[district]

If they were instructed to, Southeastern ticket office clerks could issue these tickets using the manual fare process on STAR although these fares don’t appear in Fares Finder.

When TL came to Rainham, a brief was issued reminding staff that Kids for a Quid were only valid on SE services. I have asked someone in the fares office about this and hope to have an answer during office hours today.

 

[Haywain]

If they were instructed to, Southeastern ticket office clerks could issue these tickets using the manual fare process on STAR although these fares don’t appear in Fares Finder.

This would result in fares mismatches and chargebacks and is not desirable.

When TL came to Rainham, a brief was issued reminding staff that Kids for a Quid were only valid on SE services. I have asked someone in the fares office about this and hope to have an answer during office hours today.

The fare routeing does not contain a TOC restriction, so this is nonsense.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The fare routeing does not contain a TOC restriction, so this is nonsense.

Not necessarily, it's a similar situation to GroupSave potentially which also does not contain a TOC restriction but applying the discount excludes a number of TOCs.

 

[Haywain]

Not necessarily, it's a similar situation to GroupSave potentially which also does not contain a TOC restriction but applying the discount excludes a number of TOCs.

The T&Cs do state that it is valid on Southeastern services only, but I doubt that takes account of Thameslink operating in the area. The T&Cs also happen to say that the tickets "can only be purchased at ticket offices when buying Southeastern Advance tickets" but "You can buy tickets in advance or immediately before travel". Along with several other contradictions!

 

[district]

This would result in fares mismatches and chargebacks and is not desirable.

This is an accounting issue and of no concern to the customer. That being said TL do not offer these fares and it is there perogative not to.

The fare routeing does not contain a TOC restriction, so this is nonsense.

Yes I noticed this, interesting recently they have changed the fares code from TKS to CFS, and in doing so the fare name in Star is now ''KIDS S STHEASTN'' but no reference to the TOC is made on the printed ticket. SE would solve this issue by changing the route to ''SE Trains only not HS1'' for example.

 

[Haywain]

This is an accounting issue and of no concern to the customer.

You suggested that "If they were instructed to, Southeastern ticket office clerks could issue these tickets using the manual fare process" and I stated why this should not happen.

Yes I noticed this, interesting recently they have changed the fares code from TKS to CFS, and in doing so the fare name in Star is now ''KIDS S STHEASTN'' but no reference to the TOC is made on the printed ticket. SE would solve this issue by changing the route to ''SE Trains only not HS1'' for example.

Or they could simply accept that they can be used on other TOCs as GTR do, using exclusions in the T&Cs. If they are worried about undercutting GTR they could also double the price, which would not cause dramatic levels of complaint. There are better ways than those they are currrently trying to use.