Ticket Price Difference/Release Date

[bokaj99]

I am looking to buy a ticket from London to Edinburgh on the 27th of June. I noticed that the East Coast website says that tickets are available to purchase for journeys till the 31st of may. However, I can book journeys until mid-june. The price for the journeys in june is dramatically higher (180 vs ~60), and I cannot reserve a seat for the journeys in June. In May, the ticket type is different and I can reserve a seat. Will the lower-price tickets with seat reservations eventually be released for June and when, or will the ticket price stay the same?

Thanks.

 

[yorkie]

Advance fares and seat reservations are not yet on sale for the date you require.

From the http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/ website:-

BOOK NOW FOR TRAVEL
Tickets are now available for travel up to and including
Thursday 31 May 2012
Click below to get ticket alerts
Get alerts

I recommend you sign up to get an alert when the Advance tickets go on sale.

The tickets that are currently available beyond 31 May 2012 are "walk-up" fares that are flexible, not tied to a specific train.

Advance fares are non-refundable and quota controlled.

Walk-up fares are refundable (subject to a £10 admin fee), and can be bought anything from a year in advance right up to the time of departure.

 

[mirodo]

I am looking to buy a ticket from London to Edinburgh on the 27th of June. I noticed that the East Coast website says that tickets are available to purchase for journeys till the 31st of may. However, I can book journeys until mid-june. The price for the journeys in june is dramatically higher (180 vs ~60), and I cannot reserve a seat for the journeys in June. In May, the ticket type is different and I can reserve a seat. Will the lower-price tickets with seat reservations eventually be released for June and when, or will the ticket price stay the same?

Thanks.

They will be released, yes. You should be able to get a ticket for the ~£60 you mentioned - in fact you'll probably get one cheaper than that if you get in early once booking for June is opened up.

Bookings are opened up 12 weeks or so in advance (on Fridays I think), so keep an eye on the EC website, or sign up to the email alert service and you'll be notified when your dates become available.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

I agree with Yorkie. The cheap Advance tickets at 'headline prices' are released 12 weeks in advance and usually on a Thursday.
I've known people to set their alarm clock for 5am on the Thursday 12 weeks before travel so that they can select the tickets whose prices are promoted in the Company's advertising at staggeringly low prices; and they succeed.
Fortunately for most of us, when precise times of travel are not critical, we can set our alarm clocks a little later and still find some of those widely-promoted cheap Advance tickets. Perhaps they'll even still be there the next day!

Please be aware that when these cheap tickets are released for sale, they come with Conditions which bind you to travel on a specific train, date and time.

 

[telstarbox]

They will be released, yes. You should be able to get a ticket for the ~£60 you mentioned - in fact you'll probably get one cheaper than that if you get in early once booking for June is opened up.

The cheapest one-way advance singles from London to Edinburgh (on East Coast) are £14.50, then £18.55 - although there might not be many available at each of these prices.

 

[bokaj99]

Alright, thx everyone for the quick answers. Might even travel first class if the prices are that low.

 

[Deerfold]

I agree with Yorkie. The cheap Advance tickets at 'headline prices' are released 12 weeks in advance and usually on a Thursday.
I've known people to set their alarm clock for 5am on the Thursday 12 weeks before travel so that they can select the tickets whose prices are promoted in the Company's advertising at staggeringly low prices;

Annoyingly though, they seep onto the website in stages throughout the morning - so trains which do not show any advances may 20 minutes later. It's usually finished updating by 11 - but of course many tickets have been sold by then!