Using an Advance Standard Premium as an Open Standard ticket

[mgood]

On a couple of recent journeys I have noticed that some Advance Standard Premium Avanti fares have been just above the Open Standard fare. Ideally I would have liked to buy the SP but because I was only about 90% certain that I would make the specified train, I ended up buying the Open Standard.

My question is what would happen if I had bought the Advance SP but missed the specified train - can I use it to travel as an Open Standard ticket (given its value is higher than the Open Standard ticket) or do I have to go to a ticket office before I travel and 'exchange' it - if so does the £10 change fee then become payable ?

 

[gray1404]

Any Advance ticket is valid for the book to Train only unless there is disruption. Any changes must be made before the departure time on the ticket. After which the ticket has no value. You certainly cannot use an Advance ticket as an Anytime ticket on the basis that the value of the former is more.

 

[Tazi Hupefi]

In addition, you will always still be restricted to travelling on Avanti only, even if you change the ticket (plus £10 admin fee plus any difference in fare and only if done before the original specifed train has departed).

It may not be a straightforward change either - depends on the competence of the ticket office and/or what ticket issuing system is being used.

 

[Watershed]

Worth noting that not all retailers charge the full £10 fee, or indeed any fee at all. Some make it very simple indeed to change an Advance, and allow you to change it to a walk-up ticket that isn't TOC restricted.

 

[125Spotter]

Worth noting that not all retailers charge the full £10 fee, or indeed any fee at all. Some make it very simple indeed to change an Advance, and allow you to change it to a walk-up ticket that isn't TOC restricted.

Out of interest, which retailers? (If not off topic for this forum). I've wanted to have more flexibility like this for a while, but I've typically found some retailers are incompetent and prefer to overcharge rather than the opposite...

 

[Bletchleyite]

Out of interest, which retailers? (If not off topic for this forum). I've wanted to have more flexibility like this for a while, but I've typically found some retailers are incompetent and prefer to overcharge rather than the opposite...

I forget which ones charge nothing, but Trainline charge a sliding scale for tickets under £10 so you do tend to get *some* refund rather than none.

 

[Adam Williams]

Railsmartr charges nothing; think it's a manual refund process though.

I seem to recall XC don't charge anything either for change of advance..? Maybe on their own services, I don't remember.

I've typically found some retailers are incompetent and prefer to overcharge

In my experience, the existence of the charges is much more based on whether or not the customer service & refund processing costs can be offset or not - and has much less anything to do with competence. This is easier for some organisations to do than others.

 

[125Spotter]

Thanks both. Also fair re: prevalence of charges. I'm still reeling from an overzealous Trainline "change of journey" fee last year but fortunately have ceased using them as preferred ticket provider and switched to trainsplit having now changed jobs.

 

[skyhigh]

My question is what would happen if I had bought the Advance SP but missed the specified train

Regardless of anything else, once the booked train has departed an Advance has zero value if you've missed it due to no fault of the railway. You need to change the ticket before the booked departure time.