Virgin Trains East Coast reducing their advance ticket discount

[Silver Cobra]

It appears that Virgin Trains East Coast have decided to adjust how much discount they offer on their cheapest advance fares that are purchased through their website. Up until today they offered an 11% discount for the cheapest tier of advance fares, but that has now been seemingly reduced to 2%, matching the discount given for the more expensive tiers. Checking the price for a Kings Cross to Leeds advance, the price for the cheapest advance is currently £14.30, where it originally was £13. With the base price of £14.60 for the fare according to NRE and BRfares, this new price fits with the 2% discount, rounded to the nearest 5p. The next cheapest tier of advance for this journey is still at £22.50, indicating only the cheapest tier has had the discount adjusted.

I can't find any announcements or references to this on their website or their Facebook/Twitter, so it seems that this is something they have quietly ammended. While it is a shame to see the end of this discount, VTEC are well within their right to change it as they see fit. It may not even be a permanent change, but we'll see.

 

[yorkie]

Yes they don't need to announce anything and they can make them any price they seem fit.

Thanks for letting us know.

Expect more rises; the premium payments have to be met somehow!

 

[island]

It continues a pattern of the previous management. In 2011 I had a Haymarket to London Terminals advance ticket which cost £11.70 after the online discount but without a Railcard!

 

[theblackwatch]

It continues a pattern of the previous management. In 2011 I had a Haymarket to London Terminals advance ticket which cost £11.70 after the online discount but without a Railcard!

It's also worth remembering that in GNER days the 10% online booking discount was applied to ALL Advance Purchase tickets. I can't remember if it was GNER or NXEC who first reduced it for a lot of tickets.

 

[najaB]

Expect more rises; the premium payments have to be met somehow!

Not until the next fare-setting round though. While I agree that some people will pay more it's important to remember this isn't a fare rise, they are reducing the discount - fares are regulated (to an extent) discounts are not.

 

[westv]

The discount has only ever been 2% of the cheapest tickets I have ever bought so no change there then.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Not until the next fare-setting round though.

They can do it tomorrow with Advance tickets if they want, they just cut the quotas.

Which, funnily enough, is precisely what they are doing...