Why I prefer to use a ticket office and obtain a physical ticket

[AdamWW]

Stockport and (I believe) other Avanti managed stations. I also notice them being sold at Newcastle last year.

Admittedly these are only at ticket offices, not ticket machines.

I'm surprised. I wonder what happens if you want a cross-London ticket.

On an unrelated note, I would feel more confident taking e-tickets if they were direct emails like National Express or hotel bookings, rather than a PDF attachment that for all we know will not even open.

That one's never bothered me. There are so many ways of viewing a pdf these days. And unless you've bought just before travel you've got a chance to make sure they do display before actually using them.

 

[sor]

A cross against the "experienced, knowledgable, always get the best deal, irreplaceable" ticket office staff:

Travelled from station A to B today. Asked for plusbus at B from the ticket office at A. Presented railcard-discounted tickets alongside, which the person spent a lot of time looking at. Plusbus issued *without* discount, and by the time I noticed it was too late.

I don't believe the machines (or perhaps a smartphone? ) can do this (aside from as an option when buying the rail ticket)? If they could, at least I could be sure I was getting the discount.

 

[johncrossley]

I'm surprised. I wonder what happens if you want a cross-London ticket.

You used to get credit card sized gate passes for the tube when you got airline sized tickets.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Stockport and (I believe) other Avanti managed stations. I also notice them being sold at Newcastle last year.

Admittedly these are only at ticket offices, not ticket machines.

On an unrelated note, I would feel more confident taking e-tickets if they were direct emails like National Express or hotel bookings, rather than a PDF attachment that for all we know will not even open.

PDF is a standard and can be easily downloaded to the device. Emails generally aren't so need a signal to read.

Whyever would you think it wouldn't open?

A cross against the "experienced, knowledgable, always get the best deal, irreplaceable" ticket office staff:

Travelled from station A to B today. Asked for plusbus at B from the ticket office at A. Presented railcard-discounted tickets alongside, which the person spent a lot of time looking at. Plusbus issued *without* discount, and by the time I noticed it was too late.

I don't believe the machines (or perhaps a smartphone? ) can do this (aside from as an option when buying the rail ticket)? If they could, at least I could be sure I was getting the discount.

Some TVMs do PlusBus but not all. I forget which do but I have definitely seen it.

 

[AdamWW]

You used to get credit card sized gate passes for the tube when you got airline sized tickets.

You did indeed. I think also when collecting tickets from some ticket machines that for some reason gave out paper tickets but could also produce magnetic stripe gate passes.

But if a ticket office could produce a card gate pass you'd think they could just do the entire ticket on card.

 

[Ken H]

PDF is a standard and can be easily downloaded to the device. Emails generally aren't so need a signal to read.

Whyever would you think it wouldn't open?



Some TVMs do PlusBus but not all. I forget which do but I have definitely seen it.

I have sent pdf's to people who use iphones and ipads and they have not been able to open them. Also other standard file formats that apple seem not to want to support. .png has cause issues, I seem to remember.
Just get a samsung....

 

[Haywain]

Some TVMs do PlusBus but not all. I forget which do but I have definitely seen it.

None should sell PlusBus without an accompanying rail ticket.

 

[Ken H]

None should sell PlusBus without an accompanying rail ticket.

Northern ones are not intuitive. I wanted a plusbus. Looked for Leeds Plusbus as a destination. But you select your rail ticket then you add in plusbus as an add on later.
Cant find plusbus on the Northern website. Looks like TVM or ticket office only.

 

[yorkie]

Northern ones are not intuitive. I wanted a plusbus. Looked for Leeds Plusbus as a destination. But you select your rail ticket then you add in plusbus as an add on later.
Cant find plusbus on the Northern website. Looks like TVM or ticket office only.

Does it not get offered when you buy a ticket to an applicable destination?

 

[Watershed]

I think the balance is fairly well tipped in favour of eTickets whatever people on this forum like to think , currently the LNER website is selling 80% of its transactions as eTickets.

Quelle surprise when the default option is e-tickets and you have to claim you don't have a phone or printer to select ToD...

If you presented both options with equal prominence - let alone told people they risk prosecution and a criminal record if their phone dies - I suspect you'd see rather more people going for ToD!

Stockport and (I believe) other Avanti managed stations. I also notice them being sold at Newcastle last year.

Admittedly these are only at ticket offices, not ticket machines.

Not quite. They still have CCST printers so they can issue cross-London tickets.

The ability to buy cross-London tickets onboard (even if you had boarded at a station without facilities) started being withdrawn when guards started being issued with loo roll ticket printers.

Unfortunately, ticket offices will no doubt head the same way soon.

 

[AlbertBeale]

None should sell PlusBus without an accompanying rail ticket.

But I often need to get a PlusBus ticket separately from the ticket I'll use it with.

Ticket offices routinely sell PlusBus tickets separately (providing you have a relevant rail ticket of course). Sometimes I've had to use a machine at my departure station, and haven't been able to get a PlusBus, so have had to add it at a ticket office at the other end; sometimes I've changed my mind about needing a PlusBus en route (ie when the weather's turned as I cross the South Downs!) and so got it on arrival. Etc. If my arrival station only had machines and no ticket office I'd be lumbered.

Also, with a period return (ie no fixed return date), you need a ticket office at your destination to sell you a PlusBus for the day you want to use the return once you know when that is. I don't think a machine, even if it'll sell you a PlusBus linked to your outward travel date, will ever sell you one for your return when your ticket isn't pinned to a particular date. And would any machine sell you a PlusBus for both your origin and destinatins for a journey?

All these things seem quick and easy at a ticket office.

 

[yorkie]

But I often need to get a PlusBus ticket separately from the ticket I'll use it with.

Ticket offices routinely sell PlusBus tickets separately (providing you have a relevant rail ticket of course). Sometimes I've had to use a machine at my departure station, and haven't been able to get a PlusBus, so have had to add it at a ticket office at the other end; sometimes I've changed my mind about needing a PlusBus en route (ie when the weather's turned as I cross the South Downs!) and so got it on arrival. Etc. If my arrival station only had machines and no ticket office I'd be lumbered.

Also, with a period return (ie no fixed return date), you need a ticket office at your destination to sell you a PlusBus for the day you want to use the return once you know when that is. I don't think a machine, even if it'll sell you a PlusBus linked to your outward travel date, will ever sell you one for your return when your ticket isn't pinned to a particular date. And would any machine sell you a PlusBus for both your origin and destinatins for a journey?

All these things seem quick and easy at a ticket office.

Ticket offices are on the way out, so websites will need to be able to offer these things, which will be a positive step forward.

 

[Haywain]

Ticket offices are on the way out, so websites will need to be able to offer these things, which will be a positive step forward.

I’m afraid I can’t see PlusBus being offered as a stand-alone product.

 

[Runningaround]

Take ticket out of wallet when you're not feeling crowded, replace ticket when not crowded. A ticket isn't permanently attached to a wallet.

Your phone or printed out e-ticket won'[t be pinched by a ticket barrier like my bought by RTV at a booking office CCT style one was today, with the train being late by 30 mins I had 5 mins to catch the bus, with a massive queue behind me and not enough time to ask for it back. Perhaps this tactic is keeping booking offices open, it's keeping delay repay claims down.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I’m afraid I can’t see PlusBus being offered as a stand-alone product.

The ideal is that you can, like with sleasyJet and Eireflop, log into your railway account and add extra services right up to your journey. PlusBus is one example.

 

[Ken H]

Does it not get offered when you buy a ticket to an applicable destination?

Yes. But i didnt know that. I was looking at the destination select screen. A bit like u1 as a destination back in the day.

 

[Wallsendmag]

The ability to buy cross-London tickets onboard (even if you had boarded at a station without facilities) started being withdrawn when guards started being issued with loo roll ticket printers.

I'm sorry you've got that wrong only some of the onboard PRT TIS cannot offer cross London tickets. Those supplied by TTK can.

 

[Watershed]

I'm sorry you've got that wrong only some of the onboard PRT TIS cannot offer cross London tickets. Those supplied by TTK can.

I'm not suggesting that all TOCs have gone that way. But the majority of TOCs that have gone over to loo roll haven't gone for TTK.

 

[Wallsendmag]

I'm not suggesting that all TOCs have gone that way. But the majority of TOCs that have gone over to loo roll haven't gone for TTK.

Seems more are choosing it now, Avanti for one.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Ticket offices are on the way out, so websites will need to be able to offer these things, which will be a positive step forward.

In what way "positive"? To remove an easy "walk up to a window, show your ticket, hand over a few quid, and get your PlusBus ticket" system, accessible to anyone, and replace it with a set-up which only works for those with the the ability and equipment to buy something from a website in a situation like that. And a ticket machine can't "look at" a previously bought ticket and decide whether you're trying it on when you attempt to buy a PlusBus as a stand-alone transaction.

 

[AdamWW]

And a ticket machine can't "look at" a previously bought ticket and decide whether you're trying it on when you attempt to buy a PlusBus as a stand-alone transaction.

If the ticket has a QR code or similar, then presumably the machine can indeed look at the ticket.

And certainly some station ticket vending machine have QR code scanners now.

 

[yorkie]

I’m afraid I can’t see PlusBus being offered as a stand-alone product.

I meant in the circumstances described, not as in without holding any ticket.

In what way "positive"? To remove an easy "walk up to a window, show your ticket, hand over a few quid, and get your PlusBus ticket" system, accessible to anyone, and replace it with a set-up which only works for those with the the ability and equipment to buy something from a website in a situation like that.

Actually most stations don't have ticket offices and even major InterCity stations see restrictive hours of opening these days. Even when the ticket office is open, it can be a challenge to get the actual ticket you want and issued at the correct price.

Therefore I reject the idea that this is accessible to everyone.

In contrast, an accessible website, offering the full range of products would be far more convenient for the vast majority of passengers.

And a ticket machine can't "look at" a previously bought ticket and decide whether you're trying it on when you attempt to buy a PlusBus as a stand-alone transaction.

This could be implemented, and it should be.

If the ticket has a QR code or similar, then presumably the machine can indeed look at the ticket.

And certainly some station ticket vending machine have QR code scanners now.

Agreed (though technically the barcodes are Aztec codes, as QR codes aren't as suitable for this type of operation)

 

[The Ham]

Actually most stations don't have ticket offices and even major InterCity stations see restrictive hours of opening these days. Even when the ticket office is open, it can be a challenge to get the actual ticket you want and issued at the correct price.

Even at some SE stations the queue for the ticket office can be quite long, about 5 years ago Guildford (even off peak) could easily take 15 minutes to get seen.

Which is why in addition to that being an option there should be more progress on being able amend and add on to pre purchased tickets. Be that through a phone or at a TVM (when you present the card used to purchase your tickets or any suitable card which is linked to your account - for example a smart card which holds you season ticket, Railcard or x number of journeys for use within a given time limit).

The linked card should also allow RPI staff to confirm that you did but a valid ticket and not penalise you unreasonably if there happens to be a fault with your phone when you've easily fit proof that you purchased an e-ticket in advance of travel. Such cases should be rare, especially if there was an option to also print off a backup from a TVM, which would give the benefits of a physical ticket and the e-ticket.

The other thing which could work well is more TVM where you can use them to call a member of staff and talk to them and they "tell" the TVM the ticket(s) you need and you pay. This then allows a member of staff to give ticket office functionality across quite a few stations without them actually needing to be at any of them (especially useful for stations which would otherwise not have staff at them after mid morning).

 

[Wallsendmag]

The other thing which could work well is more TVM where you can use them to call a member of staff and talk to them and they "tell" the TVM the ticket(s) you need and you pay. This then allows a member of staff to give ticket office functionality across quite a few stations without them actually needing to be at any of them (especially useful for stations which would otherwise not have staff at them after mid morning).

Quite a few TVMs already have this function but I've always wondered what the member of staff does while they're waiting for someone to use it? For a fleet of several hundred machines how many staff would you need?

 

[The Ham]

Quite a few TVMs already have this function but I've always wondered what the member of staff does while they're waiting for someone to use it? For a fleet of several hundred machines how many staff would you need?

Probably fairly few, however I suspect that you could use them for other functions; such as phone ticket sales, help call point answering, dealing with delay repay, etc.

 

[Haywain]

Probably fairly few, however I suspect that you could use them for other functions; such as phone ticket sales, help call point answering, dealing with delay repay, etc.

And then when they’re busy and a TVM user needs help…

 

[AdamWW]

And then when they’re busy and a TVM user needs help…

You wait. Preventing anyone else from using the machine while you do.

I forget where this is, but I'm sure in Germany I've seen a station which had a little cubicle with a screen and camera so people could buy tickets remotely. (I think it also had a ticket office, though).

 

[The Ham]

And then when they’re busy and a TVM user needs help…

I was thinking that they would aid with those other tasks when there was a highish level of demand for those other things.

However, if they're was a need to wait a few minutes then chances are that would still be comparable to what many have to do when buying a ticket from a ticket office.

 

[Bungle965]

Seems more are choosing it now, Avanti for one.

Yes rollout is fairly imminent, Envoy has been falling to pieces for a while now.
GWR are also a user.

You used to get credit card sized gate passes for the tube when you got airline sized tickets.

Currently Avanti ticket offices can fulfil to CCST, PRT & E-Tickets (where available)

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm sorry you've got that wrong only some of the onboard PRT TIS cannot offer cross London tickets. Those supplied by TTK can.

How? Do they have a separate CCST printer for those tickets?