Why is this first class journey with Virgin cheaper than in standard class?

[snuk]

Hi all,

Just out of curiosity why would this first class journey with Virgin be cheaper than in standard class?

Details from National Rail Enquires website.

Travelling on Saturday, 11th July
0859 VT service from Nuneaton to London Euston

First Advance Single = £26.50
Standard Advance Single = £37.00

Many thanks,

Steve.

 

[anthony263]

Hi all,

Just out of curiosity why would this first class journey with Virgin be cheaper than in standard class?

Details from National Rail Enquires website.

Travelling on Saturday, 11th July
0859 VT service from Nuneaton to London Euston

First Advance Single = £26.50
Standard Advance Single = £37.00

Many thanks,

Steve.

It could be that there may have been cheaper standard advance singles, which there are no more available for your journey, i have sometimes found that when booking with first great western.

 

[jopsuk]

it's down to the quota system- they set so many Advance fares at each price point (think some operators have four different "Advance" levels in both std and 1st), and obviously the cheapest sell first. It is quite common to find on all long distance operators, and is quite good to find when the cheapest std class tickets have already sold out. Some people will also be unaware of the cheap 1st class if they've asked for Standard class fares only.

Then you'll get organisations with people trvalleing on expenses that will mandate standard class fares only, even if there's a cheaper 1st class ticket, if you're beloow a certain level. But they tend to be dumb.

 

[bnsf734]

My first post!

Just looked at this journey on the London Midland site. Travel on the 0904 London Midland Desiro ex Nuneaton to Euston:

15.00 Cheapest First Class Single
32.90 Cheapest Standard Class Single

That is some difference!

Calv

 

[splitfare]

I've noticed on occasions when travelling Stafford to London that there are no standard advance tickets but first class available. This seems to happen on heavily loaded trains when VT presumably would like a customer to use a seat in first class rather than not travel at all - or even worse use other TOC's services.

One week a colleague and I got the first class advance and the train was very busy. The following week (same time), no first class advance was available but there was plenty of available seating in standard.

 

[90019]

I've noticed on occasions when travelling Stafford to London that there are no standard advance tickets but first class available. This seems to happen on heavily loaded trains when VT presumably would like a customer to use a seat in first class rather than not travel at all - or even worse use other TOC's services.

There's only a certain number of each ticket type available, if it's a busy service, then, chances are, all the advance standard fares have been sold, meaning that they can't sell any more because there aren't any more to sell, only advance first class tickets.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

One week a colleague and I got the first class advance and the train was very busy. The following week (same time), no first class advance was available but there was plenty of available seating in standard.

It's just down to what has and hasn't been sold, as before, they can't sell you a ticket if there aren't any left for the service you're travelling on.

 

[splitfare]

It's just down to what has and hasn't been sold, as before, they can't sell you a ticket if there aren't any left for the service you're travelling on.

But I don't think that this can be the case. In the second week both first class and standard class were virtually empty but there had not been any first class advance tickets for sale - this seems to suggest that they manage the number of advance tickets on a train by train basis dependent on loading.