Ow! It Stings!

[kneeshooter]

Today I learned the latest Virgin Trains wheeze - since the 2nd Jan, as well as putting prices up across the board, you can only buy full price, standard tickets on trains.

Obviously when work is paying I only care marginally, but it's a bit harsh if you run for the train, jump on, then get absolutely crucified paying the full whack on a daytime train. For example this would make a difference of perhaps £70 on the London to Birmingham run.

Comments

[kingandy]

I thought it had been that way for a while ... prebooked is usually cheaper.

[kneeshooter]

There are three different brackets

- Full Price Standard
- Saver/Cheap Day Tickets you can buy on the day
- Proper Advance (3/7/.. day)

So for example today, not travelling on a peak train, I should have been able to get a "Saver Day Return" which is cheap; but as I purchased it on the train I could only buy the full "valid for a month" ticket.

[gaius-octavian.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure that's always been the case on Midland Mainline, a return to Nottingham (from London) is GBP 91 on the day (either at the station or on the train) or GBP 34 if you book well in advance. But what you can do is buy a single on the way out and a return on the way back, then use the return portion on the out leg next time, which is massively cheaper (since the first leg of the second ticket is off peak and the second leg is valid at peak times).

I do this way too much...

[irdm.livejournal.com]

£91 !!!

couldn't you get at taxi for that ???
or buy a house in Nottingham?

[gaius-octavian.livejournal.com]

You could buy a village, a coal mine and a brass band for that much, and still have change for t'bus ride home.

Seriously tho', one of our secretaries calculated that if 4-6 of us are travelling on the same day (by no means unusual) then it would be cheaper to hire a limo!

[wyzziwig.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I picked that up at Christmas. Nice isn't it? Not sure the others have picked up that if you buy on the train you can't buy a Saver ticket, but are stuck with an Open.

[blackvelvetmag.livejournal.com]

The other month the train (Centro) was already in when I got to Redditch train station so I just got on the train expecting to be able to buy a regular 'cheap day return' on there - and the inspector charged me for a full price standard - so since then I've been making sure I get to the train station a bit earlier. Although last week when I went up in the afternoon, the counter wasn't open in the station so people were buying the tix from the machine. I waited at the machine to buy mine and one of the guys who works at the train station came past and actually said to me 'just buy it on the train'. So they're not setting a good example unless he said that expecting me to be loaded and want to pay extra anyway. I didn't... since it was my go next at the machine - but then we had our hour delay because of the branch on the line and in the end no-one came round at all checking our tix at all. I was actually wishing I'd not bought one due to the crappy hour delay which put me in a stressed out mood as I was late meeting people. But yeah, I guess everyone needs to make sure they get to the train station that little bit earlier to buy before they get on.

[kneeshooter]

You think they'd like to ~encourage~ people to use the trains...

[ikkleblacktruck.livejournal.com]

Don't you buy your tickets online in advance and pick up when you get to the station?

[kneeshooter]

Not normally no.

[ikkleblacktruck.livejournal.com]

I is led to believe this is a much more efficient means of business travel. If you know when and where you're going in advance, I 'spect.

[verbalsarahsoze.livejournal.com]

PEOPLE OF BIRMINGHAM
We're following London's example. This is: FLASHMOB.
Tell everyone about 'pillow Fight Club,' Saturday 22nd January 2005.
Turn up at the top of the floozy in jacuzzi with a pillow in a plastic carrier bag.
At precisely 1.30pm pull your pillow from the bag and fight!
Do not fight anyone without pillow in hand (unless they want it).
This is not something you want to miss.