Great Western Coffee Shop

Season Ticket Holders to get 5 void days - 10-14 February 2014 - http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/About-Us/Our-business/Performance

Can someone explain the implications of this. I've always assumed you get days added on to your ticket (or maybe the next one), but I also see mention of a refund being available on the fgw website passengers charter section.  I'd go for the refund any day, as my season expires just before fares go up, so an extension would put me into the new fares for ever.

Also, does the 5 day extension cover weekends, or is assumed that season ticket holders only travel 5 days a week, so effectively it's an extra week?

You can chose to have an extension to your season OR a refund .

The amount you get refunded is calculated using the cost of your ticket divided by the amount of week days that your ticket is valid for and then multiplied by 5. (void days) I.e. a monthly ticket would be divided by 22 and then multiplied by 5.

If you opted for an extension, I would assume it would be for 5 week days.

Great. Thanks Rob. That's one of the things I like about the Coffee Shop - there's always somebody who knows the answer!

You're welcome. Took me a while to digest the info sent to us but I think that's what will happen. If I learn anything new I'll let you know.

Looks like weekly season ticket holders don't get anything if I'm right?

They are eligible for compensation in the same way as single/return tickets, so void days do not apply.

Ooops.. thank you.. shouldn't have thrown it away then.. If only we had Photocards with identifying details on which we would also HAVE to have to buy season tickets so they knew exactly who had a valid ticket during that time and who didn't... oh...  ::) ::) :P

An update people.

Apparently if the five days extension covers or includes a weekend then extra days should be added to ensure that the additional days can be used on normal working days. As many season ticket renewals are now covering the Easter Holiday period. Up to a maximum of 9 days.

The rules about adding these days state that the TOC should offer extra days to cover weekends, however these are only added if the customer states that they will be travelling on either public holidays or at the weekend.

Out of interest, how is/was this being divulged ? So far I've heard nothing through official channels.

I was sent a couple of letters - the first to say they were looking into compensation and to keep any tickets as they would be required to claim, and the second, which arrived yesterday, that outlined the decision and the options (basically take the letter and ticket to any ticket office, have the 5 days added to existing season ticket, to the next renewal or take as a refund).

Thanks for the information. I've still yet to receive anything. I guess I'll take my gold card to the ticket office and see what they can do for me.

When I renewed my monthly season ticket last weekend (the previous one had started on 24th February and I'd had a weekly one before that).. They said that I was due 3 free days which was added to my new ticket and rather helpfully it then took me to a Friday too..  I am guessing that was due to my monthly ticket before the weekly one although I'm not totally sure..

That is a very good system and was what I was hoping would happen since we all have to have photocards for season tickets :-) Well done FGW/Maidenhead ticket office.. ;D

Should have said you were travelling at the weekend. 2 Extra days.

I think my issue was that most of the journey over the time that is being considered for free days was on a weekly ticket (mine is usually monthly) so I didn't want to argue the point and lose the three days I wasn't even sure I'd get!

Morning,
I've been anticipating a letter through my door to tell me about the void days but I haven't received one.  Did others get one?  Equally I note that the FGW performance table online no longer mentions any void days (because the window of time being reported has moved on?)

I'm just wondering how, in the absence of a letter or details on line) I would have found out about these void days if I hadn't have been on this forum; or indeed if/how I will get them applied when it comes to renewal in December?

Thanks

It seems to depend which page you look at he FGW website:
if you look at this page http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/About-Us/Our-business/Performance (http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/About-Us/Our-business/Performance) there are 5 void days.
if you search for void days one of the pages returned is http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/contents/travel-advice/Refund-process-for-customers-affected-by-the-South-West-storms (http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/contents/travel-advice/Refund-process-for-customers-affected-by-the-South-West-storms) which states there are no void days :( 
And both were updated on the 1st May 2014.
I think I would trust the first page as it is about the overall performance of FGW and not just the winter storms.