Great Western Coffee Shop

Interesting quote from the Billyo blog (link below) :
http://billyosstressrelief.blogspot.com/2008/02/hidden-charges.html

Does Bath Spa have a FastTicket machine?

http://tickets.nationalexpresseastcoast.com/ :)

Ummmm me thinks FGW may be breaking ATOC rules? there has to be a ticket window to sell "all tickets" if the ticket office is open, the only thing that may have happened was a network fault, where no reservations can be made because something is wrong with the national reservation system???

FGW aren't the only offenders here. On a recent visit to Hereford, run by Arriva Wales, I saw notices plastered across the booking office counter windows announcing that although it is open until 6.30pm, no advance tickets would be sold after 6pm. What could they be selling there that takes half-an-hour to issue? Or are they too busy cashing up, ready to dash off on the dot of 6.30, to bother about giving their customers a proper service?

Problem with advance fares is that some old biddy can usually turn up and start enquiring about a journey for her great grandson that hasn't been born yet who's travelling in 22 years time for his university graduation, then people who actually need to travel right then have to queue up behind them, well, slightly synical but you get the jist.

Ah, you've obviously met my mother-in-law, vacman?  ;D

However, on a much more positive note: advance tickets at Bristol Temple Meads!

I have a very important meeting in Taunton this Saturday, so I did some research on the website and I found what I thought was the best ticket option. However, as I wanted to 'pay' for the tickets with some of the very welcome travel vouchers that FGW keep sending me, I called in at the 'advance ticket' office at Bristol Temple Meads this evening, to actually 'buy' my tickets.

Not only did the excellent chap behind the counter take all this without a blink, he also found me an even cheaper way of doing it!  Fair play to - well, I'll just call him 'D', to avoid any embarrassment.

Credit when it's due: when FGW staff get it right, they really can get it right!

Well said, Chris - and some much deserved good luck for yourself there as well.

Chris - it's the ticket office's job to find you the best deal if you ask for it. Any train operator should do what you say!

Billyo mentioned a tax. I presume he's talking about credit card fees and collection from ticket machine fees and all that? Some operators don't make these charges including (I thought) FGW and NXEC.

thetrainline based operators generally do make a charge nowadays, as thetrainline have shown that they can get away with it.

NXEC is an entirely new booking engine and I'm told that the facility isn't currently in there to make additional charges if buying tickets with a credit card.

I've generally found the best thing to do is to go to National Rail's website, look up the tickets from there and then purchase them, its how I'm getting to Bath Spa from Fareham for ^3.95 on Thursday and then from there to Didcot for ^3.30 more.

Just to confirm I booked 1st class return KX to Edinburgh for ^93 using NXEC, pick up tickets at Bristol Self Service Machine and no fees for either that or paying by Amex. You can even book tickets from Bristol to London using that site and pick up your tickets at Bristol!

 

YES IT DOES

YES IT DOES.  They did have some teething problems but they seem better behaved now.

I book my advanced fares on teh Chiltern railway site, and collect them from the machine at Bath.  There is no extra charge for this and FGW's cheap fares are available.

It's a shame that comment couldn't be applied to 1 or 2 of the staff there.

Forgive me for saying..but Bath Spa has staff? The three times I've been there (during the week mind!) I saw no staff on the platform I stood or the opposite..and it wasnt early morning either.

I'd like to stick up for the staff at Bath, both those who have been there for years and the new starters.  They have had to deal with a botched refurbishment and the custoemr resentment that that causes and they do so pretty well.

I think nearly all the platform staff there are brilliant!

It was teh ticket office staff that I had in mind, but the guys on the platform do a great job too.