Advance fares to Gatwick

[whole diary]

[John R]

Researching fares from Nailsea to Gatwick in April gives me a ^20.40 advance single for 2 adults, 2 children on a railcard via London (Southern). The fare is not offered for the route via Guildford, where the cheapest is a super off peak single at ^100+.

Returning, the ^20.40 fare is shown for the route via Guildford, but not via London.

Can anyone explain that? And, also, why super off peak and off peak fares routed via Guildford are more expensive than via London (which includes the tube).

I'll probably just stick to the Gatwick Flyaway ticket, which at ^100 from Bristol is still excellent value, but it does seem strange that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) can't sell me an advance ticket on its own route one way!

[Ollie]

Researching fares from Nailsea to Gatwick in April gives me a ^20.40 advance single for 2 adults, 2 children on a railcard via London (Southern). The fare is not offered for the route via Guildford, where the cheapest is a super off peak single at ^100+.

Returning, the ^20.40 fare is shown for the route via Guildford, but not via London.

Can anyone explain that? And, also, why super off peak and off peak fares routed via Guildford are more expensive than via London (which includes the tube).

I'll probably just stick to the Gatwick Flyaway ticket, which at ^100 from Bristol is still excellent value, but it does seem strange that FGW^▸ (First Great Western) can't sell me an advance ticket on its own route one way!

Well there are advance fares for that route so unless it's just an availability thing? What dates and times you looking at? Mail them if you don't want to say on here. Hope you are well John.

[JayMac]

Dunno exactly when you are looking in April but I managed to find the ^20.40 fare via Guildford out and return for various dates in April, including over the Easter weekend.

[Ollie]

Taken from FGW^▸ (First Great Western):

"You can book your tickets on all First Great Western Monday to Friday services until Wednesday 28 April 2010, Saturday services until 24 April and 25 April for Sunday services.
(Please note: West of England services on Sunday 18 April are still awaiting correct timings to be uploaded. We have been advised by Network Rail that this upload will take place in time to open these services by Monday 15 February)"

[John R]

Thanks Ollie. Travel out on 4/4. Take the 1743 as an example, it offers the ^20 fare via London but not on the connection via Guildford. And seems consistent in that all afternoon. By the way, ^20 is an incredible fare via London for 4 pax - wonder if it's an error, as I think it's the same as the fare to Paddington.


I'm not going to book an advance ticket on the return, but a combination of a CDS^▸ (Off Peak Day Single [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')) to Reading and SOPS from Reading to Nailsea is a lot cheaper than a SOPS from Gatwick to Nailsea.

[Ollie]

John had a look on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Website, and by searching for services via Guildford only with the 17:43 the ^20.40 fare is showing as available.

Edit: No idea why it doesn't show as available in the normal search..

[John R]

Ah, thank you very much for that Ollie.

It didn't occur to me that specifying the route would change the fares for the route in question! It's rather curious, particularly as on the return journey it's the via London services which don't qualify for the fare (which would seem much more logical).

 

[Ollie]

Yeah, strange one, unfortunately I cannot answer that one.
Just another big welcome to the wonderful world of Train Fares.

[JayMac]

John had a look on FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Website, and by searching for services via Guildford only with the 17:43 the ^20.40 fare is showing as available.

Edit: No idea why it doesn't show as available in the normal search..

And the 1743 doesn't appear at all if you put 'via Guildford' into the Mixing Deck booking engine (EastCoast). Although putting 'avoid London' in the search criteria does through up a ^21.30 fare via Reading and Clapham Junction......