What do I do ?

[whole diary]

[basset44]

Ha,

Does anybody know a online course which is being run for potential customers to study on the different Fares so they feel they are not being done everytime they wish to travel!!!!!

[JayMac]

]

With respect, it seems as though you didn't do sufficient research before booking?

With respect*, ChrisB, the 'system' can be the problem, not the user 'doing sufficient research'.

I can be fairly anal and thorough when I book tickets with splits but I still get caught out occasionally, and pay more than I could've, despite doing sufficient research. At the very least we can expect (or can we?) ticket office staff to sell us the cheapest tickets for the journeys we have requested. As basset44 points out, it's not the ^2 it's the principal.

And this for basset44: Much as I agree with a lot of the sentiments regarding the state of affairs at CrossCountry, I don't think you'd've got from Cardiff to Newcastle via Bristol on Easyjet for less than the train ticket costs you paid. You'd have to get to Bristol Temple Meads (^15.80ea if by train), then Bristol Airport (^9ea on the coach), then from Newcastle Airport (up to ^5.80ea on the Metro). Anything more than a small rucksack and add on another ^18ea. Now look at the 'cost' of those ^20-^25 each way Easyjet tickets from Bristol to Newcastle....... even if you drive to Bristol Airport you're still looking at petrol costs, bridge tolls and up to ^27 for 2 days parking.

*hate that turn of phrase

[ChrisB]

I was referring to Bassett44's comparison twixt air & rail, not within the rail fares.

But seeing the figures you produce above, I'm also of the opinion that, bar this ^2 difference, he probably got the best deal going at the time of booking.

So my comment is withdrawn anyway.

[grahame]

Taking a slightly lighthearted view of a very serious topic, I can't help feeling that the fare system is so complex at times that someone should offer a degree level course in understanding it, and how to get the best legitimete fare for the journey you want to make.

I know from personal experience that even some regular tickets, bought from the web to travel from A to B on a specific train, but with a more general but not universal usabilty (eg "off peak") can cause problems with staff not realising that they've valid on the train in question - and if even the staff don't always know, then what chance has Jo Public?  I think it is unreasonable to expect a member of the public to be able to research and understand something that's so complex that even the staff ("they were probably just contractors brought in to help") don't.   And I think a system that's so complex will be very prone to result in people tinking they have been "done" when they find a cheaper alternative.

The original question asked "should I complain about the two quid?" There's a conundrum here - and one I've often been in.  On one hand - look - it's only two quid, it'll cost a lot more in your time and the TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) to sort it out, so just let it go.  But on the other hand, by saying "hey - you have an issue here" you are raising, and hopefully helping to sort out - a niggle / slip in the system that may effect many others too (but they don't know they're being badly advised), and perhaps for bigger fare differences. My view - I'm doing a lot of them in this post - is that you should raise the issue if it relates to a fare that it's natural or common to buy at the station you're at ... so in the current case, it relates to a fare from Cardiff, bought at Cardiff, and should be brought up. Had the issue been something to do with two pounds saving not given on a Birmingham to Newcastle ticket bought at Cardiff, I would say you should not raise it if it was bought at a normal ticket office window, but from a travel centre that advertises and sells iteself as "book tickets for any rail journey here" in its promotion, then you should.

I think I have made my answer as complex as the fare system!

[Brucey]

if even the staff don't always know, then what chance has Jo Public?

Even when the ticket office give you a restriction card, it can still be confusing to the customer as there can easily be exceptions.

I also believe that the new fares simplification (i.e. the three types of ticket thing) has caused more confusion.  Why isn't there just a standard time for it to become Off-Peak across all TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) on all trains?

And why can (to quote directly from the NFM^▸ (National Fares Manual)) "Holders of 16-25, Senior, Disabled Persons, HM Forces and Family & Friends Railcards, New Deal Photocards and Inter-Rail (Code 70) Cards travelling with Off-Peak tickets may use ANY Virgin train service, as long as the journey being made is priced by Virgin Trains".  How would someone off the street know whether a journey is priced by Virgin Trains?

Why can I break my journey on some tickets described as "Off Peak Single" but not others with the same name?  (Although I doubt joe public would realise that it is even possible to break journeys - I always get blank faces when I tell people about how I visited so many places on a simple return ticket)

[Tim]

I also believe that the new fares simplification (i.e. the three types of ticket thing) has caused more confusion. 

I agree, The simplification didn't actually make the old complicated system clearer, it just hid the complexities of the old system under new names (ie a name liek "saver" or "cheap day" suggests restrictions but doesn't specifiy what they are - Passnger is them prompted to find out.  Names like "off peak suggest that there is a standard peak but that is not the case some tickets have an evening restriction and others do not)

[basset44]

Thanks,

Looks like I leave it this time, just go better preparred so it will not happen again.

Yes been caught out on advance tickets from Airports just now book them and allow lots of time, have even booked 2 on the same day still works out cheaper than paying anytime single.

You can actually book Cardiff to Bristol Airport for 22.80  anytime return just if anybody needs to know.

Once again thanks for your thoughtsi on this

Basset

[JayMac]

CDF^» (Cardiff - next trains)-Bristol Airport Bus. Well you live and learn, just goes to prove that I get caught out when trying to find cheapest options!