XC: The reason why you cant get that super cheap advance ticket

[whole diary]

[ChrisB]

Proof if any was needed that at least one TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) uses Advance fare quotas to restrict the number of passengers on their services!

From Penalty Fare Appeal.co.uk

So here^s the story, you spend ages getting the other half to agree to a trip to some far flung place in the middle of the British Countryside. You then have another argument about how much its gonna cost to get to this far flung place.

But you then have a clever idea, lets go by rail. We all know that Crosscountry have super cheap tickets. But alas you cant find any cheap tickets because you want to travel on a Sunday. So you try Friday, nope no luck. Monday morning? Nope.

You give up and go back to having your other half shout at you for even considering such a stupid idea.

So just why cant you get these cheap tickets? Crosscountry would have you believe that is because the tickets have already been purchased and that there is a limited number available. But that^s wrong. We have been sent a screenshot of the Crosscountry internal intranet which states the following:

As a direct result of feedback and the information provided by by Train Managers and Senior conductors in completing passenger counts in Avantix^▸ (Ticket Issuing System used on board trains), and what many of you have said about the quantity of advance purchase tickets available on morning services, the advance purchase tickets policy has been standardised as follows.

Mon-Thu start of service until 09:30 no cheap advance fares anywhere on our network.
Fri ^ from 1200 onwards no cheap advance fares anywhere on our network.
Sat ^ managed based on demand for individual trains.
Sun ^ no cheap advance fares anywhere on our network.

So when Crosscountry claims that all the tickets have been taken, they are lying and its because there were no cheap tickets in the first place!

So next time you see an advert for Crosscountry claiming to have hundreds of cheap tickets on their network, complain to the ASA for them misleading you and send them a screenshot of Crosscountry^s own internal intranet which clearly states they don^t have hundreds of cheap tickets.

[IndustryInsider]

Proof if any was needed that at least one TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) uses Advance fare quotas to restrict the number of passengers on their services!

Well, no proof was needed was it?  Advance fares exist in order to quota control passenger levels and therefore by default help to restrict the number of passengers on busier trains.

It's a shame that XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) and the franchise world they and others live in doesn't try to provide extra capacity to cope with extra demand rather than continually trying to dampen it, but hey that's not exactly breaking news either, is it?

[ChrisB]

Blame the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about).....

[paul7575]

It does now seem though that 'no cheap Advance' actually means 'no cheapest Advance'.

There is no evidence of Advance fares having disappeared completely at those times,  if you check future weekend dates using your choice of journey planner...

Paul

[brompton rail]

Advance tickets exist to fill empty seats, not to provide cheap travel for those who book ahead! My experience of XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) and East Coast is that far too many Advance tickets are sold resulting in full trains and particularly no seats for those passengers who have paid twice, three times and more by buying Anytime tickets. Do any other businesses rip off their premium customers?

[inspector_blakey]

Depends on what you'd define as "ripping off" premium customers, I suppose. If I book a transatlantic flight a few months ahead of time there's a very good chance I will end up sitting next to someone who has paid vastly more than me for exactly the same service, especially if I've taken the opportunity to purchase one of the very cheap upgrades that are sometimes on offer to fill up space in the premium cabins that would otherwise go unused.

The passenger who has paid hugely more for their ticket isn't at any reduced risk of being denied boarding through overbooking either, since as far as I can tell that's all based on how far in advance you check in (in my case, 24 hours ahead online). Nor will they receive any kind of preferential treatment on-board since the cabin staff have no idea who has paid what for their seat.

So, exactly the same service and hugely differing prices certainly isn't confined to the railway industry!

[ChrisB]

But you're guaranteed an airline seat regardless of how much you've paid

The point being made here is that the less you pay, the better your chance of a seat! Indeed, walk up and pay full price on the day, amd you moght not get a seat!

[johoare]

But you're guaranteed an airline seat regardless of how much you've paid

You're guaranteed a seat yes.. But maybe not on the plane you were booked on.. since (some) airlines routinely overbook their flights..

[readytostart]

It does now seem though that 'no cheap Advance' actually means 'no cheapest Advance'.

There is no evidence of Advance fares having disappeared completely at those times,  if you check future weekend dates using your choice of journey planner...

Paul

Correct, although the lowest tier advance tickets were removed at the busiest times a lot of the advance quotas were actually increased at peak times to maximise revenue share on routes where we carry longer distance commuters alongside other operators.