robS35 Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 I find it hard to understand why more people don't book in advance. I recently flew into Manchester from Barcelona, the airport advance ticket from MAN to sheffield cost £5. Thats ok but some people like the flexability of an open ticket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheekyBandit Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 Thats ok but some people like the flexability of an open ticket. Which includes breaking the journey - a few months ago I travelled from Donny to somewhere south of London but left the station at Cambridge to pick some stuff up. Also can you go Edinburgh to London via Bathgate, Glasgow, Dumfries, Carlisle, Settle, Leeds on an advance ticket? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheekyBandit Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 you should not pay for a 4 year old ? its 5 year old you start paying . You do if a 4-year old needs to occupy a seat which is required by a fare-paying passenger. Have you tried getting a seat on a Manchester to Sheffield train? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandad.Malky Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 You do if a 4-year old needs to occupy a seat which is required by a fare-paying passenger. Have you tried getting a seat on a Manchester to Sheffield train? Do you honestly think the 06.55 will have been busy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerbyTup Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 When booking in advance your return journey can be used up to 3 hours after the booked times to allow for delays. If longer than 3 hours you have to go to the tickets office at the airport for them to issue a new ticket. Chris - are you sure about this? I had an advance ticket for a journey from St Pancras back to Sheffield. I was supposed to be on the 4.25pm train but my meeting in London overan a bit so I missed that one and jumped on the 4.55pm train instead. I was heavily penalised for that. The ticket inspector charged me for a full price ticket for the whole journey - saying that my advance ticket was not valid and that I should have gone and bought a valid ticket before getting on that train. The additional cost was about £160 by the way. The inspector, a very haughty Indian female inspector, took great delight in telling me I'd boarded a penalty train from a penalty station and therefore got a penalty fare. Even the fellow passengers sat beside me, who I didn't know, were agasp at this. One even complained on my behalf about it. So, anyhow, the point being - I think the advice you are offering about this 3 hour window is probably correct for some journey's but it certainly wasn't the case for me. Anyone reading this beware or you could end up seriously out of pocket like I did! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OOmpa Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Chris - are you sure about this? I had an advance ticket for a journey from St Pancras back to Sheffield. I was supposed to be on the 4.25pm train but my meeting in London overan a bit so I missed that one and jumped on the 4.55pm train instead. I was heavily penalised for that. The ticket inspector charged me for a full price ticket for the whole journey - saying that my advance ticket was not valid and that I should have gone and bought a valid ticket before getting on that train. The additional cost was about £160 by the way. The inspector, a very haughty Indian female inspector, took great delight in telling me I'd boarded a penalty train from a penalty station and therefore got a penalty fare. Even the fellow passengers sat beside me, who I didn't know, were agasp at this. One even complained on my behalf about it. So, anyhow, the point being - I think the advice you are offering about this 3 hour window is probably correct for some journey's but it certainly wasn't the case for me. Anyone reading this beware or you could end up seriously out of pocket like I did! You can't change your advance ticket at St Pancras, this is about the airport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerbyTup Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 You can't change your advance ticket at St Pancras, this is about the airport. Yes, I know it's about the "airport" I've read the same as you. The point I was seeking to clarify was whether this "3 hour window" applies to any train jouney purchased on an advance ticket. Because it certainly didn't apply to my journey. And you can change your advance ticket at St Pancras btw - if I had gone to the ticket counter at St Pancras station before boarding that train, I would have probably still had to pay a further supplement, but nothing like the £160 full ticket fare that I got charged. That's what I was told anyhow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsb73 Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Derby Tup, I had a similar issue last november when returning from Kings Cross to Sheffield via Doncaster. Despite setting off back to Kings Cross from Knightsbridge nearly 2 hours before our return journey (was going to have a snack for tea at station before returning) the tube went into total meltdown. What should have been a 20 min hop on the Picadilly line turned into a 2 hour ordeal that I would never wish to repeat due to line closures, fire on picadilly line, station closures due to overcrowding, football crowds and the list went on! We got back to KC 20 minutes after our train departed, tried to get on the next one and were asked to pay £90 each! despite there being space on the train, the 'train manager' didn't want to know, and said whatever happened on the tube was nothing to do with her and her train! We got off that train and went to the ticket office, where our tickets were reissued free of charge, BUT a group of ladies next to us in exactly the same situation were being charged! so it seems there are no hard and fast rules, and discretion can be used but the system does not always work in favour of the passengers it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crofty_bum Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 the 3 hour window is only available from the airport for delayed in coming trains. it is not valid at any other station. if you are pre booked on a train and get another train you will be asked to pay for a new ticket. some conductors will allow you to travel and not charge you again if you ask them before boarding the train, however this is at the discretion of the conductor some do some don't As for under 5s they are free, it is common sense that if a fare paying passenger needs the seat said child is on, pop him/her on your knee if you can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evei Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 so it seems there are no hard and fast rules, and discretion can be used but the system does not always work in favour of the passengers it seems. I agree with this. I was on the Sheff to St Pancras on an advanced ticket, the girl next to me was also. She had by accident boarded the train that left 10 minutes before the other Sheef to London train. The conducter made her get off at the next station and told her to get into the train behind, so at least she was not charged extra, but I really don't see the differance as it was a genuine mistake and there were plenty of seats as it was only me, herself and two men in the whole of the first class section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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