First Great Western reserved ticket

brownbabygirl

I bought a return ticket to Cardiff for May 6 to sit an exam. Unfortunately just realised my return time is 3pm but my exam will run until 3pm, which does not leave me enough time to get to the station! I am so mad at myself for not checking first. I dont think they will allow changes to the ticket without a 10GBP charge. The return ticket cost 71 GBP.

I am thinking of just getting on the later train and hoping it is OK (the reservation and ticket itself are totally separate and ticket inspectors rarely ask for the reservation). I know this is cheeky but has anyone else had this before?

ticketcollector

What type of ticket do you hold?

If its any ticket apart from an Advance then its fine to get on a later train with some exceptions depending on ticket type. You just wont have a guaranteed seat.

If its an Advance ticket then.....

Two choices. either you change the ticket and pay the £10 change fee and pay the difference in price BEFORE you travel.
I stress the BEFORE you travel.

Or risk it on the train, risk getting a guard who is doing his job correctly, and get charged the FULL priced single. Which is often around £100 plus and your other ticket will not be taken into account.

brownbabygirl

The outward journey is off peak single and the return journey is advance single. Thanks!

jog

Whenever I have travelled on First Great Western on Advance tickets I have always been asked for both half's of the ticket and they've checked the reservation time I'm afraid.

Jog

brownbabygirl

jog wrote: »

Whenever I have travelled on First Great Western on Advance tickets I have always been asked for both half's of the ticket and they've checked the reservation time I'm afraid.

Jog

I have made th same journey 3 time since October and they never checked the reservation or times. Just my luck I bet they might do this time! I might plead innocence:rotfl:

ticketcollector

I will repeat what ive said before with regards to the advance single.

You must get on the train that you have been reserved for. Guards are trained to ask for the reservation bit with advance tickets.
I would suggest you speak to a booking office ASAP, and ask about changing the ticket. It will cost you £10 admin fee.
Or you could look for a completely new advance ticket, which might work out cheaper.

If you get on the wrong train, you will be charged the full open single.

brownbabygirl

ticketcollector wrote: »

I will repeat what ive said before with regards to the advance single.

You must get on the train that you have been reserved for. Guards are trained to ask for the reservation bit with advance tickets.
I would suggest you speak to a booking office ASAP, and ask about changing the ticket. It will cost you £10 admin fee.
Or you could look for a completely new advance ticket, which might work out cheaper.

If you get on the wrong train, you will be charged the full open single.

Thanks. It is so far in advance I might be able to sell it somewhere and buy a nw single ticket (£11.50).

brownbabygirl

i just placed an advert on gumtree Cardiff to try to sell it.

omelette451

brownbabygirl wrote: »

The outward journey is off peak single and the return journey is advance single. Thanks!

Did you check the fares for an 'off peak return' when you booked it? I don't know about this journey but most of the time it's no more than about a pound more to get a return than a single, and you wouldn't have had this problem...

gner_ex

As she gives her location as London, its hard to understand what she might have paid.

If it was Paddington-Cardiff, I can only assume that per outward ticket was an off-peak single (SVS) £60 and her returning ticket was an FGW advance ticket at £11.50 (ticket type WES).

Why on earth didn't she buy an off-peak period return (saver return) at £61? Would have allowed travel back on virtually any train.

If you started your journey somewhere other than Waterloo or Paddington, let me know where if this is a regular journey you make.

brownbabygirl

gner_ex wrote: »

Why on earth didn't she buy an off-peak period return (saver return) at £61? Would have allowed travel back on virtually any train.
.

I didnt know about it