MSE News: Rail passengers using self-service machines to get a better deal

Pincher

Ah, the wonders of Thameslink.


I'm in North London Zone 4, and the Thameslink is great for Luton and Gatwick. No issues getting to Luton, but it's a bit tricky going to Gatwick.


A simple single is about £15, but you need to know not to pick "All routes", which is about £20. The reason is "All routes" allows you to use the Gatwick Express, which is slower because I have to get to Victoria first, whereas the Thameslink can take me all the way. Three weeks ago, 5am, without the aid of coffee, I just caught myself and bought the £15 ticket. Could easily have just paid the "All routes" price.


Theoretically, I should be able to use the Oyster to get to East Croydon, and then buy a single for the last leg East Croydon to Gatwick. I seem to remember working it out once, and it's a few pounds cheaper, but that means getting off the train in East Croydon, and catch the next train to Gatwick. If I swipe the Oyster when I get on initially, I would have to get off in East Croydon to swipe out, otherwise I will get charged the ~£10 maximum because the system doesn't know where I got out.


Another problem is, getting to Gatwick with just the Oyster means I end up getting fined for travelling without a ticket.


The holiday charter flights always depart early, so there is never a person in the ticket office. Actually, it's such a small station, there's hardly anybody there most of the time. One of these days, I hope I can go to a manned ticket window, and ask for the TFL single + East Croydon-Gatwick ticket. I fully expect being told it can't be done, because the system just wants to sell me the £15 ticket.

mr_jrt

Pincher wrote: »

Theoretically, I should be able to use the Oyster to get to East Croydon, and then buy a single for the last leg East Croydon to Gatwick. I seem to remember working it out once, and it's a few pounds cheaper, but that means getting off the train in East Croydon, and catch the next train to Gatwick. If I swipe the Oyster when I get on initially, I would have to get off in East Croydon to swipe out, otherwise I will get charged the ~£10 maximum because the system doesn't know where I got out.

Another problem is, getting to Gatwick with just the Oyster means I end up getting fined for travelling without a ticket.

The holiday charter flights always depart early, so there is never a person in the ticket office. Actually, it's such a small station, there's hardly anybody there most of the time. One of these days, I hope I can go to a manned ticket window, and ask for the TFL single + East Croydon-Gatwick ticket. I fully expect being told it can't be done, because the system just wants to sell me the £15 ticket.

Handily, Oyster is being extended to Gatwick from September (pages 19 & 21). Heaven knows how they'll zone it, but some good news

...I suspect we'll see something along the lines of:
Zone 7 - Coulsdon South
Zone 7 - Merstham
Zone 8 - Redhill
Zone 8 - Earlswood
Zone 9 - Salfords
Zone 9 - Horley
Zone Gatwick? - Gatwick

newbie_saver

Perhaps this is a known thing but I was quite surprised to find out that my FGW standard advance ticket (booked online more than a month in advance!) turned out to be £5.00 (20% of the original price) more than what I could have paid at the ticket counter on the day.

The explanation (I paraphrase) was that it might have been due to the EasyJet style supply-demand rise and drop of ticket prices on the day when I booked the standard advance! So, I am hoping that the ticket machine doesn't have such clever pricing mechanism built in.

dzug1

mr_jrt wrote: »

Handily, Oyster is being extended to Gatwick from September (pages 19 & 21). Heaven knows how they'll zone it, but some good news

...I suspect we'll see something along the lines of:
Zone 7 - Coulsdon South
Zone 7 - Merstham
Zone 8 - Redhill
Zone 8 - Earlswood
Zone 9 - Salfords
Zone 9 - Horley
Zone Gatwick? - Gatwick

Coulsdon South is in zone 6 now - I doubt they will shift it

Mobeer

Coulsdon South is Zone 6 already

dzug1

newbie_saver wrote: »

Perhaps this is a known thing but I was quite surprised to find out that my FGW standard advance ticket (booked online more than a month in advance!) turned out to be £5.00 (20% of the original price) more than what I could have paid at the ticket counter on the day.

The explanation (I paraphrase) was that it might have been due to the EasyJet style supply-demand rise and drop of ticket prices on the day when I booked the standard advance! So, I am hoping that the ticket machine doesn't have such clever pricing mechanism built in.

Not sure I understand what you are saying


You can't buy a 'standard advance ticket' with FGW on the day - by definition they have to be bought in advance.


But as to why a walkon ticket should be cheaper than an advance - pass. I suspect some misunderstanding somewhere

Pincher

mr_jrt wrote: »

Handily, Oyster is being extended to Gatwick from September (pages 19 & 21). Heaven knows how they'll zone it, but some good news

...I suspect we'll see something along the lines of:
Zone 7 - Coulsdon South
Zone 7 - Merstham
Zone 8 - Redhill
Zone 8 - Earlswood
Zone 9 - Salfords
Zone 9 - Horley
Zone Gatwick? - Gatwick

I read something about it, but it was one of those Boris Johnson would like to haves. Is this a Ukraine style annexing of Gatwick into Soviet London?



Looking forward to it.

Edwardia

If you're wanting to get from Kent to Brighton, the journey planner on National Rail insists for most departure stations that the way to do it is get a high speed train to London St Pancras International. From there it's either a slow Thameslink or a tube to London Victoria and then another train.

You have to know that if you can get to Ashford International, you can get to the Brighton main line by taking a train through Tonbridge changing at Redhill OR by taking the Marsh Link diesel down the scenic but slow coastal route direct to Brighton.

Yes that can be complicated timetable wise and fare wise, but I always operate on the principles that if I can avoid forking out £70 quid to London on a high speed and avoid London altogether I *should* save money.

However OH has found that popular routes can be more expensive. He found it was cheaper to buy a rtn from Ashford Intl to Redhill and get of at Tonbridge than buy an Ashford Int-Tonbridge rtn. Doing that saves £3. It makes a mockery of fare zones.

I have found that it's usually cheaper to buy a non-high speed rtn to a named London station than to buy a rtn from London. It's also cheaper by 10p to buy a single to Maidstone East from some village stations than it is to buy a single from Maidstone East there.

geerex

Pincher wrote: »

Most cheap tickets are advance purchase, for off-peak times any way. Turning up at the station and try to get the cheapest ticket reminds me of the old joke:


Q: How do I get to Cleethorpe?
A: I wouldn't start from here if I were you.

I know jokes are less funny when they need explaining, but why is that funny?

Pincher

geerex wrote: »

I know jokes are less funny when they need explaining, but why is that funny?

I think the full version is:


Somebody is lost in the countryside, so asks a local for direction. The old codger replies in a West country accent, "I wouldn't start from here if I were you."


The relevance is simply you should have booked on the internet weeks before if you wanted to get a cheap ticket. In terms of funny, it's the Dumb and Dumber style of humour.