MSE News: Season ticket holders lose out as Virgin overhauls East Coast's loyalty sch

giraffe69

Of course many more people are using the railways - but that would have happened under public ownership, with proper investment, just as readily.

Perhaps that is the key. Lots of industries that were nationalised suffered from a lack of investment. Now privatised they are far from perfect but have generally have a motive to invest more and make up for the underinvestment that took place for so long. I'm not at all sure that public ownership and "proper" investment go together.

In the matter of loyalty schemes that started this thread I used the east coast scheme. The Virgin scheme is significantly worse especially as I bought tickets from East Coast but didn't travel much on their services so I've registered now with First Hull. At least I have a choice as I do with Electricity Gas and many other services these days.

SimonSays

Doc_N wrote: »

No reason why it shouldn't have done. It operated efficiently, made good profits for the government and was well liked by its customers.

Only political considerations (the Tories hating anything run by the public sector - including the NHS - and loving the private sector, even when two previous private franchises on the East Coast Main Line have failed) stopped it.

Now we're all prey to the usual Virgin rip-off pricing.

DOR said they were the operator of last resort not the long term operator.

I don't see or have any issues with Virgin.

mjm3346

One day pass: 50 points
Three day pass: 715 points
Six months pass: 1,125 points
12 months pass: 2,050 points

Presumably the "Three day pass" should be a "Three Month pass" for that number of points.

pleasedelete

Did it take MSE 2 weeks (or rather several months to latch onto this). Head for points and save east coast have been on the ball for months. Rather too late to join the party or rather jump on a bandwagon

pleasedelete

Plus you only need 80,000 for an UC reward to New York and about £600 in fees and has anyone ever called Virgin atlantic Flying Club -VAFC? Everything is called VS by everyone- again V flyer is a fab website for all things virgin atlantic

Really carp journalism. very basic mistakes in the article.