10 teenagers (15+) St Albans to Brighton

[ChiefPlanner]

Helpful hints please for daughters group day out to Brighton plan - I guess the Groupsave or Daysave (which you can only buy bizzarely from the Tourist Office here) requires a genuine adult.

Otherwise it is a standard off peak fare ? (some may have railcards) - don't want them to rebook / go via London and Southern (which does very cheap on line fares)

 

[All Line Rover]

It is acceptable for any of the under 16s to buy an adult ticket, which would allow the entire group to use GroupSave or DaySave.

 

[34D]

It is acceptable for any of the under 16s to buy an adult ticket, which would allow the entire group to use GroupSave or DaySave.

Is this your opinion, or fact?

I'm not familiar with the proposed ticket, but other tickets with which I am familiar (example wy family day rover) do specify one actual adult.

By my reading of the opening post, the age range of the ladies is 15-19.

 

[All Line Rover]

Is this your opinion, or fact?

It's something that's so obvious I don't need to give you an answer. Research into the Family Railcard if you want more information.

 

[34D]

It's something that's so obvious I don't need to give you an answer. Research into the Family Railcard if you want more information.

Like for example the child must be an actual child and can't be invisible? With respect, I'd like an answer that backs up your statement.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Adults on the railway are 16 years of age and over, children 5-15 inclusive. You may get better advice if you are able to identify exact numbers of each. You may also want to state how many have 16-25 Railcards or (bit of a long shot) Family & Friends Railcards.

Alternatively, FCC may offer group discounts (other than Daysave or Groupsave) if you contact them.

Children can travel with Groupsave or Daysave ticket holders for £1 on a 'kids for a quid' deal. Alternatively kids can travel as adults on Groupsave. http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/tickets-and-fares/off-peak-tickets/groupsave/groupsave-tcs/

 

[Oscar]

Like for example the child must be an actual child and can't be invisible? With respect, I'd like an answer that backs up your statement.

I suspect that All Line Rover is referring to the "Special Note" in the Family and Friends Railcard Terms and Conditions which allows 16-year-olds who were 15 when the Railcard's validity began to travel at the CHFAM (Child Railcard) rate. These people can however obviously travel as an Adult, suggesting that entitlement to the Child fare does not exclude entitlement to the Adult fare. I suspect that there is little further evidence for this conclusion but it seems a reasonable one which is unlikely to be questioned by the vast majority of rail staff.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Thank you all - age ranges are 15 -16 , they are very sensible and apart from getting some 319 mileage (in especially 319682) they will be doing some sensible browsing down the Lanes.

Groupsave is the plan.

 

[tony_mac]

entitlement to the Child fare does not exclude entitlement to the Adult fare. I suspect that there is little further evidence for this conclusion

As far as I can see, there is a full fare, and (possibly) a discounted fare for children - there is no 'adult' fare per se.
Not all tickets necessarily even have child fares available. I see no evidence that suggests a full fare ticket isn't available to everybody.

However, FCC's groupsave documentation does say that all groups needs to include an adult, without specifying what they mean by this term. I would assume they mean somebody who can't pay a child fare, rather than somebody who chooses not to

 

[All Line Rover]

As far as I can see, there is a full fare, and (possibly) a discounted fare for children - there is no 'adult' fare per se.
Not all tickets necessarily even have child fares available. I see no evidence that suggests a full fare ticket isn't available to everybody.

Until I am proven otherwise, I will always be of the opinion that there is no such thing as an "adult" fare. The "adult" fare is the full, undiscounted fare that can be used by anybody.

"Child" fares are different, in that they are restricted to persons under the age of 16 (with the exception of CHFAM fares, which are restricted to persons under the age of 17 in certain circumstances).

 

[34D]

Thank you all - age ranges are 15 -16 , they are very sensible and apart from getting some 319 mileage (in especially 319682) they will be doing some sensible browsing down the Lanes.

Groupsave is the plan.

Well surely the 16 year olds count as an adult for the purposes of this thread?

 

[tannedfrog]

It's probably worth the 15 year olds who are travelling on the £1 fare to have proof of age, in case they meet with RPIs
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/aug/09/rail-complaints-increase#start-of-comments

I made a complaint recently to South West trains when a guard needlessly harassed my 15 year old daughter claiming she was much older and should not have bought a child's ticket. She had to pay 20 quid because she had no proof on her that she was indeed 15 and able to travel on a child's ticket. The guard would not have so easily harassed a group of young lads, instead he chose to pick his target a young girl, alone, who was quite shaken and intimidated when she arrived home, she did keep the receipt. Just one example of the customer service bullying that goes on, we, the customer should not have to continually prove that we are in the right and wait for reimbursement.

Typical bullying of soft targets by "ticket inspectors". I saw this a couple of weeks ago as I arrived in London at Waterloo: bewildered foreign girls being stopped by the gang of 6-8 thugs in uniform backed up by Community Support officers. Yet they don't stop two youths in hoodies who push through the centre of the crowd, obviously ticketless.