I apologise Star does say Overdistance - but it only allows change of destination.
Which when you actually read the Manual is all it shows, but ya know, point me to the appropriate section that says I am wrong
As the excess fares section in The Manual only covers:
"Travel at a time or day for which tickets are not valid"
"Change of Route"
"Transfer to First Class accommodation"
"Over-riding (travelling beyond the destination on the ticket)"
"Deviation from the route on the ticket - to a new destination station"
I doubt anybody is really arguing about what the manual shows. It just seems odd that the system seems to be geared up for adding a little bit extra to the end of your journey, but not a little bit to the start. It's bizarre, that's all.
They make it easy to change routes, change class, change ticket type and travel beyond the original destination yet make it difficult to change the origin and start early. And it's not the passenger necessarily that they are making things difficult for, it's the ticket office staff.
Under the current system if a passenger already has a ticket but walks into a ticket office asking to pay the extra to start his journey sooner it appears the options are to:
(a) buy a separate ticket to cover the extra distance, or
(b) have their original ticket refunded and a whole new one issued.
In the case of option (a) it seems unfair on the passenger if the fares would have been the same in the first instance. Also there are occasions when a separate ticket is inappropriate: for example, the passengers original origin station is not a booked stop for the service they wish to travel on, thereby failing the multiple ticketing requirements.
In the case of option (b) it's just extra work for the ticket office staff, especially in the instance where any excess would be zero. I'm sure there's extra paperwork involved when processing refunds, no?
So it just seems that something which should be easy (and it is easy, rightly or wrongly, on the Avantix) is made complicated for staff in ticket offices. And for what reason? After all, the manual doesn't seem to expressly or explicitly forbid it - it just doesn't seem to have been thought of or included as an option.
Perhaps the ease by which it can be done using the Avantix is a simply a lapse in the programming. Or perhaps it's because the Avantix is for use on trains and extra latitude is necessary since the conductor cannot refund any ticket he himself has not sold and a separate ticket may be out of the question due to split ticketing restrictions, thereby saving awkward situations with a passenger who has already boarded.
How much simpler would it be for all involved if the system wasn't restricted to 'change of destination'?
Just my ha'pence worth.
(it used to be tuppence but there's a recession on)