GTR new booking engine

[andrewkeith5]

It is some time since I used Southern but I seem to remember their site looked like this:

http://tickets.hulltrains.co.uk/ht/en/JourneyPlanning/MixingDeck

Indeed, it uses mixing deck which is used by all of the TOCs except for SWT, EMT and Virgin Trains if I recall correctly.

I buy all of my tickets from GWR for nectar points unless someone else has a better value offer.

 

[talldave]

The ludicrous amount of screen space dedicated to a map strikes me as utterly pointless. The site also doesn't remember your credit card details like the previous one did - thus making regular purchasing an unnecessarily time consuming process.

If you know the ticket you want, it takes more screens and clicks to complete the purchase than the previous site - how is that progress??

Of course, if I'd not seen/used their previous site, I might not be so disappointed. But to scrap a perfectly functional site and replace it with this cumbersome beast is a crazy move.

 

[talldave]

It is some time since I used Southern but I seem to remember their site looked like this:
http://tickets.hulltrains.co.uk/ht/en/JourneyPlanning/MixingDeck

Excellent - and 2% quidco cashback too.

Goodbye Southern!!!

 

[Clip]

Don't agree. The ludicrous amount of screen space dedicated to a map strikes me as utterly pointless. The site also doesn't remember your credit card details like the previous one did - thus making regular purchasing an unnecessarily time consuming process.

If you know the ticket you want, it takes more screens and clicks to complete the purchase than the previous site - how is that progress??

Of course, if I'd not seen/used their previous site, I might not be so disappointed. But to scrap a perfectly functional site and replace it with this cumbersome beast is a crazy move.

The map can be helpful for some people as there are places that have the same name and those unfamiliar can actually see if its in the right direction. And should help the halfwits who think Alton towers is in Alton.

Poor show if it doesn't save your details - were you logged in to an account then? Id recommend it to them if I were you .

 

[northwichcat]

One thing I like to see with online ticketing engines is the ability to sell tickets which some ticketing engines can't. For instance, any one of them can sell you a ticket to Liverpool South Parkway or Sandhills but to get a ticket sold to Liverpool Airport Bus or Anfield&Goodison isn't something every ticket engine can give you.

 

[button_boxer]

The map can be helpful for some people as there are places that have the same name and those unfamiliar can actually see if its in the right direction. And should help the halfwits who think Alton towers is in Alton.

Absolutely, the point that both talldave and myself are making is that once you've established that you've got the right stations, the map becomes superfluous - at that point what you care about is the selection of tickets available between those stations, which in the new engine is all concentrated in the one third or less of screen space not consumed by the map. Fair enough to make the new layout the default, the design flaw is the fact that it's impossible to hide the map if you don't need it.

 

[island]

Well the only thing keeping me at Southern is their no-fee refund, but I've only used that once or twice so wouldn't be a great loss.

Which sites look like Southern used to? Any of the ones with quidco cashback?

Southeastern offers a better refund policy than Southern as it will refund at no fee even if you've collected the tickets.

 

[talldave]

Southeastern offers a better refund policy than Southern as it will refund at no fee even if you've collected the tickets.

Thanks island I'll look into that too.

 

[andywandy]

I have to use the trainline unfortunetely. My Student credit card gives me 3% cashback (dropping to 1% next year) on all train tickets purchased online, however it doesn't recognize the ATW website as a train retailer.

That's the only use I can think of to use their site, even then if couldbe sure another TOC's website would give me the cashback I would use theirs.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Absolutely, the point that both talldave and myself are making is that once you've established that you've got the right stations, the map becomes superfluous - at that point what you care about is the selection of tickets available between those stations

I'll just disagree once more - to me anyway, the route taken and the proportion of the journey travelled on each TOC is also something I care about, and a rough visual representation of this (as given by the maps) is really useful.

I've attached an example where such a graphical indication can be useful and might make a passenger think twice about choosing the selected itinerary. Journey queried was Faversham to St Pancras at 0915 tomorrow, and one of the default itineraries the engine comes up with is the long way round via Ramsgate and Dover.

 

[greatkingrat]

In that case I think the journey time being more than twice as long is sufficient clue that it isn't the most direct route!

 

[causton]

In that case I think the journey time being more than twice as long is sufficient clue that it isn't the most direct route!

A map is easier to look at than words to read. The amount of people that book LM tickets on the VT site and don't notice the journey time doubling...!

 

[sarahj]

I've been forced to use the new incarnation of Southern's website tonight for the first time and can only say what an utter pile of crap. Why on earth do I need the majority of the screen filled with a map showing me where my start and end points are in the UK? I know where I live and where I'm going; what I need is lots of information about trains and tickets, not some patronising oversized graphic containing bugger all useful information filling most of my browser window!

But the most critical error is that when you purchase tickets, the collection reference is no longer included in the confirmation email. I mean, how stupid are these people? The only useful element of an online ticket purchase - the collection reference - is the one piece of information they fail to include in the email.

I never cease to be amazed at how utterly stupid Southern are. Now that quidco cashback has vanished maybe it's time to find a ticket supplier who hasn't trashed their site?

This error is getting quite noticeable, I've had a few in the last few days who have been unable to pick up tickets due to this. Since I knew of the issue from here I've let them travel and to pick up tickets at Victoria. (one was for a travelcard, so they do need it for their trips round london).

 

[Hadders]

Surely someone in a senior position working for Govia must read these boards and could sort out this issue, quick sharp.

If it was a routeing anomaly they'd get it sorted without delay....

 

[talldave]

This error is getting quite noticeable, I've had a few in the last few days who have been unable to pick up tickets due to this. Since I knew of the issue from here I've let them travel and to pick up tickets at Victoria. (one was for a travelcard, so they do need it for their trips round london).

They have now fixed it, to be fair. But that doesn't excuse the fact that such a major, obvious, f*** up was allowed through in the first place. Does nobody responsible for anything in Southern have an IQ greater than zero??! Have they ever heard of the words "Specification" and "Test"? I think not. If I created such crap in my job, I'd be fired.

However, having fixed it, they don't know they've fixed it, so have replied to my email complaint with one of the standard - we didn't read a word you wrote, it's more complicated than "what does a train look like?", so we'll forward it on to the second level idiot team to not answer instead.

 

[PermitToTravel]

The map can be helpful for some people as there are places that have the same name and those unfamiliar can actually see if its in the right direction. And should help the halfwits who think Alton towers is in Alton.

I don't think it will help them - they'll see a map with Alton on it and still go there, unless the map is annotated in big red letters to say that the rollercoasters are a long way ↖ that way

 

[JaJaWa]

I don't think it will help them - they'll see a map with Alton on it and still go there, unless the map is annotated in big red letters to say that the rollercoasters are a long way ↖ that way

I've got a friend that drove to Alton in an attempt to go to Alton Towers so that is definitely true! (They ended up going to Thorpe Park).

 

[PermitToTravel]

Ouch! Hopefully from nearer St. Albans than Leeds!

At least typing Thorpe into Google Maps successfully gets you near the latter. Should the former rename to Uttoxeter Towers?

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Ouch! Hopefully from nearer St. Albans than Leeds!

At least typing Thorpe into Google Maps successfully gets you near the latter. Should the former rename to Uttoxeter Towers?

But Alton Towers is right next to Alton!

They are on opposite sides of a valley, between which is Alton Station - available as a self-catering hire to those with enough cash.

Alton, Alton Castle, Alton Station, Alton Towers - I see a pattern emerging.

I had the email from Southern re the new beta site. What concerned me was that my account is now suspended / terminated (because I didn't follow the link to reset my password) yet the new site is only beta. Myself, I'd prefer to wait for the finished version, and I'd prefer it if Southern had done the same.

 

[talldave]

I used the Hull Trains site yesterday for the first time. Nectar points, 2% quidco, no excessively large maps and it offered to remember my credit card details.

A couple of possible improvements : the list of stations for ToD collection ran out at the letter C and it doesn't offer Annual Gold Card Railcard discount (still refers to Network Gold Card).

So Southern can take their useless site and incompetent customer service and inflict it on someone else; I'm off!

 

[Clip]

I don't think it will help them - they'll see a map with Alton on it and still go there, unless the map is annotated in big red letters to say that the rollercoasters are a long way ↖ that way

Most generally know that it is in the north though and by seeing a map pointing south should make them realise that is wrong.

They have now fixed it, to be fair. But that doesn't excuse the fact that such a major, obvious, f*** up was allowed through in the first place. Does nobody responsible for anything in Southern have an IQ greater than zero??! Have they ever heard of the words "Specification" and "Test"? I think not. If I created such crap in my job, I'd be fired.

.

Wow a website failed - whatever next, water becoming wet?

 

[talldave]

Most generally know that it is in the north though and by seeing a map pointing south should make them realise that is wrong.



Wow a website failed - whatever next, water becoming wet?

The website didn't fail, GTR's coding muppets simply omitted the code to include the booking reference because they're incompetent. Only after inconveniencing hundreds of customers have they corrected their error. It's a brain numbingly stupid error that any professional organisation shouldn't be making. GTR are incompetent at everything customer facing sadly, so it's no surprise at all.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

My first experience of the new site today... what a crap interface!

A friend who makes occasional off-peak journeys into Kings Cross from Welwyn North tried - at my suggestion - to buy some Carnet tickets, as his irregular trips mean a Season ticket is not appropriate. He and I were mystified that Carnet tickets do not appear as an option at all for Welwyn North. They do, however, appear for Welwyn Garden City, but are only only offered when you search for return tickets. Are Carnet tickets not available for Welwyn North? If so, why is this?

Also, under 'ticket details' for the WGC Carnet tickets, the following claim is made:

Your ticket is only valid for travel to a London Terminal station using National Rail services. It is not valid for travel between London Terminals stations using London Underground services or any mode of transport other than National Rail

As I understand it, a London Terminals ticket DOES include onward travel from Kings Cross to Moorgate on the Circle / Metroplitan lines, despite GTR claiming otherwise. Am I right ?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

A map is easier to look at than words to read. The amount of people that book LM tickets on the VT site and don't notice the journey time doubling...!

In that example, the map would not help the terminally stupid either, surely? Because the map of the route taken by a LM or VT train would be identical, would it not Giving no clue that the LM journey takes much longer ...

 

[Paul Kelly]

In that example, the map would not help the terminally stupid either, surely? Because the map of the route taken by a LM or VT train would be identical, would it not Giving no clue that the LM journey takes much longer ...

The maps also show the name of the TOC used, in reasonably large print, with different colours used for each TOC when a journey involves more than one.

 

[cookie365]

According to one of the staff at Brighton today, a lot of bookings made through the new website are just vanishing with the machines not recognising the journeys when you try to collect.

 

[talldave]

According to one of the staff at Brighton today, a lot of bookings made through the new website are just vanishing with the machines not recognising the journeys when you try to collect.

That could be the same problem I was complaining about, since the confirmation email contained a reference number, it just wasn't the collection reference! So typing it into a TVM would give the impression of the booking not being found.

Of course, GTR managers swanning around the network on free travel wouldn't even think of apologising for the inconvenience their incompetence causes to paying customers. Their dim-witted customer service muppets haven't even understood the problem yet.

 

[cookie365]

That could be the same problem I was complaining about, since the confirmation email contained a reference number, it just wasn't the collection reference! So typing it into a TVM would give the impression of the booking not being found.

Of course, GTR managers swanning around the network on free travel wouldn't even think of apologising for the inconvenience their incompetence causes to paying customers. Their dim-witted customer service muppets haven't even understood the problem yet.

No, he was talking about recent ones with correct collection references.

 

[sheff1]

Most generally know that it is in the north though and by seeing a map pointing south should make them realise that is wrong.

Alton Towers is in the north - when did that happen ? Up until now I have always headed south.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Alton Towers is in the north - when did that happen ? Up until now I have always headed south.

Now you see why people get so confused and turn up at the wrong Alton. It's east from where I live.

 

[Yorkshireguy]

The website didn't fail, GTR's coding muppets simply omitted the code to include the booking reference because they're incompetent. Only after inconveniencing hundreds of customers have they corrected their error. It's a brain numbingly stupid error that any professional organisation shouldn't be making. GTR are incompetent at everything customer facing sadly, so it's no surprise at all.

I saw a post when the Northern (or TPE, can't remember, I think Northern) franchise winner rumours were going around that said that Govia's bid had been rejected for being substandard, so if true, I think that shows GTR/Govia aren't just incompetent, they plain don't care.

Have I went too off-topic?