How many days is a monthly season ticket?

[GodAtum]

Sorry for the stupid question but I cannot find any info on this whatsoever. is it 29 days, 30 or even 31 days?

 

[Hadders]

It's a calendar month so it can be 28,29,30 or 31 days depending on the month and year.

 

[JonathanH]

Sorry for the stupid question but I cannot find any info on this whatsoever. is it 29 days, 30 or even 31 days?

It is a month, regardless of the length of the month.

3.84 times a weekly ticket

 

[GodAtum]

It's a calendar month so it can be 28,29,30 or 31 days depending on the month and year.

So if I buy one starting 9th Nov, it'll end in 30 days (as there's 30 days in Nov) on 8th Dec? And if I renew on 9th Dec, it'll end in 31 days?

 

[Haywain]

Sorry for the stupid question but I cannot find any info on this whatsoever. is it 29 days, 30 or even 31 days?

To be absolutely clear, a monthly season that starts on the 5th of the month will be valid until the 4th of the next month, and so on. However, seasons can usually be purchased for any (custom) period between one month and one year, which may be more convenient.

 

[JonathanH]

However, seasons can usually be purchased for any (custom) period between one month and one year, which may be more convenient.

One won't be sold for a period of between 10½ months and a year, because it would be the same price as an annual, ie 40 times a weekly.

 

[Hadders]

So if I buy one starting 9th Nov, it'll end in 30 days (as there's 30 days in Nov) on 8th Dec? And if I renew on 9th Dec, it'll end in 31 days?

That's correct but bear in mind no services operate on 25th or 26th December, and there might be other days across the Christmas and new period when you possibly won't travel.

An odd-period monthly for 1month and 16 days from 8th November would take you up to Christmas Eve. Then start another monthly after Christmas or New Year.

 

[Snow1964]

Always worth checking when bank holidays fall, then considering odd period

eg starting a ticket on Tuesday after August bank holiday (August has 31 days) will get you to a Thursday on a month ticket, but if you buy month plus a day gets you to the Friday of 5th week, so effectively get 5 working weeks for cost of 3.84 weeks plus one day cost.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Some non-railway season tickets, such as those for the Manchester Metrolink tram network, are only available for 7 days, 28 days or for a year (365 consecutive days).

 

[alistairlees]

Some non-railway season tickets, such as those for the Manchester Metrolink tram network, are only available for 7 days, 28 days or for a year (365 consecutive days).

Some railway season tickets are only available for 4 weeks, rather than a calendar month, too.

 

[1955LR]

Some non-railway season tickets, such as those for the Manchester Metrolink tram network, are only available for 7 days, 28 days or for a year (365 consecutive days).

Getting slightly off subject ( Monthly) , is an annual one not a calendar year ,but 365 days

 

[miklcct]

Getting slightly off subject ( Monthly) , is an annual one not a calendar year ,but 365 days

An annual Travelcard is really an annual one. I used one last year well until the 366th day in the year.

 

[Haywain]

Getting slightly off subject ( Monthly) , is an annual one not a calendar year ,but 365 days

No, it's a calendar year.

 

[The exile]

Some railway season tickets are only available for 4 weeks, rather than a calendar month, too.

A fascinating one for its apparent inconsistency is the Bristol area Freedom Travelpass. The monthly version bought on 1/11/24 contains three indications of validity, viz 1) Valid until 30/11/24 (so calendar month) 2) 01 months and 00 days, 3) 28 days. To top that it counts as a rover so is issued with a flexi-rover “boxes ticket” with 16 boxes! It also used to stop working gate lines after 14 days (now apparently resolved).
Actual validity is 1 calendar month.

 

[PavlosA]

When I purchased monthlies I would always buy from a Monday to the Friday after 1 month later. Worth doing if you don't use the ticket on weekends as it saves you up to 24 days a year. Can also work out cheaper than annual if you know all your holidays.

I did buy a couple of flexi tickets, before I realised it's cheaper for me to buy anytime day returns with a network railcard on my journey. Which seems wrong. Flexi season - pay more, for less flexibility.

 

[MrJeeves]

When I purchased monthlies I would always buy from a Monday to the Friday after 1 month later. Worth doing if you don't use the ticket on weekends as it saves you up to 24 days a year. Can also work out cheaper than annual if you know all your holidays.

Of course, the other thing to consider is whether your journey is within the Gold Card area (for the discounts on other tickets and for people you travel with) as well as whether you're likely to do leisure trips that could be free/cheaper with a season ticket!

There's a lot of if's and but's when it comes to determining what season is best-value. It only then gets more complex when you have Railcards or a hybrid work pattern.

 

[Haywain]

I did buy a couple of flexi tickets, before I realised it's cheaper for me to buy anytime day returns with a network railcard on my journey.

If you are travelling at times when a Network Railcard is valid and you pay the minimum fare or more the Flexi-season isn't designed for you.

Flexi season - pay more, for less flexibility.

I'm not sure how you figure you are getting more flexibility though, as you are restricted to one return journey after 10.00 am. The flexi gives you unlimited journeys between the two points at all times of day.

 

[PavlosA]

If you are travelling at times when a Network Railcard is valid and you pay the minimum fare or more the Flexi-season isn't designed for you.

It's normal commuting, so before the Railcard validity in the morning and during validity in the afternoon.

I'm not sure how you figure you are getting more flexibility though, as you are restricted to one return journey after 10.00 am. The flexi gives you unlimited journeys between the two points at all times of day.

I'm sure I'm the same as 99% of commuters (which season tickets are generally catering for) in doing one journey in the morning and one in the afternoon. Using a ticket more than once in a day is probably something I did a handful of times in the ten years I purchased an annual season ticket.

Flexi seasons are certainly targeted at me - commuting 2/3 days a week on non-consecutive days. On my journey it's £296.10 (£37.01 per day). An Anytime Day Single is £21.20 (Edit: Apologies if I added confusion calling it an 'anytime day return' originally) and the afternoon leg with Railcard is £14.10. Total daily cost of £35.30. £1.71 cheaper per day, so £222.30 cheaper per year, less the Railcard cost = £192.30.

No doubt it's an anomaly, and most flexi seasons on my line don't fall into the same anomaly.

Don't get me started on how the NR season ticket calculator attempts to work things out.

 

[Haywain]

It's normal commuting, so before the Railcard validity in the morning and during validity in the afternoon.

I’m confused - you said an Anytime Day Return with a Network Railcard discount.

Edit: Apologies if I added confusion calling it an 'anytime day return' originally

You did. But my point stand that flexi-seasons are not aimed at railcard holders.

 

[kieron]

You did. But my point stand that flexi-seasons are not aimed at railcard holders.

If you're over 16 and travel in the Network area, being a railcard holder is a matter of personal choice.

If you travelled between Winnersh Triangle and London via Staines you'd only save 30p over 8 days of travel by buying a railcard, so probably wouldn't have one unless you made other use of it. If you went between Evesham and London you'd save £34.80, so probably would.

PavlosA is somwhere in the middle, so a flexi-season might be useful for someone who only expect to make that commute a few times. There isn't a population of non-railcard holders you can aim any product at, though, only people who don't have a railcard yet.

 

[redreni]

I’m confused - you said an Anytime Day Return with a Network Railcard discount.


You did. But my point stand that flexi-seasons are not aimed at railcard holders.

Maybe not, but why on earth would a commuter not buy a Network Railcard if it makes their commute cheaper?

Even the 30p saving mentioned above, over say 210 working days is going to save £40 more than it costs, even if you don't use the leisure travel benefits.

 

[Haywain]

Maybe not, but why on earth would a commuter not buy a Network Railcard if it makes their commute cheaper?

Why would they then complain that Flexi-seasons are more expensive!

 

[redreni]

Why would they then complain that Flexi-seasons are more expensive!

I think that's well down the long list of complaints about Flexi seasons, isn't it?

The railway's answer to the question "isn't it indirectly discriminatory to charge part-time workers significantly more for commuting than full-time workers?" seems to be to continue to do exactly that, but maybe to a slightly lesser degree.

But the fact an Anytime single plus a Network Railcard-discounted off-peak single each day can work out cheaper is symptomatic of the basic problem of Flexi seasons being overpriced.