LNER Smart Save

[moleman212]

Has the LNER app done away with split ticketing (Smart Save) - Doesn't show at all for an LNER journey on advances that I want to take that are cheaper as splits.

 

[Adam Williams]

It does appear so, I can't get it to surface (even keeping in mind the usual limitations - e.g. ensuring no Railcard is applied).

Perhaps illustrates the danger of relying on the train operator to split for you.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It does appear so, I can't get it to surface (even keeping in mind the usual limitations - e.g. ensuring no Railcard is applied).

Perhaps illustrates the danger of relying on the train operator to split for you.

Worth noting that (I think) it only ever split Advances - most of the good value splits on the fare increase trial routes involve part of the route being a non-London day single/return so they don't come up even where it is working. It's notable that Trainline do show these so I bet (given Trainline's market share) they're having a big impact on the trial itself - can't say I'm upset by that

 

[Haywain]

Perhaps illustrates the danger of relying on the train operator to split for you.

The advantage was that it split the price but not the ticket.

Worth noting that (I think) it only ever split Advances

I think that's correct, it was only (LNER) Advances. Although having typed that I'm now doubting myself!

 

[Adam Williams]

The advantage was that it split the price but not the ticket.

In a way no other TIS supplier would get away with doing, yeah

Not of any concern to the end-customer, of course.

 

[Bletchleyite]

In a way no other TIS supplier would get away with doing, yeah

The way it works/worked (I did buy one once) was to apply a percentage discount to the through Advance fare to bring it in line with the cost of the two split Advances added together. (I'm sure you know that but others may find it of interest).

 

[Adam Williams]

The way it works/worked (I did buy one once) was to apply a percentage discount to the through Advance fare to bring it in line with the cost of the two split Advances added together. (I'm sure you know that but others may find it of interest).

You're quite right, and obviously if you're going to get the revenue from ORCATS anyway because you're both the fare setter and retailer, then doing that doesn't make the slightest bit of difference to your overall position. Note that they never did it on &Connections tickets/non-LNER services or in cases where another operator was involved.

 

[Haywain]

Note that they never did it on &Connections tickets/non-LNER services or in cases where another operator was involved.

There was a suggestion at one time that it would be applied to flexible tickets as well but that idea was, fortunately, quashed!

 

[Bletchleyite]

There was a suggestion at one time that it would be applied to flexible tickets as well but that idea was, fortunately, quashed!

It would probably be easier to write a script to go through all the walk-up fares and highlight those which had this sort of anomaly so it could be fixed than have the complexity of making the retailer do it. It's of note that nobody bothered writing such a script to check the south WCML Anytimes before they went live, though - there are quite a lot of split savings - it's surprising that a totally new clean-sheet fare set on a simple straight-line route with only one possible route for each journey was allowed to have such anomalies from day one.

With Advances it's more understandable as it happens quite a lot when a given quota level is available for only part of the journey.

 

[Haywain]

It would probably be easier to write a script to go through all the walk-up fares and highlight those which had this sort of anomaly so it could be fixed

If it was that easy there wouldn't be anomalies.

 

[Sealink]

Has the LNER app done away with split ticketing (Smart Save) - Doesn't show at all for an LNER journey on advances that I want to take that are cheaper as splits.

I never found the LNER Smart Save that good... discounts where generally in the single pounds (whereas a Split Ticketing website saved me almost £150 for the same journey.

 

[Kite159]

..

It would probably be easier to write a script to go through all the walk-up fares and highlight those which had this sort of anomaly so it could be fixed than have the complexity of making the retailer do it. It's of note that nobody bothered writing such a script to check the south WCML Anytimes before they went live, though - there are quite a lot of split savings - it's surprising that a totally new clean-sheet fare set on a simple straight-line route with only one possible route for each journey was allowed to have such anomalies from day one.

With Advances it's more understandable as it happens quite a lot when a given quota level is available for only part of the journey.

Or in the case of LNER if you were looking for advance tickets for London to Newcastle ->Edinburgh at times where the super offpeak single would be valid if it still existed some savings when the system would generate something like London to Darlington & Darlington to Edinburgh which still benefit from the price cap.

 

[alistairlees]

I think it was removed in November.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think it was removed in November.

Sneaky. One wonders if it was because it had an adverse effect on the fare increase trial.

(If travelling on those routes and not needing a flexible fare be sure to use a proper splitting site, it will probably save you a fortune!)

 

[Wallsendmag]

Don't think it's been switched on for ages

 

[redreni]

In a way no other TIS supplier would get away with doing, yeah

Not of any concern to the end-customer, of course.

No, I suppose not. Not if it's only splitting Advances.

I guess in the case of disruption, say the scheduled train is cancelled and the next one doesn't call at the split point, it could be better to have the through ticket rather than split tickets. Appreciate that's stretching a point, though.

 

[Joe Paxton]

It would probably be easier to write a script to go through all the walk-up fares and highlight those which had this sort of anomaly so it could be fixed than have the complexity of making the retailer do it. It's of note that nobody bothered writing such a script to check the south WCML Anytimes before they went live, though - there are quite a lot of split savings - it's surprising that a totally new clean-sheet fare set on a simple straight-line route with only one possible route for each journey was allowed to have such anomalies from day one.

With Advances it's more understandable as it happens quite a lot when a given quota level is available for only part of the journey.

I've missed this development - so Avanti have set new Anytime fares on the WCML?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've missed this development - so Avanti have set new Anytime fares on the WCML?

South WCML. Specifically Bletchley to Euston inclusive as part of Project Oval - see the thread on that for more detailed discussion.

 

[Haywain]

South WCML. Specifically Bletchley to Euston inclusive as part of Project Oval - see the thread on that for more detailed discussion.

They're not fares set by Avanti, are they?

 

[Joe Paxton]

South WCML. Specifically Bletchley to Euston inclusive as part of Project Oval - see the thread on that for more detailed discussion.

Aha, gotcha, you were referring to the Project Oval related fare changes.

They're not fares set by Avanti, are they?

I've a feeling they were set centrally (by the RDG).

 

[Bletchleyite]

They're not fares set by Avanti, are they?

No, they're not (and I didn't say they were!)

I guess the million quid Avanti Anytimes are so infamous everyone assumes those are under discussion!