Manchester Picc to Doncaster

[The Snap]

Hi all,

I've had tickets booked through the ‘Click’ system at work to travel to Doncaster from Manchester Piccadilly tomorrow (and return).

The booking confirmation shows I have been booked on specific trains both ways, as follows:

25/06/10 (Friday)
Depart Manchester Piccadilly (MAN) @ 0855 , Arrive Leeds (LDS) @ 0952
TRANSPENNINE EXPRESS

25/06/10 (Friday)
Depart Leeds (LDS) @ 1005 , Arrive Doncaster (DON) @ 1035
EAST COAST

25/06/10 (Friday)
Depart Doncaster (DON) @ 1758 , Arrive Sheffield (SHF) @ 1820
CROSSCOUNTRY

25/06/10 (Friday)
Depart Sheffield (SHF) @ 1842 , Arrive Manchester Piccadilly (MAN) @ 1936
EAST MIDLANDS TRAINS

The booking confirmation also shows:

Ticket Type
Anytime Day Single

Single/Return
Single

Route
Any Permitted

This to me, then, means I can technically ignore all the ticket reservations and travel direct on the TPX from Piccadilly to Doncaster, without messing about going to Leeds (outbound) and changing at Sheffield (inbound)....please can someone confirm this, or correct me if I'm wrong?

Cheers,
Rich

 

[John @ home]

I can technically ignore all the ticket reservations and travel direct on the TPX from Piccadilly to Doncaster, without messing about going to Leeds (outbound) and changing at Sheffield (inbound)....please can someone confirm this, or correct me if I'm wrong?

I suspect your outward ticket says "route LEEDS".

If so, it is valid via Sheffield - a cheaper "permitted route", but if I were travelling I would seek to obtain a £0.00 excess fare ticket prior to travel.

An Anytime Day Single Doncaster - Manchester route Sheffield would not be permitted via Leeds without additional payment, because Leeds is the more expensive route for this ticket type.

 

[northwichcat]

I'm a bit confused why you have two singles for a return journey on the same day when one is an Anytime Day Single. Is the outward one an Advance single? If it is it's only valid on the trains shown on the ticket.

A £16.20 Anytime Day Single is only valid via Sheffield. A £18.50 one is for travel via Leeds, but as John@home has pointed out as it's a more expensive option you shouldn't have any problems using it via Sheffield.

If you don't have an Advance ticket there's a £23.90 Anytime Return routeheffield ticket which would have seem a suitable toption.

 

[John @ home]

I'm a bit confused why you have two singles for a return journey on the same day when one is an Anytime Day Single. ...

If you don't have an Advance ticket there's a £23.90 Anytime Return routeheffield ticket which would have seem a suitable toption.

I think the reason may be because there are no "Any Permitted" route fares for this journey.

If journeys are selected via Leeds in one direction and via Sheffield in the other - perhaps these are the fastest at the planned times of travel - then the online ticket vendors will sell two singles.

 

[The Snap]

Sorry, perhaps my initial post wasn't clear enough. I have been provided with two tickets (one outbound and one inbound) - both are Anytime Day Singles. The booking confirmation also states that both tickets are 'Route Any Permitted'.

Cheers,

 

[northwichcat]

The booking confirmation also states that both tickets are 'Route Any Permitted'.

Cheers,

It's not that people won't be able to understand that. It's the fact that a Manchester to Doncaster Route:Any Permitted doesn't exist. The staff checking tickets won't check what it says on an email you've printed out, they'll check your ticket and if the ticket cost was £16.20 then it's only valid via Sheffield and if the ticket cost £18.50 then it's valid via Leeds, but you should be available to use the £18.50 one via Sheffield as it's a cheaper route.

 

[Donny Dave]

Your system is confusing ....

If you've been issued 2 Anytime Singles, then you (or your company) have been robbed !

There is a Off Peak Day Return available for £16.30, which is valid on the 0920 from Manchester, and gets you to Doncaster at 1040, or you you want to travel a bit earlier, an Offpeak Return for £18.70 which is valid on any train. (Note, these are both Route: Sheffield tickets.)

Even as I type this, there is still a number of AP singles available for £8 each way, although most of these are not at the times you want (going by your opening post).

 

[The Snap]

Your system is confusing ....

If you've been issued 2 Anytime Singles, then you (or your company) have been robbed !

There is a Off Peak Day Return available for £16.30, which is valid on the 0920 from Manchester, and gets you to Doncaster at 1040, or you you want to travel a bit earlier, an Offpeak Return for £18.70 which is valid on any train. (Note, these are both Route: Sheffield tickets.)

Even as I type this, there is still a number of AP singles available for £8 each way, although most of these are not at the times you want (going by your opening post).

Not my system...the 'travel bookers' use a system called Click Travel to arrange all travel tickets/hotels etc. At least my tickets are open so I'm not restricted to a particualr train.

Cheers for the help,

 

[northwichcat]

Not my system...the 'travel bookers' use a system called Click Travel to arrange all travel tickets/hotels etc. At least my tickets are open so I'm not restricted to a particualr train.

Cheers for the help,

Whether it's your system or not your company is being ripped off. I obviously don't know how your company operates and what position you're in but if your company's wasting a lot of money on train tickets (and possibly on hotels as well) then you could miss out on pay rises due to insufficient funds.

 

[John @ home]

the 'travel bookers' use a system called Click Travel to arrange all travel tickets/hotels etc.

We are getting confused by the operation of this system. The fares manuals, both the CD available for purchase and the internal industry one, do not show any Manchester Stations - Doncaster route Any Permitted fares.

It would be helpful if you could post the whole of your booking confirmation - blanking out any personal or confidential information.

 

[yorkie]

This company is being ripped-off. I hope that the overspend on tickets is taken from the profits and not by overcharging customers

It looks like this company is happy to spend £16.20 and £18.50 on 2 x Anytime Day Singles. Yet they could spend only £18.70 on a return that is valid on ANY TRAIN (via Sheffield), returning within 1 month. If they really want to go via Leeds one way then they can excess one portion for £1.20. Or there is an Anytime ticket for a slightly different journey, but valid between MAN and DON, that is only £20.80 that is valid via either route (PM sent to the OP with details) that is less hassle than getting an excess.

This company is paying around double what they should be paying. If they do that on all tickets, and a lot of people go by rail in that company, that's a lot of money they are losing.

 

[sheff1]

This company is paying around double what they should be paying. If they do that on all tickets, and a lot of people go by rail in that company, that's a lot of money they are losing.

I suspect this sort of ripoff is widespread. My employer used to let people buy train tickets and claim the cost back. Then, a few years ago, changed the system so that an agency books them for us. I would say at least 50% of the tickets I receive are dearer than the proper fare for the journey being made - sometimes nearly double, as in this case.

When I tried to point this out to the powers-that-be the response was (i) the agency knows best (ii) they give us a 5% discount on the face value - pretty good business if you are charging 50% over the odds.

 

[northwichcat]

(ii) they give us a 5% discount on the face value - pretty good business if you are charging 50% over the odds.

And the agency probably get 10% cashback on ticket purchases, which any company could get if they look in the right place.

 

[The Snap]

This company is paying around double what they should be paying. If they do that on all tickets, and a lot of people go by rail in that company, that's a lot of money they are losing.

Believe it or not, the Travel & Expenses policy has just been revised to help save money! LOL.

I suspect this sort of ripoff is widespread. My employer used to let people buy train tickets and claim the cost back. Then, a few years ago, changed the system so that an agency books them for us. I would say at least 50% of the tickets I receive are dearer than the proper fare for the journey being made - sometimes nearly double, as in this case.

When I tried to point this out to the powers-that-be the response was (i) the agency knows best (ii) they give us a 5% discount on the face value - pretty good business if you are charging 50% over the odds.

Exactly what our company do. Hence, it's not the company that's being daft (more them being taken for a ride!). The travel booking system that they pay an annual fee to in order to get 'the best deals' seem to be pulling a fast one!

I may recommend you lot to the company and suggest they employ you in some kind of Ticket Booking Advice Team .

 

[Deerfold]

Believe it or not, the Travel & Expenses policy has just been revised to help save money! LOL.



Exactly what our company do. Hence, it's not the company that's being daft (more them being taken for a ride!). The travel booking system that they pay an annual fee to in order to get 'the best deals' seem to be pulling a fast one!

I may recommend you lot to the company and suggest they employ you in some kind of Ticket Booking Advice Team .

I'm not up with the big league of experts here, but my wife recommended to her company that they employ me to sort out their train tickets instead of the agency that always books an open return even when told to book an advance - I book hers for her, saving her company a small fortune.

 

[bnm]

I've also been 'employed' by a friend who runs a small business, helping them get the best deals for rail travel. They had previously also used an agency that charged an annual fee as well as offering 'Anytime' fares as the norm - even for colleagues travelling at weekends!!

 

[bb21]

I've also been 'employed' by a friend who runs a small business, helping them get the best deals for rail travel. They had previously also used an agency that charged an annual fee as well as offering 'Anytime' fares as the norm - even for colleagues travelling at weekends!!

Goodness me I never knew this was such a wide-spread practice. Our tickets on CPD courses are all centrally booked. A few months ago I received a pair of full fare Anytime Returns for Leicester-Edinburgh Route Derby for a Tuesday afternoon (out) and Saturday morning departure (rtn), that is despite having asked for it to be Y-P discounted and certain trains specified. Just happens that the agent was delivering the tickets when I was at the reception so it is safe to say that I gave him a good grilling as to why the department forked out over £400 for something that should have cost less than £150.

The best bit was when I queried why it was necessary to book Anytime tickets, his answer was that I would be travelling in the morning during peak time (on a Saturday :?). Suffice to say that he had to redo the tickets as my HOD heard the conversation and felt the need to intervene. He was not a happy bunny but unfortunately the training room would be the only place he belongs.

:mad::mad:

 

[142094]

Shows you what happens with outsourcing.