Booking with someone else's railcard...

[Marcus Fox]

Can I use someone else's railcard to book a ticket for them to travel on?
Can't take them to the station as well as it's for a surprise trip.

Marcus

[Paul Weaver]

Post by Marcus Fox
Can I use someone else's railcard to book a ticket for them to travel on?
Can't take them to the station as well as it's for a surprise trip.

Order via the trainline? Or buy from a fast ticket machine?

[Joyce Whitchurch]

Post by Paul Weaver

Post by Marcus Fox
Can I use someone else's railcard to book a ticket for them to travel on?
Can't take them to the station as well as it's for a surprise trip.

Order via the trainline? Or buy from a fast ticket machine?

If you prefer to book the ticket with a booking clerk, just explain to
them that it's for someone else. The ticket is only valid when presented
with a valid railcard, which in this case means a railcard with a
picture of the passenger.

I daresay this falls foul of the "not transferable" rule, but that is
really a catch-all rule aimed at other problems (like people selling on
the return portions of reduced fare tickets).

[Bob Wood]

Post by Joyce Whitchurch
If you prefer to book the ticket with a booking clerk, just explain to
them that it's for someone else. The ticket is only valid when
presented with a valid railcard, which in this case means a railcard
with a picture of the passenger.
I daresay this falls foul of the "not transferable" rule, but that is
really a catch-all rule aimed at other problems (like people selling
on the return portions of reduced fare tickets).

The ticket will be being used by the person for whom it was bought.
Tickets are often bought for the use of other people, particularly when
groups are travelling together. The 'not transferable' rule is not
relevant here.

I can't see anything in the Railcard T&Cs which would not allow a ticket
to be sold in this way, although I imagine that a few booking clerks
would tell you that there was. Let's hope the OP doesn't meet up with
one of the few.

[Michael Hopkins]

Post by Bob Wood

Post by Joyce Whitchurch
If you prefer to book the ticket with a booking clerk, just explain to
them that it's for someone else. The ticket is only valid when
presented with a valid railcard, which in this case means a railcard
with a picture of the passenger.
I daresay this falls foul of the "not transferable" rule, but that is
really a catch-all rule aimed at other problems (like people selling
on the return portions of reduced fare tickets).

The ticket will be being used by the person for whom it was bought.
Tickets are often bought for the use of other people, particularly when
groups are travelling together. The 'not transferable' rule is not
relevant here.
I can't see anything in the Railcard T&Cs which would not allow a ticket
to be sold in this way, although I imagine that a few booking clerks
would tell you that there was. Let's hope the OP doesn't meet up with
one of the few.

When I was still at school (~12 years ago) my dad regularly used to buy
tickets for me with my YP card (after I grew out of child tickets) without
my being present. I guess the booking clerks at Rugby and Leamington
stations were helpful...

Michael

[Jonathan Morton]

Post by Bob Wood
The ticket will be being used by the person for whom it was bought.
Tickets are often bought for the use of other people, particularly when
groups are travelling together. The 'not transferable' rule is not
relevant here.

Exactly. If it were otherwise, one could never buy more than one ticket on a
credit card. And it would make buying tickets on a family railcard somewhat
interesting...

Regards

Jonathan

[Marcus Fox]

Post by Paul Weaver

Post by Marcus Fox
Can I use someone else's railcard to book a ticket for them to travel on?
Can't take them to the station as well as it's for a surprise trip.

Order via the trainline? Or buy from a fast ticket machine?

Well, I thought could only use one railcard per booking? I have one as well,
so I guess I could just go to the GNER desk and book them individually, but
they will be GNER Advance Singles so would like the reserved seats together.

Marcus

[Stevie D]

Post by Marcus Fox
Well, I thought could only use one railcard per booking? I have one as
well, so I guess I could just go to the GNER desk and book them
individually, but they will be GNER Advance Singles so would like the
reserved seats together.

The "one railcard" thing is, I think, specific to online retailing,
although it might apply to face-to-face sales as well, I'm not sure -
and all it specifies is that you can only use one *type* of railcard
per transaction.

So you can buy 4 tickets for people all with, eg, young persons'
railcards, or where 2 or 3 of them have railcards, in one go. But you
wouldn't be able to buy 2 young persons tickets and two disabled
tickets in one transaction, for example.

I have always understood this to be because of the different
restrictions on different types - eg stoodents and squaddies can only
travel in standard, but fogeys can travel in first.
How this squares with YP Savers valid on any Virgin train I don't know
- because I could book 1 YP and 1 normal ticket as part of the same
transaction - will it let me book a Saver on a peak train?

Let's try Traintimes - quite happy to sell me a YP SVR on a peak
service, but ask it for a mix of YP and adult, and it will only show
the SOR for the same train.


On a completely unrelated note - Traintimes has started showing slow
journeys in its planner - ie, a journey that is overtaken en route by
a journey with no more changes.

[Jonathan Morton]

Post by Stevie D
How this squares with YP Savers valid on any Virgin train I don't know
- because I could book 1 YP and 1 normal ticket as part of the same
transaction - will it let me book a Saver on a peak train?

www.thetrainline.com will certainly, IMX, allow you to book a Saver with a
railcard in circumstances where you can't use a Saver without a railcard -
e.g. in the Virgin rule you quoted above. It can't cope with 1 YP +1 normal
(or even 2 YP) in such circumstances, though it can manage a family railcard
group perfectly OK.

Regards

Jonathan

[Andrew Rawlins]

Post by Marcus Fox
Can I use someone else's railcard to book a ticket for them to travel on?
Can't take them to the station as well as it's for a surprise trip.

I've done it in the past at Aberystwyth Station, the staff are always
friendly, and when issuing tickets in this way just give a gentle
reminder that the other person will need the railcard on the day of travel.

Cheers,

Andrew

[Phil Holbourn]

Post by Marcus Fox
Can I use someone else's railcard to book a ticket for them to travel on?
Can't take them to the station as well as it's for a surprise trip.
Marcus

I've tried this at London Liverpool Street and at Birmingham New Street
in the past. Both times I was refused and was told that the ticket
clerk must see the person on the railcard. I reminded them that I could
buy most tickets (but not specifically the ones I wanted, which was
annoying) from ticket machines by pressing the railcard button, and
that I would need to show valid railcards for both of us on the train
anyway, but they refused outright. On both occasions there was too much
of a queue behind me to make too much of a fuss so I brought her over,
showed the clerk that she existed, sent her away again and then bought
tickets, which seemed to keep them happy. She then had an idea that I
was buying "something", but didn't know what, which made the suprise
all the more fun when the date came!

Thus, whist I have no idea what the rules truly are, some clerks will
refuse you. Good luck!

Phil

[Roger]

Post by Phil Holbourn

Post by Marcus Fox
Can I use someone else's railcard to book a ticket for them to travel on?
Can't take them to the station as well as it's for a surprise trip.
Marcus

I've tried this at London Liverpool Street and at Birmingham New Street
in the past. Both times I was refused and was told that the ticket
clerk must see the person on the railcard. I reminded them that I could
buy most tickets (but not specifically the ones I wanted, which was
annoying) from ticket machines by pressing the railcard button, and
that I would need to show valid railcards for both of us on the train
anyway, but they refused outright. On both occasions there was too much
of a queue behind me to make too much of a fuss so I brought her over,
showed the clerk that she existed, sent her away again and then bought
tickets, which seemed to keep them happy. She then had an idea that I
was buying "something", but didn't know what, which made the suprise
all the more fun when the date came!
Thus, whist I have no idea what the rules truly are, some clerks will
refuse you. Good luck!
Phil

As another poster has said, book via the Trainline. I've paid for my
daughter's railcard discounted tickets several times with no hassle.

Personally I can be an awkward sod and I would have been tempted to argue
the toss with the clerk and sod the queue! After all the argument is not
about who will use the wretched thing but who pays! Scrooge would love it
if you can't buy anything for anyone!

Roger C
Roger C

[Jonathan Morton]

Post by Roger
As another poster has said, book via the Trainline. I've paid for my
daughter's railcard discounted tickets several times with no hassle.
Personally I can be an awkward sod and I would have been tempted to argue
the toss with the clerk and sod the queue! After all the argument is not
about who will use the wretched thing but who pays! Scrooge would love it
if you can't buy anything for anyone!

Indeed. Actually, if the cardholder is under 18 the process of insisting
that the cardholder pays is not without risk from the TOC's POV, because
such persons lack contractual capacity.

Regards

Jonathan

[S.E.]

Its slightly harder with New Deal Railcards which give 50% off most
travel.

Staff have to see the card when purchasing (mainly beacuse most clerks
have never seen a New Deal Card anyway). You cant purchase New Deal
tickets through telesales, but can on Trainline (go figure).

New Deal also gives child rate on every Bus Service in the country, LUL
services and metro services.

[Ken Ward]

Post by S.E.
New Deal also gives child rate on every Bus Service in the country, LUL
services and metro services.

Can't find any reference to NEW DEAL on Nat Express webpage.

KW

[S.E.]

you wont!

Its issued by the local dole office to help with rail travel.

[Ken Ward]

Post by S.E.
you wont!
Its issued by the local dole office to help with rail travel.

Eh?

KW

[S.E.]

dole office aka Job Centre aka Job Centre Plus.

[Chris Tolley]

Post by S.E.
New Deal also gives child rate on every Bus Service in the country, LUL
services and metro services.

Child rate on trams and buses in London is zero. Amazing.

[S.E.]

actually no.

Ken was clever (or annoying) and made a child rate for new dealers
still exist. Child rate for under 16's still exists i.e. FREE.

[Stevie D]

Post by S.E.
Ken was clever (or annoying) and made a child rate for new dealers
still exist. Child rate for under 16's still exists i.e. FREE.

To me, that just sounds plain dishonest.

[S.E.]

Sherrif Ken is dishonest. I meen he did create the Congestion Charge
thus making people travel on already overcrowded trains.

[Chris Tolley]

Post by S.E.

Post by Chris Tolley
Child rate on trams and buses in London is zero. Amazing.

actually no.
Ken was clever (or annoying) and made a child rate for new dealers
still exist. Child rate for under 16's still exists i.e. FREE.

Okay, it isn't zero. It's free. What's the difference?

[S.E.]

The difference is New Dealers still have to pay the OLD child rate.

70p single
£2 all zones travelcard

[Marcus Fox]

Post by Marcus Fox
Can I use someone else's railcard to book a ticket for them to travel on?
Can't take them to the station as well as it's for a surprise trip.
Marcus

Worked OK, the nice chap in the Ticket Office at Newark told me all I had to
do was show the railcards to buy the ticket. So managed to borrow her
railcard without her knowing and got the tickets booked.

Thanks all for your advice,

Marcus