Advance fare increase with new timetable?

[whole diary]

[chrisr_75]

Can anyone shed any light on the apparent increase in ticket prices S.Wales > London which appears to be related to the new Summer timetable?

I've checked my usual weekly trip, booking with advance first tickets for the following journeys:

PAD^» (Paddington (London) - next trains) > BGN 9th May d15.45 & BGN > PAD 12th May d8.01, total ticket price ^111.10

PAD > BGN 20th June d15.45 & BGN > PAD 23rd June d7.56, total ticket price ^212.80

Anyone know why there is such a huge difference in ticket prices? I've checked for various dates travelling at the same times and found a similar difference so I'm sure this can't be a simple supply & demand issue - the later journey is about as far in advance as tickets can be purchased so advance availability should be good & Standard class tickets have also jumped up for the same journeys, from ^80.60 to ^109.50. Prices are as of about 1pm today (10/4/2014).

Would be interested to know if anyone else has noticed this on other routes, if anyone has any information from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) about planned or sanctioned fare increases or if this is a result of the way in which advance tickets are released for sale.


title changed to reflect question more accurately

[ChrisB]

Advance ticket prices aren't governed whatsoever & can be priced by the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) at whatever level they think will sell.

There are 3 dates that ordinary fares can rise - Jan 2, second Sunday in May (which tends to be the summer timetable change) and September 20/21. Advances however can rise at any time, but I think there's a cost implication if they want to load fares at other than those three dates.

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) do generally push up their Advance prices for the summer...

[chrisr_75]

It seems odd as I have been doing that journey weekly since August 2012 and the advance prices (and passenger loadings) have been largely very stable in that period for the quoted trains, with a return advance first usually available for around ^100 if booked about 3-4 weeks in advance.

An increase on some advance tickets of nearly 100% for First and 40% in Standard frankly seems extortionate to me (even if they are freely able to do this without recourse to HM Gov or the regulator) and rather short sighted as I'm not sure it will help to fill seats. This in combination with the squeeze on 1st capacity & overall very average service means it's perhaps time to stop boosting FGW^▸ (First Great Western) shareholder dividends & start getting better value from my road fund licence...

Interestingly, for the journeys quoted above, as you eluded to, the cheapest walk up prices have remained the same - the new advance prices are now pretty much equal to walk up prices, +/- a few ^, except on the periphery of the timetable.

[ChrisB]

Well, if everyone does as you allude to and takes to 4 wheels, they'll soon notice & drop them again....

[Southern Stag]

It could well be related to the reduction of First Class accommodation. From what I understand from the new timetable reservations will only be possible based upon the new First Class provision of around 1.5 coaches. With less seats to sell I'd expect prices to go up.

[chrisr_75]

I had considered that, but that would not explain the concurrent close to 40% increase in standard advance fares - with an increase in the number standard seats, logic would tell you that a drop in prices should be seen?! I may fire off an email to someone towards the top of the food chain at FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to see if they can explain further as it is an immense percentage increase in these advance fares, especially when inflation is less than 2%...

[Trowres]

It appears that the quoted fares are not "increases" but are the current higher-priced versions of advance fares. Presumably there is no quota for the cheaper advance fares on the dates queried.

[ChrisB]

Their website is advertising Advance tickets are available up until 25 June....

[bobm]

Note too we have a regularly updated topic here on the Coffee Shop on advance tickets here.

[chrisr_75]

It appears that the quoted fares are not "increases" but are the current higher-priced versions of advance fares. Presumably there is no quota for the cheaper advance fares on the dates queried.

I agree, but my point is that these fares have largely been at a stable level for the last 18 months that I've been doing this trip each week, excluding an occasional peak here and there. PAX numbers appear to have also remained fairly steady also, although this is largely based on occupancy in Coach G.

However, there seems to have been a huge jump in fare prices from mid-May onwards in both standard & first regardless of travel day, with the exception of some trains at increasingly inconvenient times - the specific example provided was as it is my usual travel days & time.

I fail to see that there has been a sudden rise in demand from mid-May onwards that is sustained evenly throughout the timetable as far out as the last week in June, so my (rhetorical in this forum) question is what has happened to the quota of the cheaper off-peak advance fares that has in the past been consistently available on my chosen trains for the last 18 months up to about a week before travel date? In effect it seems this is some kind of increase by 'stealth'.

I plan to pose this question to FGW^▸ (First Great Western), but was interested to poll opinion here in case anyone else had noted similar issues on other journeys.

[bobm]

From May there is the potential of fewer first class seats as sets are converted. That may be a reason.

[ChrisB]

Advance prices aren't set in stone for any service...that'll be the answer you get.

[JayMac]

Well done there ChrisB for pre-empting FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s response. 

I hope their response is a bit more customer friendly than, "Like it or lump it."

[Super Guard]

While not the increases quoted here, I believe the 10% discount for buying advance fares on FGW^▸ (First Great Western).co.uk ends in May.

[bobm]

I'd forgotten about the 10% on line discount ... until I went to the booking office to use some compensation vouchers I had!