"Find cheapest rail fares yourself, passengers told"

[whole diary]

[LiskeardRich]

... I recently witnessed a passenger almost get sold an anytime return for a Saturday day return. I intervened/interrupted the sale and spoke with the passenger. The passenger ended up with the suitable cheapest ticket for his needs and shook my hand afterwards. He had simply asked for a return to x.

Historically, there's been an assumption that longer distance journeys are out one day and back another and if someone simply asks for a return ticket ... then they will sell maximum flexibility.   The same argument applies to someone asking for "3 returns to xxxx" not being sold Groupsave on the basis that they might not be coming back together, or returning on one of the rare blackout days.   Sell superoffpeak, sell groupsave and if the people coming back ARE on another day or not together, they'll get pretty upset when challenged by revenue protection.

Question, richwarwicker - was the sale being made from a railway company run ticket office, or from a ticket agent, or by a conductor?

Fgw operated ticket office. The blokes destination has no peak time return journey. He was going to a low frequency station where the first departure is just after 10am.

[grahame]

Fgw operated ticket office. The blokes destination has no peak time return journey. He was going to a low frequency station where the first departure is just after 10am.

Ah - perhaps.

But he could have split his return journey overnight and carried on at peak time on a following day, or indeed only used part of his return ticket?   Pretty unlikely, I will admit!

The reason for my question was to see if the seller was going to make a commission - but I see that's not the case.

[adc82140]

A simple standard question surely could be asked by both ticket clerks and TVMs^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine)- "fastest or cheapest?"- works in Italy.

[phile]

My aged aunt, although in her 80s, is still very sprightly and likes to travel around.    She is one of the old school and although might have heard of or even seen a Computer has no idea as to how to operate them.   She has nobody to turn to for help and usually goes to the nearest FGW^▸ (First Great Western) to purchase her tickets in advance and has always received good advise re fares.      Although a hypothetical, actual type of scenario, this is something FGW are not going to give two hoots about.