But you could have got those tickets ANYWHERE! Thetrainline do not sell tickets cheaper than anywhere else!
Thetrainline charge you a booking fee, this is why I will never use them.
Best way to book train tickets
- Thread starter rikwakefield
- Start date
Thetrainline charge you a booking fee, this is why I will never use them.
marty21
One on one? You're crazy.
it was easy, I was in a hurry
You could have used RedSpottedHanky just as easily. They have an app too, and you can get loyalty points to boot.
WTF are you using thetrainline for? You just paid more than you need to.
With the exceptions of the £1 booking fee and a few special offers it doesn't feature, trainline is not usually any more expensive than anywhere else IME.
So tell me why one would want to use a company that charges you a fee for the "privilege" of using their services, when you can get exactly the same thing elsewhere with no fee (and in some cases cheaper)?
Convenience, and fact that a quid is not a lot of money really.
I use trainline most of the time, although I do sometimes cross-check with TOCs own sites to make sure I'm not being diddled on the price, which most of the time I'm not. It's a good service. I'd rather it didn't charge a quid booking fee, but frankly there are far bigger things to get steamed up about.
So you enjoy throwing money away?
How is it any more convenient than any other website that sells train tickets? You've already said you check out the TOC's sites, why don't you buy from them? There is also RedSpottedHanky, which I keep mentioning. Exactly the same kind of service as thetrainline, but they do not charge a fee AND if you book tickets regulary you can earn loyalty points to be redeemed against future travel.
What makes you think I don't buy from TOCs on occasion? I do. But frankly, and again with the exception of a quid booking fee (and I can't understand why you're so irate about that), it's not often cheaper and it's usually more hassle if you're making a journey involving two or three TOCs and/or you're ticket-splitting.
I've not seen redspottedhanky, though - will give that a look.
I'm not "irate". I just understand why anyone would choose pay to use a service when they can get exactly the same thing elsewhere for free. You say it's "only" £1, but book ten times with them (which if you're like me you travel by train a lot) and that's £10 you've thrown away.
It's ATOS's own website. They handle the booking engines of a lot of TOCs' websites.
More hassle how? Any of the TOCs's websites can sell you tickets to and from anywhere, and for travel on any TOC. In fact some TOCs actually use thetrainline's system for their own ticket booking engine, except they don't charge you a fee to use it.
You sure as hell sound irate, demanding to know 'WTF' people are doing using what is a perfectly adequate and well-known service. Have you had some kind of awful experience with trainline in the past or something?
Obviously.
Again, obviously. But IME TOCs' sites aren't always great about giving you details of others' special fares. Trainline is a handy one-stop shop.
*shrug* I can't get worked up about any of this. I'm just going to leave you to it, I think.
Because it is my mission to steer people away from thetrainline to much better options.
What? How is it obvious?
They all should show exactly the same fares. The only offers you won't find on other TOCs sites are offers you get for booking directly with the relevant TOC; but thetrainline won't show those either.
Oh well, if you're pursuing a vendetta then don't let me stop you. It does look like an overreaction from where I'm sitting though, and frankly I'm really not interested in getting any further into it.
"Vendetta"? LOL! You're having a laugh! Excuse me for trying to save people money.........
marty21
One on one? You're crazy.
you get nectar points for trainline as well - not with the phone app afaik - I might look at the hanky one eventually - but so far - trainline haven't let me down and the prices have been reasonable and I'm not that arsed about the booking fee tbh
Well, what else would you call it? You're storming around berating people for using it and evangelising other outlets like a Jehovah's Witness looking for converts. I'm just bemused at how worked up you are about it. That's all.
I'm not sure what world it is you inhabit, but it's not the one I'm in. I have no idea what you're talking about. All I've done is suggest to people to avoid thetrainline, for the reasons I've outlined. But you all keep defending its use like you're in some cult or something.
One more point: what's the title of this thread? Case closed methinks.
marty21
One on one? You're crazy.
I think Roadkill is on about the way you are posting about it - I chose to book with trainline as I needed a ticket quickly, the app was on my phone, I've used them before, I didn't care about the booking fee - I might well use other places to book train tickets in the future
I am also concerned about the ickle children of trainline employees who won't be able to celebrate Xmas if they go out of business
Errol's son
Well-Known Member
www.redspottedhanky.com/Trains
I have found this site leads to the cheapest deals most often.
I have found this site leads to the cheapest deals most often.
stuff_it
Too skool for cool
They've changed the rules so you get done instead of being able to buy a ticket (unless you are getting on at a station with no ticket machine or ticket office).
I've gone off RSH now because I've found a better deal. If you book through Southern and use a cashback site you can get 6% cash back which is a lot more than the RSH loyalty scheme. Southern also have a "rainy day guarantee" which means if you can't travel or change your mind you can get a full refund with no £10 fee (except for non-Southern Advances).
The best way to me would be to go to the station in good time and queue up. If you don't, you add weak links to your chain and by the time you turn up and realise there has been a mistake, it will be stressful to get it sorted out. Especially if the trains don't run often.
It pisses me off that I can't just buy a ticket to X and then use whatever train comes along anymore. If you stray onto another operator's train to get to the same destination without thinking about who owns it and then get caught, I presume that they'd take great pleasure in nicking you for it as 'you haven't entered into a contract with us' or some other beancountbollocks.
No way has customer choice improved. It's about time the railways were renationalised.
It pisses me off that I can't just buy a ticket to X and then use whatever train comes along anymore. If you stray onto another operator's train to get to the same destination without thinking about who owns it and then get caught, I presume that they'd take great pleasure in nicking you for it as 'you haven't entered into a contract with us' or some other beancountbollocks.
No way has customer choice improved. It's about time the railways were renationalised.
stuff_it
Too skool for cool
Indeed, especially as the govt still pay for improvements out of our taxes. Bloody sick of all the private industry in this country being based on govt backhanders and contracts for their school chums. Stuff should be either self sustaining or bloody public so we aren't all stitched up.
geminisnake
a complex mass of conflicting ideas
Indeed, especially as the govt still pay for improvements out of our taxes. Bloody sick of all the private industry in this country being based on govt backhanders and contracts for their school chums. Stuff should be either self sustaining or bloody public so we aren't all stitched up.
Totally agree. This country's idea of capitalism sucks. Capitalism isn't meant to mean bailouts for the boys!
geminisnake
a complex mass of conflicting ideas
Not always. If you book online for specific trains and get a cheaper fare because of that the booked train is often the only one the ticket is valid for.
What do you mean not always? If what you want is a ticket from A to B to use on the first train that comes along you can get that (which the other poster said you couldn't); and if you want a cheaper ticket at the expense of a few restrictions you can get that too.
