Virgin Trains Question

[The_Rat]

They have currently got a sale running that ends at midnight tonight (if you're traveling to London between May 14th - 21st June then well worth booking right now)


Anyway my question is. I'm traveling to Milton Keynes from Liverpool, which comes at the cost of £26 (one-way) with Virgin. But if I book the Liverpool to London train (which stops at Milton Keynes) then it's only £9.50 (one-way).

So if I just booked the cheaper London ticket but jumped off at MK - would the machine reject my ticket on arrival at MK?

Can't find an answer anywhere and the Virgin helpline has been impossible to get through.

 

[barneygumble]

I can't see why not. I'd just explain that you needed to get off, and make up an elaborate excuse to the steward if they do.

You'll get away with it.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

You'll have paid for more than you received, so of course it's Ok

 

[Maxwell]

That sale is class, picked up a london return for £19.

And yeh you should be fine mate.

 

[Groucho]

Hope you get the best deal mate.

This is like one of those exam questions when you were a kid;

"If train A leaves the station at 12pm travelling at 60mph and train B leaves the station at 1pm travelling at 70mph, who pays for HS2"?

 

[tommye]

why on earth would anybody willingly go to Milton Keynes?

 

[The_Rat]

Cheers gents. I always presumed you could get off the train at any stop before your chosen destination. But the price difference is quite clear on their site for the date/time I'm traveling.


and tommye your question is a fair one. But have a bit of family business there. Even have to watch the England/Uruguay match while I'm stuck there for a few days.

 

[Woolly Blue]

https://www.buytickets.virgintrains.co.uk/nationalcarriage.aspx

You can:

• Start, break or resume your journey using trains on which your ticket is valid unless you are told about particular restrictions that apply to the use of your ticket. Note that you cannot break your journey except to change trains with Advance tickets.

I'm guessing that, given you've bought your ticket in advance, it means it might reject your ticket, but it's not exactly plain English they're using.

 

[chicoazul]

You purchase a ticket that's good to the distance to the actual destination, so aye you can hop off before.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

https://www.buytickets.virgintrains.co.uk/nationalcarriage.aspx

You can:

• Start, break or resume your journey using trains on which your ticket is valid unless you are told about particular restrictions that apply to the use of your ticket. Note that you cannot break your journey except to change trains with Advance tickets.

I'm guessing that, given you've bought your ticket in advance, it means it might reject your ticket, but it's not exactly plain English they're using.

Breaking your journey means that you can't get off and then get on another train to complete it

Getting off at a station before the one that your ticket is for, is perfectly fine

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

Getting off early falls outside of the 'Terms & Conditions' of the ticket that you are buying apparently, there is a name given for getting off early but I cant for the life of me think what it is ? I tried google and lots of forums frequented by the likes of that intercity lid discuss this.

1 fella said that if a pint is discounted to £1.20 & you don't finish it then they dont haul yoou back to have all of it, but he was told that it's more like If you get 1 of those huge breakfasts that if you ewat of you get it for free but if you fall short then you have to pay full whack.

so, the ticket you buy in advance is an offer between specific stations and possibly at certain times as well, and ONLY those stations & you are in effect entering into a contract with them that if you get off early you are breaking.

I'd say there's more chance of getting pulled when attempting to come home myself as you can nearly always dodge the inspection on arrival.

 

[The_Rat]

Breaking your journey means that you can't get off and then get on another train to complete it

Getting off at a station before the one that your ticket is for, is perfectly fine

Think you're right there mate.

(you can)

• Travel between the stations, or within the zones, on or within the dates shown on your ticket.

That to me says I can get off at any stop before my paid for destination.


Although this promotion is for travel between most major cities within the UK, and many special offers normally come with 'certain conditions'. So just hope they don't pull me up on some sort of technicality.

There is either a clear loophole on the Virgin website or I'm getting pulled and charged extra on arrival into MK.


Paid for the tickets now anyway. Liverpool to Euston (via MK) £9.50/ MK to Liverpool £11. Happy with that like.

Thanks for all the help. Very much Appreciated.

 

[The_Rat]

Getting off early falls outside of the 'Terms & Conditions' of the ticket that you are buying apparently, there is a name given for getting off early but I cant for the life of me think what it is ? I tried google and lots of forums frequented by the likes of that intercity lid discuss this.

1 fella said that if a pint is discounted to £1.20 & you don't finish it then they dont haul yoou back to have all of it, but he was told that it's more like If you get 1 of those huge breakfasts that if you ewat of you get it for free but if you fall short then you have to pay full whack.

so, the ticket you buy in advance is an offer between specific stations and possibly at certain times as well, and ONLY those stations & you are in effect entering into a contract with them that if you get off early you are breaking.

I'd say there's more chance of getting pulled when attempting to come home myself as you can nearly always dodge the inspection on arrival.

Interesting. My ticket home is totally legit (MK - Liverpool for £11)

But arriving into MK I know you have to put your ticket into a machine in order to get out of the station.

Can definitely see a 'leg it' scenario if the machine starts beeping like mad!

Not traveling until 19th June and will update the thread when I get back.

 

[tsubaki]

Your ticket will not be valid and they will try and fine you.

 

[The_Rat]

'try' is the key word. As I'll be trying my best to avoid a fine of any sort. Should be a decent contest.

Not what I was hoping to hear mind after buying a non-refundable ticket!