Canary Warf

[NickFitz]

I'm fairly sure Virgin in the past few weeks have changed the calculation 'engine' behind the booking site. It seems to now work more like an airline demand pricing model, upshot is that it's rip off time.

It's be interesting if any contractors have worked on the Virgin website and can shed any light on this?

I think it's worked that way for a while - maybe seasonal variations are making the effect more prominent?

Apparently the online system doesn't always manage to find the best deals and they are supposedly going to improve it, although I don't know when. In the meantime, it seems that you'll get the best deal (even booking well in advance) by actually visiting your local station and speaking to the people in the ticket office. They know the system and will always find you the best (or least-bad) option. (This is anecdotal evidence so I offer no guarantee that it reflects reality any more than DP's climate blogs do.)

[stillooking]

I think it's worked that way for a while - maybe seasonal variations are making the effect more prominent?

Apparently the online system doesn't always manage to find the best deals and they are supposedly going to improve it, although I don't know when. In the meantime, it seems that you'll get the best deal (even booking well in advance) by actually visiting your local station and speaking to the people in the ticket office. They know the system and will always find you the best (or least-bad) option. (This is anecdotal evidence so I offer no guarantee that it reflects reality any more than DP's climate blogs do.)

Thanks, you might be right, but all I know is that there were many more lower priced advance tkts available in the first qtr compared with present.

Maybe I'll go back to speaking with tkt office at the local stn as you suggest, but it can get very annoying standing behind somebody that hasn't made their mind up when/where they're going and the fact that they only go on a train once every 20 years..

[Spacecadet]

I think it's worked that way for a while - maybe seasonal variations are making the effect more prominent?

Apparently the online system doesn't always manage to find the best deals and they are supposedly going to improve it, although I don't know when. In the meantime, it seems that you'll get the best deal (even booking well in advance) by actually visiting your local station and speaking to the people in the ticket office. They know the system and will always find you the best (or least-bad) option. (This is anecdotal evidence so I offer no guarantee that it reflects reality any more than DP's climate blogs do.)

I just use the thetrainline.com

Speaking to people is so last millenium

[SantaClaus]

Manchester to Euston approx 2hrs
Northern Line to Bank approx 12-15 mins
DLR to Canary Wharf approx 10-12 mins

enjoy

Especially the Northern Line bit

I can almost hear them barking "MOVE RIGHT DOWN INSIDE THE CARRIAGES".

[RichardCranium]

In the meantime, it seems that you'll get the best deal (even booking well in advance) by actually visiting your local station and speaking to the people in the ticket office. They know the system and will always find you the best (or least-bad) option. (This is anecdotal evidence

They changed their ticketing system a couple of weeks ago. They have notices up in Coventry to the effect of:

We have just had a new ticket system installed and some twat forgot about the training. Please bear with us while we confer amongst ourselves on how to make this system issue your ticket.

or words to that effect.

The queue has filled the station some mornings.