On 4 Mar, 01:02, (Colin Rosenstiel) wrote:

In article
,
(Mizter T) wrote:

On 3 Mar, 20:45, wrote:

IIRC, I bought a Saver Return ticket to Gatwick from the ticket
machine at KX Thameslink, which listed Gatwick and London Terminals
as my destinations. Going through the gates and getting out to the
airport was not a problem, but the return was another story as the
gates would not let me exit back at KX Thameslink.

One of the attendents then told me that the ticket was not good as
the destination was London Terminals, although he waved me through.

So,

-- Why was I sold that ticket if there was going to be a problem with
my getting back? Was it actually me who purchased the wrong ticket?
If so, then what ticket should I have purchased?

Because the ticket machine was very badly programmed badly. Anyone
buying tickets at KX Thameslink for a trip to Gatwick quite obviously
wants to use Thameslink through central London to get there. The
ticket machine there shouldn't have even offered anything else.

A properly issued ticket for that journey would have specified Kings
Cross Thameslink as the named station of origin station (*not* London
Terminals).

Isn't a St Pancras International-Gatwick ticket cheaper now as well?


Cheaper than what?

For London to Gatwick journeys, FCC-only tickets are cheaper than 'Any
Permitted' tickets (though not as cheaper {sic} as they used to be). I
suppose it would be possible for one to obtain a St Pancras Int'l -
Gatwick 'Any Permitted' ticket instead of an FCC-only one, if you
particularly wanted to travel down from London Bridge on the slow
Southern train!

However it is quite possible for one to obtain an FCC-only London
Terminals - Gatwick ticket - the same rules as detailed upthread would
apply, i.e. it would only be valid for journeys starting from City
Thameslink and points south (Blackfriars, London Bridge) though you
would only be able to use it on FCC trains.

Because the world is mad you cannot use 'Any Permitted' tickets on
Gatwick Express - though this problem will shortly be remedied with
the abolishment of Gatwick Express.

Well, that's not quite the story!