London Banter - View Single Post - What should I do to my Season ticket for the next 2.5 months? Help!

Barry Salter · April 23rd 09, 03:07 PM posted to uk.transport.london

wrote:
OK, haven't been on UTL for years but this is the kind of discussion
that you like, and I cannot really work out what to do!!

The facts:

(1) I live in Zone 2 and work in Zone 1.
(2) I have a Zones 1 and 2 annual travelcard, expiring 30 December
2009, which cost me £968 (Work loaned me the money for it, and I am
paying them back monthly out of my salary).
(3) From 8 May until 27 July I am going to be living 1 minute from
Bowes Park station, British Rail, Zone 3.
(4) There is a tube station about 5 minutes away (Bounds Green, Zone
3). However, since I work in Moorgate, if I happen to time it right, I
will be more likely to take the train from Bowes Park which goes
direct to Moorgate, and will only take tube when I miss the train or
there is a problem on the line. Coming back is a different matter, as
if I am out in Central London after work, I'll almost certainly get
the tube to Bounds Green.

snip

Option 4. Is there one? Is it possible, for example, to pay £16.90
every month (which is the difference between a Z12 and Z123 monthly)
and somehow make the system accept my Oystercard, for 1 month at a
time, as working in Zone 3, both at tube stations and at non-barriered
rail stations?

Option 4: Request a changeover for the original ticket to one for the
new journey. This would be calculated on the difference in fares, based
on the original price at the time you bought it. You can then change it
back again at a later date if you need to. The new ticket would also
expire on the 30th of December.

Note that, ideally, this should be done at the original issuing location.

A (not so) quick calculation is as follows:

Original Ticket: 31st December 2008 - 30th December 2009 - Price: £968

Assuming that no passenger's charter discount and no "void days" apply
on the existing ticket, the "base rate" is calculated as £968 / 365
days, giving a rate of £2.65 per day.

An Annual Zones 1 to 3 Travelcard issued at the same time would have
been £1136 (£28.20 per week x 40 weeks).

This works out at a base rate of £1136 / 365 days, giving £3.11 per day.

Assuming you start the new ticket on 8th May, that will be valid for 237
days.

Credit for old ticket: £2.65 x 237 days = £ 628.05
Charge for new ticket: £3.11 x 237 days = £ 737.07

Difference to pay = £ 109.02

If you then change back to Zones 1 and 2 only from 28th July:

Number of days validity: 156 days

Credit for old ticket: £3.11 x 156 days = £ 485.16
Charge for new ticket: £2.65 x 156 days = £ 413.40

Refund due = £ 71.76

Giving a net amount paid for the changeover of £37.26, which is just
over the price of a *7 day* Zones 1 to 4 Travelcard!

HTH,

Barry