Simple question, but a puzzle
 

When buying rail tickets on line via whatever websites, is it possible to
specify 'Boundary Zone 6' as your start-point? I've never thought it
possible as I've never seen that as an option. Or does one just specify a
station in zone 6 to start from?

TIA,

Ian

Simple question, but a puzzle
 

On 13/07/2012 16:43, Ian F. wrote:
When buying rail tickets on line via whatever websites, is it possible
to specify 'Boundary Zone 6' as your start-point? I've never thought it
possible as I've never seen that as an option. Or does one just specify
a station in zone 6 to start from?

'Boundary Zone' tickets aren't available from any of the rail ticket
sales sites.

Simple question, but a puzzle
 

In message , at 16:43:52 on Fri, 13 Jul
2012, Ian F. remarked:
When buying rail tickets on line via whatever websites, is it possible
to specify 'Boundary Zone 6' as your start-point? I've never thought it
possible as I've never seen that as an option. Or does one just specify
a station in zone 6 to start from?

The code is 0072, but I can't find any ticket selling sites which accept
it. That's probably because they are first and foremost Journey
Planners, that as a second order effect tell you the fares; and BZ6
isn't in the *timetable*.

http://www.perry.co.uk/avantix_for_dummies.html

http://www.brfares.com will tell you what the fare is, though...
--
Roland Perry

Simple question, but a puzzle
 

"Ian F." wrote in message
...
When buying rail tickets on line via whatever websites, is it possible to
specify 'Boundary Zone 6' as your start-point? I've never thought it
possible as I've never seen that as an option. Or does one just specify a
station in zone 6 to start from?

I think the logic is that it is not a BZ to/from wherever 'ticket'. It is a
BZ 'extension fare' used in conjunction with a ticket that you already have
in your possession.

An online site cannot determine if you already hold a suitable ticket to be
extended...

Paul S

Simple question, but a puzzle
 

In message , at 17:41:56 on
Fri, 13 Jul 2012, Paul Scott remarked:
When buying rail tickets on line via whatever websites, is it possible to
specify 'Boundary Zone 6' as your start-point? I've never thought it
possible as I've never seen that as an option. Or does one just specify a
station in zone 6 to start from?

I think the logic is that it is not a BZ to/from wherever 'ticket'. It is a
BZ 'extension fare' used in conjunction with a ticket that you already
have in your possession.

An online site cannot determine if you already hold a suitable ticket to be
extended...

Why does that matter? They don't have the same problem selling any other
kind of half-a-split-ticket (or are they institutionally in denial that
split tickets are valid).
--
Roland Perry

Simple question, but a puzzle
 

In article , says...

In message , at 17:41:56 on
Fri, 13 Jul 2012, Paul Scott remarked:
When buying rail tickets on line via whatever websites, is it possible to
specify 'Boundary Zone 6' as your start-point? I've never thought it
possible as I've never seen that as an option. Or does one just specify a
station in zone 6 to start from?

I think the logic is that it is not a BZ to/from wherever 'ticket'. It is a
BZ 'extension fare' used in conjunction with a ticket that you already
have in your possession.

An online site cannot determine if you already hold a suitable ticket to be
extended...

Why does that matter? They don't have the same problem selling any other
kind of half-a-split-ticket (or are they institutionally in denial that
split tickets are valid).

I have always bought online tickets from websites using the last station
in Z6 according to my journey, assuming the TOC allows it.

Never had a problem with Harold Wood, Elstree & Borehamwood, or
Upminster and fares have tallied with the Boundary Zone 6 fares.

Simple question, but a puzzle
 

In message , at 18:11:38
on Fri, 13 Jul 2012, Jim
remarked:
When buying rail tickets on line via whatever websites, is it possible to
specify 'Boundary Zone 6' as your start-point? I've never thought it
possible as I've never seen that as an option. Or does one just specify a
station in zone 6 to start from?

I think the logic is that it is not a BZ to/from wherever 'ticket'. It is a
BZ 'extension fare' used in conjunction with a ticket that you already
have in your possession.

An online site cannot determine if you already hold a suitable ticket to be
extended...

Why does that matter? They don't have the same problem selling any other
kind of half-a-split-ticket (or are they institutionally in denial that
split tickets are valid).

I have always bought online tickets from websites using the last station
in Z6 according to my journey, assuming the TOC allows it.

Never had a problem with Harold Wood, Elstree & Borehamwood, or
Upminster and fares have tallied with the Boundary Zone 6 fares.

If you can get a ticket from the last-station-in-Z6 that's as good as a
BZ6 ticket (if the train stops there). But might be more expensive.

For example a BZ6-Hinchley Wood is £2.50, which is the same as from
Surbiton. But I'm not sure that's always been the case.
--
Roland Perry

Simple question, but a puzzle
 

In message , Roland Perry
wrote:
I think the logic is that it is not a BZ to/from wherever 'ticket'. It is a
BZ 'extension fare' used in conjunction with a ticket that you already
have in your possession.

An online site cannot determine if you already hold a suitable ticket to be
extended...

Why does that matter? They don't have the same problem selling any
other kind of half-a-split-ticket (or are they institutionally in
denial that split tickets are valid).

I'm not sure what you mean by half-a-split-ticket. If you mean buying an
A-B and a B-C ticket when travelling A-C, then that's completely
different.

A BZ coupon is *not* a rail ticket. It is evidence that you have paid
the additional fare to turn your zones N-6 ticket into a "N-6 plus one
journey to X" ticket. It's therefore more like a reservation or an
upgrade to first class or from Saver to Open or a route excess [1] -
it's not valid on its own, only with another ticket.

[1] If there are two routes from A to B with different fares, and you
have a return from A to B at the cheaper fare, you can buy a route
excess to allow you to do the B to A leg on the more expensive route.
The cost should be half the difference in fares. You should be issued a
separate coupon for this. Said coupon has no validity on its own.

--
Clive D.W. Feather | Home:
Mobile: +44 7973 377646 | Web: http://www.davros.org
Please reply to the Reply-To address, which is:

Simple question, but a puzzle
 

In message , at 23:02:23 on Sat, 14
Jul 2012, Clive D. W. Feather remarked:
In message , Roland Perry
wrote:
I think the logic is that it is not a BZ to/from wherever 'ticket'. It is a
BZ 'extension fare' used in conjunction with a ticket that you
already have in your possession.

An online site cannot determine if you already hold a suitable ticket to be
extended...

Why does that matter? They don't have the same problem selling any
other kind of half-a-split-ticket (or are they institutionally in
denial that split tickets are valid).

I'm not sure what you mean by half-a-split-ticket.

I mean buying one half of a split ticket. For example if you already
have a season ticket to Huntingdon and buy a day single from there to
Peterborough (intending to use it on a train that doesn't stop at
Huntingdon). The online site doesn't ask if you really do have the
season ticket.

A BZ coupon is *not* a rail ticket.

Quack, waddle, bit of card with orange stripes. But yes, most "normals"
call every coupon a "ticket", even if we know that to the railways a
ticket is the combination of coupons.

It is evidence that you have paid the additional fare to turn your
zones N-6 ticket into a "N-6 plus one journey to X" ticket. It's
therefore more like a reservation or an upgrade to first class or from
Saver to Open or a route excess [1] - it's not valid on its own, only
with another ticket.

Does it have, like an excess coupon does, "Only valid with ticket nnnnn"
printed across the top? That itself might be a better stab at a reason
not to sell them online.

[1] If there are two routes from A to B with different fares, and you
have a return from A to B at the cheaper fare, you can buy a route
excess to allow you to do the B to A leg on the more expensive route.
The cost should be half the difference in fares. You should be issued a
separate coupon for this. Said coupon has no validity on its own.

Yes, I had to get one of those the other week, coming back from Stansted
and XC was stuck in a flood near Birmingham, so cancelled my train
[haven't got the delay repay through yet] so I had to change my route
back to Nottingham.

[Was Stansted-Melton-lift, changed to
Stansted-Stortford-Ely-Nottingham-bus, although the part of the
diversion via Stortford was free].
--
Roland Perry

Simple question, but a puzzle
 

"Ian F." wrote in message
...

When buying rail tickets on line via whatever websites, is it possible to
specify 'Boundary Zone 6' as your start-point? I've never thought it
possible as I've never seen that as an option. Or does one just specify a
station in zone 6 to start from?

TIA,

Thanks for the responses. Next time the situation arises I'll try buying a
ticket from the last Z6 station and see what happens!

Ian