Just me or is it a rip off? Waterford - Dublin

dartboardio · 27-06-2017 09:38AM #1

Paid 32 euro for a single ticket to Heuston this morning. Would of cost 16.99 had I booked online, is that a broad daylight robbery?! Am I just tight :S

dartboardio · 27-06-2017 09:39AM

On Irish rail BTW.

snowflaker · 27-06-2017 09:43AM

Why didn't you book online?

€17 is great value from Waterford!

Zebra3 · 27-06-2017 09:49AM

€19 online return with BE. :pac:

Jamie2k9 · 27-06-2017 10:25AM

dartboardio wrote: »

Paid 32 euro for a single ticket to Heuston this morning. Would of cost 16.99 had I booked online, is that a broad daylight robbery?! Am I just tight :S

32 for a single but a day return is just 34 which is why a single ticket appears costly.

Always book online in future, chances are you even used the website to check the times as well!

Hilly Bill · 28-06-2017 02:05AM

dartboardio wrote: »

Paid 32 euro for a single ticket to Heuston this morning. Would of cost 16.99 had I booked online, is that a broad daylight robbery?! Am I just tight :S

Nope, you had the option.

Del.Monte · 28-06-2017 09:10AM

All this crap with different fares does more damage to Irish Rail's already poor credibility, but I suppose it provides work for the top heavy clerical side of the business.

Mulbert · 28-06-2017 10:09AM

Del.Monte wrote:

All this crap with different fares does more damage to Irish Rail's already poor credibility, but I suppose it provides work for the top heavy clerical side of the business.

How would it provide work for the clerical side of the business?

Del.Monte · 28-06-2017 10:31AM

Mulbert wrote: »

How would it provide work for the clerical side of the business?

I don't mean in ticket offices but in the numerous administrative offices in Connolly, Heuston etc.

Hilly Bill · 28-06-2017 10:34AM

Del.Monte wrote: »

I don't mean in ticket offices but in the numerous administrative offices in Connolly, Heuston etc.

How?

Del.Monte · 28-06-2017 10:51AM

Hilly Bill wrote: »

How?

Well, presumably, they have numerous people dealing with revenue control - or perhaps not being CIE. Anyway, all I'm saying is that the CIE model is broken and one item that could easily be addressed would be a vastly simplified fare structure and an easy to use website.

Xterminator · 28-06-2017 10:52AM

All this crap with different fares does more damage to Irish Rail's already poor credibility, but I suppose it provides work for the top heavy clerical side of the business.

mate. the issue here was the OP paid at the ticket office on the day. you are NEVER going to get best value that way.

i get that he felt it was dear, but its like going to arnotts to buy a cooker and finding later it was cheaper online etc. Its a case of not being arsed to shop around then feeling hard done by.

But i don't get your point at all.

Geuze · 28-06-2017 10:54AM

Del.Monte wrote: »

All this crap with different fares does more damage to Irish Rail's already poor credibility, but I suppose it provides work for the top heavy clerical side of the business.

Price discrimination is sensible.

There could be twenty different fares for the 189 seats on a Ryanair plane.

goingnowhere · 28-06-2017 10:55AM

OP should have booked online to avail of the best fare.

Time or quota based discounts are standard and industry standard practice to charge the full fare on the day

Geuze · 28-06-2017 10:55AM

There are now three online fares that I can see.

No flexibility
semi-flexible, take the train before or after = add 1 euro
fully flexible, take any train that day = add 2 euro

Sounds good to me.

CIARAN_BOYLE · 28-06-2017 11:04AM

Del.Monte wrote: »

Well, presumably, they have numerous people dealing with revenue control - or perhaps not being CIE. Anyway, all I'm saying is that the CIE model is broken and one item that could easily be addressed would be a vastly simplified fare structure and an easy to use website.

the online fares are adjusted by softare similar to the software used by ryan air, aer lingua and Munster rugby.

its not that there are a dozen staff members in the office toying with online fares for the fun of it.

Dravokivich · 28-06-2017 11:26AM

Del.Monte wrote: »

All this crap with different fares does more damage to Irish Rail's already poor credibility, but I suppose it provides work for the top heavy clerical side of the business.

I'm pretty sure it's the same in the UK. Cheaper to pre-purchase online, than to rock on up and purchase at a ticket office.

All rail companies in this administrative conspiracy?

Del.Monte · 28-06-2017 01:03PM

Dravokivich wrote: »

I'm pretty sure it's the same in the UK. Cheaper to pre-purchase online, than to rock on up and purchase at a ticket office.

All rail companies in this administrative conspiracy?

I'm not saying there's a conspiracy but just that a vastly simplified fare structure and improved website would be a good idea. How did we all manage before online booking and multiple fare structures - quite well would be the answer. One only has to look at the sheer number of fare queries/complaints on Boards to see that there's a problem - and the number of pissed off people who post about it on Boards must represent an infinitesimally small percentage of those who feel aggrieved.

Ben D Bus · 28-06-2017 01:12PM

Del.Monte wrote: »

I'm not saying there's a conspiracy but just that a vastly simplified fare structure and improved website would be a good idea. How did we all manage before online booking and multiple fare structures - quite well would be the answer. One only has to look at the sheer number of fare queries/complaints on Boards to see that there's a problem - and the number of pissed off people who post about it on Boards must represent an infinitesimally small percentage of those who feel aggrieved.

And loads of people complain about Ryanair too. And we managed fine before 20 euro flights to Europe too. :rolleyes:

Lets be honest, when you say a simplified fare structure what you mean is everyone getting the cheap fare all the time. Just like Ryanair

Hilly Bill · 28-06-2017 01:47PM

Del.Monte wrote: »

I'm not saying there's a conspiracy but just that a vastly simplified fare structure and improved website would be a good idea. How did we all manage before online booking and multiple fare structures - quite well would be the answer. One only has to look at the sheer number of fare queries/complaints on Boards to see that there's a problem - and the number of pissed off people who post about it on Boards must represent an infinitesimally small percentage of those who feel aggrieved.

How simplified do you want it? Free travel simple?

Del.Monte · 28-06-2017 01:53PM

Hilly Bill wrote: »

How simplified do you want it? Free travel simple?

I don't have free travel - do you?

Are you denying that there's considerable dissatisfaction with the situation as it pertains?

Hilly Bill · 28-06-2017 02:06PM

You now have a choice of 4 fares with more flexibility regarding missed services without paying a surgarge. What more do you want?

Del.Monte · 28-06-2017 02:25PM

Hilly Bill wrote: »

You now have a choice of 4 fares with more flexibility regarding missed services without paying a surgarge. What more do you want?

That's great so, everything is tickety-boo and Irish Rail can sail on, job done and nobody is dissatisfied except me.

Do you have free travel?

bk · 28-06-2017 02:59PM

I do feel like Irish Rail haven't gotten their ticketing right. Over the last 5 years or so they have chopped and changed how they do online tickets many times and yet these changes don't seem to win them customers.

Sure demand based ticketing works well for Airlines, but I'm not at all convinced it works well for Irish Rail. Airlines don't face any competition then other airlines, all of whom use the same model. IR on the other hand faces competition from cars and coaches.

I believe the demand based pricing model makes Irish Rail far less flexible then car and coach and it hurts them overall.

If the demand based model is so great, then why not also use it on DART and commuter rail?

If the demand based model is so great, why not also use it for the free travel pass? Free off peak, +€20 peak.

People point to UK intercity rail having a demand based model. But we aren't the same as them.

Other models exist, look at the Netherlands. €20 walk up fare, no online bookings at all, buys you a ticket on a train to anywhere in the country and it is highly successful.

They sort of do this for students, €32 return to Cork, walk up or online. Actually pretty good value and at that price and convenience I'd consider it over a coach. But then I look at the "adult" fare €86 for the same, €40 if booked far in advance with little flexibility, I laugh and click over to Aircoach/GoBE.

Irish Rail aren't operating in a vacuum and I think they have their product and ticketing all wrong.

Jamie2k9 · 28-06-2017 03:02PM

Like the fare structure or not, the trains are heavily loaded so it's working....

cgcsb · 28-06-2017 03:07PM

Standard for transport operators across Europe(the world??) To offer cheaper inline fares. Best value is found through the internet/shopping around. That's the way of the world these days.

I do think that the website should say, when booking, "save €XX, compared to walk up fare." This would help old people, the less computer literate etc. Incidently you could have just booked a ticket on your smart phone then and there instead of buying a ticket for double the price

bk · 28-06-2017 03:08PM

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Like the fare structure or not, the trains are heavily loaded so it's working....

Really, then why is IR on the brink of bankruptcy?

Also the Cork trains today seem to be way quieter then back before Aircoach, etc. started up. I remember there use to be large numbers of people standing by the toilets on that train, now there often seems to be lots of empty seats.

bk · 28-06-2017 03:10PM

cgcsb wrote: »

Standard for transport operators across Europe(the world??) To offer cheaper inline fares. Best value is found through the internet/shopping around. That's the way of the world these days.

Which means Irish Rail will always be stuffed as those people will then always find the significantly cheaper fares on Aircoach, GoBE, Citylink, etc.

Oh and last I checked, Netherlands was in Europe!

Again if this model is so great, why not do it on Commuter and DART too?

The point I'm making is that IR thinks their intercity service is some fancy service that they can charge a premium for like an airline. The truth is that there is little premium about it. Little better then a coach. The train service in the Netherlands have it right, treat it like a fancy coach and fill it up. Online bookings only for first class carriages. Much better model IMO.

Jamie2k9 · 28-06-2017 03:11PM

bk wrote: »

Really, then why is IR on the brink of bankruptcy?

Also the Cork trains today seem to be way quieter then back before Aircoach, etc. started up. I remember there use to be large numbers of people standing by the toilets on that train, now there often seems to be lots of empty seats.

The point was reduce fares even more and then you will have to increase costs by increasing capacity.

bk · 28-06-2017 03:17PM

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

The point was reduce fares even more and then you will have to increase costs by increasing capacity.

Oh what a terrible idea that would be, be forced to offer even more services to the public!

The point is to attract customers, fill empty seats and maybe even have people standing. If you are so busy that you have to add extra carriages, etc. Isn't that a great problem to have? Isn't that exactly the type of problem that private companies like Ryanair, Aircoach, etc. strive to have?

Rail infrastructure is horribly expensive to maintain. It only makes sense if it is carry large numbers of people. If it isn't being used we might as well shut it down and save the money to be used elsewhere.

Jamie2k9 · 28-06-2017 03:26PM

bk wrote: »

Oh what a terrible idea that would be, be forced to offer even more services to the public!

The point is to attract customers, fill empty seats and maybe even have people standing. If you are so busy that you have to add extra carriages, etc. Isn't that a great problem to have? Isn't that exactly the type of problem that private companies like Ryanair, Aircoach, etc. strive to have?

Rail infrastructure is horribly expensive to maintain. It only makes sense if it is carry large numbers of people. If it isn't being used we might as well shut it down and save the money to be used elsewhere.

I agree in principal but just pointing out cutting fares which is the default position of most isn't always the answer.

I think the new fare structure is really good and if anything they should be charging a much higher difference between Low and Semi Flex.

Just me or is it a rip off? Waterford - Dublin

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