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Price increases

  • 03-03-2019 12:33pm
    #1
    Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Registered Users Posts: 3,461 ✭✭✭


    Irish Rail online fares late last year were €19.99 for a Flex one way student ticket from Cork to Belfast.

    They are now €45. Each way.

    Anyone know why they've been increased so massively? Seems like an insane increase.

    Their whole pricing structure seems strange tbh. I've noticed adult fares sometimes being significantly cheaper than student fares also....


Comments

  • #2
    The_Wanderer
    Registered Users Posts: 2,018 ✭✭✭The_Wanderer


    Curb Your Enthusiasm wrote: »
    Irish Rail online fares late last year were €19.99 for a Flex one way student ticket from Cork to Belfast.

    They are now €45. Each way.

    Anyone know why they've been increased so massively? Seems like an insane increase.

    Their whole pricing structure seems strange tbh. I've noticed adult fares sometimes being significantly cheaper than student fares also....

    Did you try splitting your ticket at Dublin? Usually works out cheaper.


  • #3
    Jamie2k9
    Registered Users Posts: 10,664 ✭✭✭✭Jamie2k9


    20 quid one way appears to cheap which is why they probally addressed the fare issue. 32 quid if you split which is more reasonable.


  • #4
    Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Registered Users Posts: 3,461 ✭✭✭Curb Your Enthusiasm


    Jamie2k9 wrote: »
    20 quid one way appears to cheap which is why they probally addressed the fare issue. 32 quid if you split which is more reasonable.

    Who controls their pricing? The NTA I assume.

    Why would they be charging more to book the complete ticket in one booking than splitting tickets?

    I understand how airlines sometimes have this kind of pricing but it doesn't make sense for Irish Rail to have such strange pricing.

    I've seen other similar instances of stupid pricing also.

    Obviously something is up with their systems if this is happening all the time.


  • #5
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,523 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Online promotional pricing is not controlled by the NTA - walkup fares are.

    If online promotional fares have risen it is due to an increase in traffic.


  • #6
    Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Registered Users Posts: 3,461 ✭✭✭Curb Your Enthusiasm


    L1011 wrote: »
    Online promotional pricing is not controlled by the NTA - walkup fares are.

    If online promotional fares have risen it is due to an increase in traffic.

    I've used those fares all last year so wouldn't be convinced it was a promo fare. Also, the current pricing system obviously isn't very good considering you can split your tickets for considerably less.


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  • #7
    Jamie2k9
    Registered Users Posts: 10,664 ✭✭✭✭Jamie2k9


    Curb Your Enthusiasm wrote: »
    Who controls their pricing? The NTA I assume.

    Why would they be charging more to book the complete ticket in one booking than splitting tickets?

    I understand how airlines sometimes have this kind of pricing but it doesn't make sense for Irish Rail to have such strange pricing.

    I've seen other similar instances of stupid pricing also.

    Obviously something is up with their systems if this is happening all the time.

    The reason splitting journeys works out cheaper is an outdated system. Its not long ago online sales were possible and even shorter booking a route like Cork-Belfast as a single ticket.

    Before you were been essentially charged Cork-Dublin and Dublin-Belfast was free, now the 45 price is more reflective however I suspect its still to low which is why splitting tickets is cheaper. Cork tickets online today expose the company to lost revenue. They are not addressing it fast enough.
    L1011 wrote: »
    Online promotional pricing is not controlled by the NTA - walkup fares are.

    If online promotional fares have risen it is due to an increase in traffic.

    Minor point but I understand they set a maximum cap online fares can rise or at least approve max increases.


  • #8
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,523 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Curb Your Enthusiasm wrote: »
    I've used those fares all last year so wouldn't be convinced it was a promo fare. Also, the current pricing system obviously isn't very good considering you can split your tickets for considerably less.

    Any fare less than walkup is a promo fare.


  • #9
    Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Registered Users Posts: 3,461 ✭✭✭Curb Your Enthusiasm


    L1011 wrote: »
    Any fare less than walkup is a promo fare.

    Gosh!

    Aren't we lucky to have promo fares so :D couldn't imagine paying €80+ return to Dublin as a "normal" fare.


  • #10
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,523 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Until semi recently, that was it - online fares are new enough that long-standing posters can remember them coming in.


  • #11
    Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Registered Users Posts: 3,461 ✭✭✭Curb Your Enthusiasm


    L1011 wrote: »
    Until semi recently, that was it - online fares are new enough that long-standing posters can remember them coming in.

    Hard to believe really - amazing that anyone took the train at those kind of prices! :p


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  • #12
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,582 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    €19.99 from Cork to Belfast is massively below cost, expecting that price to be a regular price is unrealistic.


  • #13
    Curb Your Enthusiasm
    Registered Users Posts: 3,461 ✭✭✭Curb Your Enthusiasm


    devnull wrote: »
    €19.99 from Cork to Belfast is massively below cost, expecting that price to be a regular price is unrealistic.

    It was certainly a great deal, it was around for quite some time which is why I assumed it was a regular student fare on that route.


  • #14
    goingnowhere
    Registered Users Posts: 4,131 ✭✭✭goingnowhere


    So Belfast is not controlled by the NTA, all fares are commercial.

    The NTA do control both cash and online promo fares

    Irish Rail's website has serious issues with correct pricing of cross route tickets, you can either charge end to end which results in a very high fare as there will not be a promotional fare in the system or you split at Dublin and sum the two discounted fares. Irish Rail cannot handle this case online.


    45 euro single for 280 miles is good value anywhere in the world


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