online ticket ripoff

Colm Donoghue · 29-08-2006, 10:36

article in the IT yesterdat(28Aug2006) about a family bought a Cork Dublin return for 2 adults and 3 smallies and booked seats online. cost ~185

Ticket checker on trian was amazed it cost so much when they could have got a family ticket for ~115

guy complained to IT, IT got onto IE, Baz said problem selling discounted tickets online blah de blah.. complicated.. blah ... bullcough blah de blah.

In other news baz defends the cost of single tickets as return tickets are "heavily discounted"

Mark Gleeson · 29-08-2006, 12:35

Special family tickets are only available at booking office, there is no family option online, but the family price is given http://www.iarnrodeireann.ie/your_ti..._enquiries.asp

115 for 2 adults (@ 59 euro = 118) + 3 kids is very good value

Colm Donoghue · 29-08-2006, 15:09

115 is decent value alright. That's not my point. see if you can see the IE lie here.

An IE spokesperson said the online system couldn't sell discounted tickets.
IE have stated that high single fares offset the "heavily discounted" return fares.
I'd be confident return fares can be bought online?

regardless, a customer got charged over 50% extra for booking online. In this day and age that's a disgrace.

If a bonded travel agent sold you a dearer airline ticket when cheapest was asked for they'd be in trouble.

the online system is only software. no reason why it couldn't have been changed, OR a notice displaying for family fares check at ticket office.

Mark Gleeson · 29-08-2006, 15:44

Family ticket is a special ticket and cannot be used in conjunction with a seat reservation as far as I know so its not equivlent to returns and can't be sold online since only journeys with a reservation are sold

The system should have the cop that when someone tries to buy 2 adults and n childern to trigger a warning that a cheaper family ticket is available but it does not include a reserved seat.

Family tickets are not available all the time eg Friday

James Shields · 30-08-2006, 08:57

If IE want people to have confidence in online booking, they need to guarantee people they'll always be offered the cheapest tickets. Discounted tickets not available online is not an excuse - they should be.

The system needs to be smart enough to spot when a family booking is being made (not very hard - just count the number of adult and child tickets) then offer a choice of full price tickets with reserved seats, or a discounted unreserved family ticket. Any restrictions such as no Fridays should be clearly stated, but otherwise it's up to the customer to decide what they want.

Aside from that, I think all online bookings should have a 10% discount. Cutting queues atthe ticket office and keeping the whole station moving makes this a small sacrifice.

Actually, how many times do you go into a station and see a long queue for the ticket office, and two TVMs lying idle? If you put a 10% discount sign on top of the TVMs, you could be sure people would learn how to use them.

Perhaps it's not true to say this family was ripped off, but when they booked online they weren't offered or even told about the cheapest ticket available. If people get the perception that they can get discounts at the booking office that they can't get online, they will always go to the booking office in case there's a discount they're missing out on. That will result in online sales never realising its true potential.

Thomas J Stamp · 30-08-2006, 14:45

All tickets of every class, and every option, should be given to the customer when they book on-line.

Otherwise it is a free for all to rip off the customer.

29-08-2006, 10:36	#1
Colm Donoghue Really Regular Poster Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 873	online ticket ripoff article in the IT yesterdat(28Aug2006) about a family bought a Cork Dublin return for 2 adults and 3 smallies and booked seats online. cost ~185 Ticket checker on trian was amazed it cost so much when they could have got a family ticket for ~115 guy complained to IT, IT got onto IE, Baz said problem selling discounted tickets online blah de blah.. complicated.. blah ... bullcough blah de blah. In other news baz defends the cost of single tickets as return tickets are "heavily discounted"

30-08-2006, 14:45	#6
Thomas J Stamp Chairman/Publicity Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: The Home of Hurling Posts: 2,708	All tickets of every class, and every option, should be given to the customer when they book on-line. Otherwise it is a free for all to rip off the customer. __________________ We are the passengers

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29-08-2006, 12:35	#2
Mark Gleeson Technical Officer Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Coach C, Seat 33 Posts: 12,669	Special family tickets are only available at booking office, there is no family option online, but the family price is given http://www.iarnrodeireann.ie/your_ti..._enquiries.asp 115 for 2 adults (@ 59 euro = 118) + 3 kids is very good value

29-08-2006, 15:09	#3
Colm Donoghue Really Regular Poster Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 873	115 is decent value alright. That's not my point. see if you can see the IE lie here. An IE spokesperson said the online system couldn't sell discounted tickets. IE have stated that high single fares offset the "heavily discounted" return fares. I'd be confident return fares can be bought online? regardless, a customer got charged over 50% extra for booking online. In this day and age that's a disgrace. If a bonded travel agent sold you a dearer airline ticket when cheapest was asked for they'd be in trouble. the online system is only software. no reason why it couldn't have been changed, OR a notice displaying for family fares check at ticket office.

29-08-2006, 15:44	#4
Mark Gleeson Technical Officer Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Coach C, Seat 33 Posts: 12,669	Family ticket is a special ticket and cannot be used in conjunction with a seat reservation as far as I know so its not equivlent to returns and can't be sold online since only journeys with a reservation are sold The system should have the cop that when someone tries to buy 2 adults and n childern to trigger a warning that a cheaper family ticket is available but it does not include a reserved seat. Family tickets are not available all the time eg Friday

30-08-2006, 08:57	#5
James Shields Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Drogheda, Ireland Posts: 1,275	If IE want people to have confidence in online booking, they need to guarantee people they'll always be offered the cheapest tickets. Discounted tickets not available online is not an excuse - they should be. The system needs to be smart enough to spot when a family booking is being made (not very hard - just count the number of adult and child tickets) then offer a choice of full price tickets with reserved seats, or a discounted unreserved family ticket. Any restrictions such as no Fridays should be clearly stated, but otherwise it's up to the customer to decide what they want. Aside from that, I think all online bookings should have a 10% discount. Cutting queues atthe ticket office and keeping the whole station moving makes this a small sacrifice. Actually, how many times do you go into a station and see a long queue for the ticket office, and two TVMs lying idle? If you put a 10% discount sign on top of the TVMs, you could be sure people would learn how to use them. Perhaps it's not true to say this family was ripped off, but when they booked online they weren't offered or even told about the cheapest ticket available. If people get the perception that they can get discounts at the booking office that they can't get online, they will always go to the booking office in case there's a discount they're missing out on. That will result in online sales never realising its true potential.