If, like me, you use the train as your main form of transport, especially for cross-country journeys, you probably book your tickets from The Trainline, right? You get that clear interface, showing the prices of all available tickets, easy credit card payments, a choice of delivery methods… awww, let’s all have a lovely cosy Trainline appreciation party RIGHT HERE!
One further question. Do you live in the east of Britain, where the main intercity train operator is GNER? Well, here’s a tip… don’t use The Trainline to book your tickets.
Trying to book tickets to Lincoln, I was annoyed at how The Trainline specified a particular service via Retford, even though I knew there were much faster connections via Newark. I think they must have a fixed allocation of tickets for each service; whatever, I’ve craftily sidestepped this problem in the past by buying direct from the train operator’s website.
On this occasion, I wasn’t able to get the exact ticket I wanted direct from GNER, but something else grabbed my attention… GNER have a range of tickets with an online discount, which you can’t get through The Trainline. For example…
Standard Advance 3
Trainline — £17
GNER — £15.15
1st Advance 1
Trainline — £21.90
GNER — £19.50
For tickets in both directions, for more than one person, that’s quite a difference.
There. You can’t say I don’t do important consumer research for you.
You’re well on your way to becoming the thinking person’s Lynn Faulds Wood…
Got all excited then … read it as “GN’R” and thought it was some kind of Battle of the Bands. :p
Fear the train operated by Guns N’ Roses!
This isn’t quite accurate. GNER actually use the same booking service as the Trainline. As with all online stores there is the option for ‘Discount Codes’ and GNER use a discount code to apply discounts automatically to their site.
If you use this discount code on the trainline it will give the 10% discount. I think the code is something like GNERWEB or something similar.
Ooh, interesting. Thanks for that, Ian.