Can anyone explain Weekender fares?

[Garrett]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

Promotional fares are a good thing and while they can be somewhat unfair in terms of availability many people rely on them as it is the only way to get a decent bit of value out of Irish Rail, again industry standard practice

I'm not against promotional fares. It's the return fares I'm on about. Just think about it a minute. Do you honestly think that transport companies come up with a one-way fare and then use that fare as the basis for a reduced price return fare? Me thinks it's the other way around. Since most people going somewhere usually come back, I imagine that the sale of return tickets far outweighs the sale of single-tickets. So companies will create a return fare that will make them a profit. Next they create an overpriced single fare to give the misleading impression to the consumer that the return fares have great reductions.
A consequence of these over-priced single fares is that they punish those people who would like to take a different mode of transport, or two different bus companies for example, on the outward and return trips. Consumers are being forced to stick with the same company on both trips to avoid the cost of buying two single tickets. This is bad for consumer choice and competition.
Never believe for a moment that all promotional fares are good for the consumer. Many are, but I don't believe that the return ticket is. Look at the low-cost airlines. They use a one-way ticket only policy, and apply promotional fares to those tickets. The overall result is better choice and flexibility for the consumer. I've used public transport in many different countries and their cities, and the use of return-tickets (except maybe those for groups and special events) have often been the sign of a complicated, non user friendly system.

I do understand your point about the lower quality/lower fares on the Galway line. I still don't think it's acceptable practice. Also, those that mean that the Galway/Westport line is in for a major price hike in the near future?