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?

[Mark Gleeson]

The DoT sanctioned price open standard return Dublin Cork is over 110 euro. No one ever buys that ticket we all get the day/5 day/monthly

Single tickets are at full DoT price, intercity returns are not

And if Galway was paying the same cost/km as Cork war would break out and rightly so

[Garrett]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

The DoT sanctioned price open standard return Dublin Cork is over 110 euro. No one ever buys that ticket we all get the day/5 day/monthly

Single tickets are at full DoT price, intercity returns are not

And if Galway was paying the same cost/km as Cork war would break out and rightly so

Okay, I give up. The whole situation is a twisted mess and I really hope you can step back someday and see it for what it really is. Maybe, if IE ever become customer focused, they'll figure it out, but until then...

I'm finished with this thread and I need to pay my membership!

[Thomas J Stamp]

Next up, day savers..................

As a sweetner due to the new timetable, there are more day savers than ever in Templemore, in fact all trains till the 1150 apart from Monday and Friday have them (all day for Limerick)and usually average around €10 off the return fare. This used to be only on Wed and Saturday and never included the old 11.00 departure.

I'd be interested as to what your local station is doing regarding day savers.

[Mark Gleeson]

We are stuck in a mess really, and all we can do is try to provide as much information such that passengers know there options and take advantage of the reduced fares and avoid getting screwed over by accident