How I “saved” £196.40 on an LNER train ticket

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I definitely used to believe that all railway apps are the same.

Virgin Trains Ticketing has proven me wrong!

I was checking ticket prices from Inverness to London King’s Cross in January. I was using the LNER app for this. While the standard class fare was reasonable, the First Class fare was the “Anytime” ticket at £331.00.

I noted on my Monzo bank app that Virgin Trains ticketing were offering 8% cashback on train bookings. They also actively search for split ticketing.
Their app offered an Inverness – Perth ticket, then Perth – London (on the same train, in the same seat!) for £155.10

Here is where it gets interesting (take that with a pinch of salt)

– Monzo were offering 8% cashback, so after booking, their app instantly showed that I had earned £12.40
– LNER offer 2% Perks credit on any booking with an LNER sector – so, by importing that into the app I earned £3.10 in Perks.
– Virgin Trains Ticketing were offering double Virgin Points on bookings, earning me just under £5 in redemptions on future train tickets – which can be used with any TOC.

I don’t work for Virgin Trains Ticketing, and actively encouraged others not to use third party websites. However in this case the saving was too good to be true and I have sinced used their app for a slew of other tickets – all offering double points (this is temporary) but crucially, 8% cashback with Monzo. I understand higher cash back might be offered with other cards.

For first time users, you can also earn cashback via Quidco (2.4%) and TopCashBack (3%)

The only fly in the ointment is that LNER have launched their “Festive Feast” menu in First Class, so instead of the full LNER and a hot meal, it’s a bacon roll and sandwiches. “Festive Fast” more like!

Anyway I hope this is helpful!

[Rich_A]

That’s a good stack. The double points promo is only valid until Sunday, I think.

I don’t know if the Monzo cashback is once only or every time? I currently have a new 9% cashback on my Virgin Credit Card, which replaces the 9% offer that expired yesterday.

I believe you can credit any ticket that’s valid on LNER to Perks. You don’t have to have actually travelled on LNER. The terms are a bit weird, and say that you have to have made a seat reservation when booking, but doesn’t specify that that reservation has to have been on an LNER service.

[Rich_A]

Split ticketing does make searching for the best fares time-consuming, because every site that does it has a different algorithm, so will find different splits.

[Sealink]

Rich_A wrote:

That’s a good stack. The double points promo is only valid until Sunday, I think.

I don’t know if the Monzo cashback is once only or every time? I currently have a new 9% cashback on my Virgin Credit Card, which replaces the 9% offer that expired yesterday.

I believe you can credit any ticket that’s valid on LNER to Perks. You don’t have to have actually travelled on LNER. The terms are a bit weird, and say that you have to have made a seat reservation when booking, but doesn’t specify that that reservation has to have been on an LNER service.

Monzo cashback can be used over and over again within the validity. Some of their offers are indeed one time only.

[Alex G]

Use a split ticketing site (there are several) to find the cheapest option, and then book through the booking engine that gives you the most cash back. I’ve currently got 12% CB at LNER on Amex.

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Alex G wrote:

Use a split ticketing site (there are several) to find the cheapest option, and then book through the booking engine that gives you the most cash back. I’ve currently got 12% CB at LNER on Amex.

All comes back me to realising that not all rail booking apps are the same… Besides Virgin Trains Ticketing I was fan of TrainPal. But they didn’t do cash back when I was booking…

I used to have Amex Platinum and then COVID happened 😭 but life goes on!

[jj]

When the train is inevitably cancelled or delay, you claim back the full cost of your ticket, keep the cashback, points and perks, and, if it was a business trip the original cost of the ticket, too (although check your expenses policy as that may not be true for all companies).

Win, win, win.

[Andrew.]

jj wrote:

When the train is inevitably cancelled or delay, you claim back the full cost of your ticket, keep the cashback, points and perks, and, if it was a business trip the original cost of the ticket, too (although check your expenses policy as that may not be true for all companies).

Win, win, win.

Depends on which cashback. I’ve definitely had LBG & Barclays (and Airtime) cashback reversed when LNER have automatically refunded me my ticket for a late service.

[Richie]

I’ve saved a lot this year by split ticketing and combining discounts with a Network rail card.

[John]

jj wrote:

When the train is inevitably cancelled or delay, you claim back the full cost of your ticket, keep the cashback, points and perks, and

If the train is cancelled and as a result you do not travel, you claim a REFUND from the retailer. As the original transaction is refunded, cashback and points would be reversed.

If the train is cancelled but you do travel on a later service and are delayed (or the original service is delayed), you claim COMPENSATION (Delay Repay) from the train operator that caused you to be delayed.

If you book with LNER for an LNER train and it is delayed, they will automatically COMPENSATE you, however since this will be by a credit to the card used to buy the ticket, it looks like a refund so points will be reversed.

If you book with LNER for a train run by someone else which is delayed, then the actual train operator will COMPENSATE you upon application, typically by bank transfer therefore you do get to keep the points/cashback.

As Virgin Trains does not operate any trains, they only provide REFUNDS when you don’t travel and don’t pay COMPENSATION.

Lastly, train companies, under the direction of the Treasury, are actively looking for cases of fraudulent refunds. This includes people who have wrongly claimed refunds when they should have claimed compensation. In particular, Trainline (which also runs some of the booking websites/apps of some train operators) uses various algorithms to target users who have claimed excessive refunds, and the train companies then go on fishing expeditions to try and get people to voluntarily admit to fraud – even when they wouldn’t have enough evidence to secure a conviction in court.

[davefl]

John wrote:

If the train is cancelled but you do travel on a later service and are delayed (or the original service is delayed), you claim COMPENSATION (Delay Repay) from the train operator that caused you to be delayed.

Unless it’s Northern in which case they’re marking their trains as “Unknown” rather than “cancelled” in an attempt to get out of paying. I’ve just had my appeal denied, made a formal complaint to them and if that doesn’t work I’ll take it to the regulator.

It’s only £8 but it’s the principle.

[PeteM]

John wrote:

If the train is cancelled and as a result you do not travel, you claim a REFUND from the retailer. As the original transaction is refunded, cashback and points would be reversed.

This is not correct. If the service is cancelled by the operator, you claim from the operator. If you decide not to travel because of your own personal reasons you claim from the retailer and often have to pay an admin fee. You will never pay an admin fee if claiming from the operator for a train they cancelled.

[CamFlyer]

John wrote:

jj wrote:

When the train is inevitably cancelled or delay, you claim back the full cost of your ticket, keep the cashback, points and perks, and

If the train is cancelled and as a result you do not travel, you claim a REFUND from the retailer. As the original transaction is refunded, cashback and points would be reversed.

If the train is cancelled but you do travel on a later service and are delayed (or the original service is delayed), you claim COMPENSATION (Delay Repay) from the train operator that caused you to be delayed.

If you book with LNER for an LNER train and it is delayed, they will automatically COMPENSATE you, however since this will be by a credit to the card used to buy the ticket, it looks like a refund so points will be reversed.

If you book with LNER for a train run by someone else which is delayed, then the actual train operator will COMPENSATE you upon application, typically by bank transfer therefore you do get to keep the points/cashback.

As Virgin Trains does not operate any trains, they only provide REFUNDS when you don’t travel and don’t pay COMPENSATION.

Lastly, train companies, under the direction of the Treasury, are actively looking for cases of fraudulent refunds. This includes people who have wrongly claimed refunds when they should have claimed compensation. In particular, Trainline (which also runs some of the booking websites/apps of some train operators) uses various algorithms to target users who have claimed excessive refunds, and the train companies then go on fishing expeditions to try and get people to voluntarily admit to fraud – even when they wouldn’t have enough evidence to secure a conviction in court.

I have never had delay repay compensation paid to a credit card, so this is never an issue. Even without cashback, why would I want to give up the points, when they will happily pay the amount directly into my bank account.

I agree that the Virgin Trains app is very useful. While there may be better split ticketing websites, they have smoothly integrated split ticketing with regular ticketing, removing the hassle even for savings of just a few £. I often book through other websites with better cashback offers, but prior to the Uber 10% offer appearing I was a regular user.

[t0m]

I’ve been an LNER fan for the last couple of years..benefitting from all of the cashback appearing on various cards. Since they recently pulled out of Airtime ( boo 🙁 ) this Virgin offer looks like a good deal iwth 8% back on Monzo. Shame it doesn’t look like they sell vouchers – which is how I usually maximise the benefit on LNER.

[TooPoorToBeHere]

Good saving.

If I actually wanted to get there, I’d fly. I applaud anyone (lawfully and non-fraudulently) farming delay compensation of course.

[Sealink]

Just can’t bear the thought of Heathrow and Gatwick airports these days. So it’s the train for me

[captaindave]

I’ve just applied for delay replay from x country ( booked via lner) for a trip from brum to Totnes that was dangerously overcrowded ( they eventually persuaded a lot of the standing passengers to get off at Taunton as they hastily arranged some empty carriages to follow closely behind our train)

Our delay was just over the 30 min mark, but I noticed on the lner app they have recorded it as 28 mins so I don’t expect to get anything back.

Actually we are thankful we were able to get to our reserved seats, as a lot of folks who had also reserved couldn’t get anywhere near their seats…

Think we try to avoid travelling by train on a Sunday in future, giving well paid people even more, without changes to working practices was never gonna end well.

[Rich_A]

captaindave wrote:

Our delay was just over the 30 min mark, but I noticed on the lner app they have recorded it as 28 mins so I don’t expect to get anything back.

Check it on Realtimetrains or Opentraintimes if they still have the history. In any case, it’s worth appealing the Delay Repay decision if you’re certain the delay was >30 minutes.

I’ve had a train which showed as ‘arrived’ 29 minutes late while we were still approaching the station! Surprisingly, they paid out without needing an appeal.

[captaindave]

Thanks @Rich_A

Yeah they have knocked me back already stating it was 28 mins. Thinking about it, I looked at my watch as I stepped off the train ( it was awkward getting thru the still standing passengers) and that’s what I took the 30 mins from.

I’ll have a look at the sites you mentioned, but if they agree with the 28 mins, I doubt they will take the dis-embarkation time into account…

[Sealink]

Received 100% Delay Repay refund…

From South Western Railway on the Friday after a serious delay on the Wessex mainline on Monday.

LNER for the journey above, within four working days.