According to new research commissioned by Southeastern, nearly 8 out of 10 passengers (78%) in London and the South-East underestimate that they could save up to 50% on train tickets by booking in advance.
Almost a quarter of people surveyed in London and the South-East (23%) do not book travel in advance because they do not believe it saves them any money, completely missing out on potential savings. Only 3% knew that a saving of 60% could be made when purchasing an Advance single train ticket compared to a Super Off-Peak single ticket[1].
The Southeastern survey also found that 95% do not understand that advance Off-Peak bookings can be made for Southeastern services just a day before travel. The majority (66%) believed that booking in advance meant one, if not three, months ahead of their travelling date to make the most of discounted fares on offer.
David Wornham, Passenger Services Director said:
"Our research shows that most people living within London and the South-East are unaware that they can just book the day before travel to take full advantage of our Advance fares. With so many passengers travelling Off-Peak on our network each month, many more could be saving money.
"Our Advance fares are also frozen at last year’s prices, so we are really encouraging people to book in advance when travelling Off-Peak to explore all the fantastic destinations and hidden gems across our network."
The Southeastern survey revealed three quarters (77%) of organised Brits liked the price saving element of booking travel in advance, yet when asked about their top ways to save money, only 6% considered it a priority. Collecting vouchers (32%) and buying items in the sale periods (27%) ranked the highest, with eating in more often (17%) and buying products in bulk (12%) coming ahead of booking travel in advance.
Nearly half of those surveyed (45%) are planning leisure travel by train within the next three months. The main reasons for leaving their car at home are avoiding traffic jams (29%), relaxing on the journey (25%) and getting great views of the ‘Garden of England’ (26%) from the train window along the way.
[1] Cost of Advance single rail ticket, in comparison to a Super Off-Peak single ticket, from London to Margate
