The function on the train service’s app can save travellers up to 78% on fares, which arrives just in time if you are travelling home for Christmas.
If you search for a ticket, the options will include alternative routes that will get you to your destination using the cheapest route possible.
Before, travellers had to search for the individual trains for each leg of the journey. While the cheaper routes will take longer, this service can save up to £90 one way on some routes.
The feature is designed for journeys that you can have flexibility with. One example sees a train from London to Stockport on 12 December arriving two hours and 10 minutes later than the direct option and costing just £26.20. The train diverts via Crewe and is £91.50 cheaper.
Another journey from Derby to London, which goes via Tamworth, arrives an hour later at 10.24am and is 40% cheaper at £55.70.
Wellness and wellbeing holidays: Travel insurance is essential for your peace of mind
Out of the pandemic lockdowns, there’s a greater emphasis on wellbeing and wellness, with
Sponsored by Post Office
Across every journey on the app, the average saving amount is 21%, and Virgin Trains is the only train retailer to offer such a function on indirect trains.
There is also the chance to earn points for every £1 spent using the app, which can be transferred into more train tickets or affiliated Virgin services.
These include Virgin Hotels, Virgin Voyages, Virgin Wines, Virgin Atlantic and the company’s Red Room at the O2 Arena.
Meanwhile, the Government announced three rail companies will be nationalised in 2025, which Labour hopes will improve the rate of cancellations and delays.
This will mean South Western Railway, C2c and Greater Anglia will come under public ownership.
No booking fees charged
Mark Plowright, director of Virgin Trains Ticketing, said: “At Virgin Trains Ticketing, we champion consumers and are always looking for ways to save customers money and make rail travel more rewarding. We don’t charge booking fees, we offer split ticketing and passengers have earned millions of Virgin Points with us since 2021. In the past 18 months alone, we’ve saved passengers nearly £2m on their train tickets.”
Plowright added: “The bigger picture is that the UK needs a simpler rail fares system and ‘hacks’ like split ticketing are a sticking plaster rather than a long-term solution. But while we wait for fares reform, Virgin Trains Ticketing continues to find new ways to help customers get more value from their train journeys.
“This new technology is all about choice. It means we can serve customers who have more flexible schedules with cheaper travel options.”
