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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Flexi Season Ticket Disappointment

69 replies

chuffachoo · 21/06/2021 07:08

Completely pathetic post, but I'm feeling let down and angry after getting my hopes up,

AIBU to be disappointed that the gov have complete ignored PT workers, who are mainly women, in there new flexi ticket scheme?

So I was pretty excited that today is the day that National Rail released it's new part-time season ticket for people who don't travel 5days a week.

I currently work 4 days, 3 days in the office and one day at home. But have been stuck paying for a 5 day season tickets (this is cheaper and less hassle than getting a daily ticket 3 days a week). Having to pay for 5 days travel on top of nursery fees means I barely take a penny home.

So today I was expecting to be able to buy a monthly ticket that entitled me to travel 3 times each week for a % discount. Meaning this month I'd potentially take a meaningful amount of my wages home.

However that's not the case. Instead the flexi ticket is purely aimed at people that are allowed to WFH most days and just have to pop into the office occasionally. It entitles you to 8 days travel in 28days - two days a week. Travel 3 or more days a week and it works out more expensive.

Since returning to work I've been wishing there was a part time season ticket and it's make a huge difference to my finances. I really got my hopes up, but it turns out that yet again as a working mum I've been forgotten.

This really could have been an opportunity for the government to make it possible for more women (who want to) to be able to afford to return to work after children. Instead it's a policy to line the pockets of full time workers (who as a general rule haven't lost 20-40% of their wages) and can now work from home most days.

OP posts:

RickiTarr · 21/06/2021 07:09

So it’s part time but not at all flexible?

Nonamenoplacetogo · 21/06/2021 07:12

It’s not great but could you buy the flexi ticket and then just one day ticket to top up?

RickiTarr · 21/06/2021 07:13

I’d go to HR, point to the ticket scheme and ask for two days in the office and two WFH, personally. It’s all trending that way, anyway. Unless you don’t really enjoy WFH?

AdriannaP · 21/06/2021 07:16

Exactly what pp said - buy that ticket plus a single a week. Surely that’s cheaper in the long run.

NakedAttraction · 21/06/2021 07:17

I really don’t think women can continue to play the gender card on this one.

There are many, many men who will also be working 3 days a week from the office (my company included).

lemonsyellow · 21/06/2021 07:18

It’s really just a bulk-buy discount, not a flexi season ticket. It’s only worth it if you work two days a week.

Original poster

chuffachoo · 21/06/2021 07:19

@Nonamenoplacetogo

It’s not great but could you buy the flexi ticket and then just one day ticket to top up?

I looked into that.

Unfortunately it works out slightly more expensive than what I'm currently paying.

Even if I was to buy another '8 in 28' ticket and just use 18 of those a year back to back it's still more expensive.

Even on 2 days a week the saving you make per day isn't that enticing. It's £40 a day rather than the £45 a day you pay for a day return.

OP posts:

RickiTarr · 21/06/2021 07:19

@NakedAttraction

I really don’t think women can continue to play the gender card on this one.

There are many, many men who will also be working 3 days a week from the office (my company included).

Well I’m sure just as soon as men stop playing the “put their penis in a woman and then shirk their half of the caring responsibilities” card, women will happily stop playing the “genre card” (whatever the hell that is) and cheerfully hand in their lower pay card and shitter pensions card while they’re at it. Then we can all have a lovely equality party. 🎉 🎊

Youngatheart00 · 21/06/2021 07:20

As others have said, buy the flexi ticket and either;

speak to your work about doing 2 days wfh and 2 days in the office
if that’s not a goer, buy up advance tickets for the 3rd day as soon as they become available

RickiTarr · 21/06/2021 07:20

Gender card^ (Even the auto cucumber thinks it’s ridiculous).

Original poster

chuffachoo · 21/06/2021 07:22

@NakedAttraction

I really don’t think women can continue to play the gender card on this one.

There are many, many men who will also be working 3 days a week from the office (my company included).

But are these men working 5 days in total? So getting 5 days wages?

I don't really think this is 'playing the gender card'. 38% of women work part time, only 13% of men work part time. So this issue will predominantly affect women.

OP posts:

TedGlenn · 21/06/2021 07:28

It's a shame for you that the flexi-ticket doesn't match your exact circumstances (it doesn't mine either, I work 3 days a week, one from the office) but can't see how that's got anything to do with penalising working mums? "4 days, 1 from home" isn't any more of a "Mum" work pattern than "4 days, 2 from home" (would benefit from the scheme) or "3 days, 2 from home" (would benefit from the scheme) is it?

cupsofcoffee · 21/06/2021 07:29

Can you not speak to work and ask to do two days from home instead?

nellly · 21/06/2021 07:31

Can you only buy one per month? Can you not replace after every 8
Journeys surely?

KihoBebiluPute · 21/06/2021 07:31

I would be using this to negotiate to WFH 2 days a week and go into the office 2 days. WFH just 1 day a week seems like a very pre-covid form of flexible working. My oh has been working 4 days a week for the last decade, and pre-covid that was 3 days in the office and 1 day WFH. Obviously it has been 4 days all WFH during the past 1.5 years but as the office reopens it is becoming 2 days office and 2 days WFH without a murmer of objection from the employer.

RickiTarr · 21/06/2021 07:32

@nellly

Can you only buy one per month? Can you not replace after every 8 Journeys surely?

Like a carnet? Good point. Why didn’t they just do that?

Original poster

chuffachoo · 21/06/2021 07:38

@nellly

Can you only buy one per month? Can you not replace after every 8 Journeys surely?

That works out equivalent to £100 a month more than what I'm currently paying.

You only save money if the alternative is paying daily tickets.

They are 'flexi day tickets' not 'flexi season tickets'.

OP posts:

KihoBebiluPute · 21/06/2021 07:38

Actually it is just a Carnet with a 28 day expiration date so that you don't make any saving if you just use them once a week. Having understood this I now think OP is being unreasonable - there is nothing whatsoever stopping her from using this system 3 days per week. Her only real objection is that the discount that she is getting (a bit over 10%) isn't as generous as she would have liked.

RickiTarr · 21/06/2021 07:40

Ah that’s different again.

NakedAttraction · 21/06/2021 07:41

Then work full time so you earn more money? Its a choice to work PT.

JagerPlease · 21/06/2021 07:51

Really not understanding why this is a working mum issue at all. Surely the extent it benefits you depends on the number of days you spend in the office? At my work, people will be expected to go back in 50% of the time. I work compressed hours over 4 days so need to go in twice a week, so the ticket benefits me. Colleagues who work 5 days will be in a similar position to you and need extra tickets. Surely people who work FT at your company will also need more than 2 tickets per week?

KihoBebiluPute · 21/06/2021 07:51

So your objection is that the discount on the 5 day season ticket is so generous that this is cheaper option than using the carnet option 3 days a week, and you might as well keep buying the 5 day season ticket rather than switching. I don't see a problem here.

AllTheCakes · 21/06/2021 08:03

I am still working from home so have had the benefit of saving my commuting costs. When I return to office, I only expect to be going in two or three times a week. The new flexi ticket isn’t much of a saving at all for me either. I might as well pay the full season ticket price again as if I have used all the journeys on the ticket and have to buy a one day ticket it wipes out the saving. Urgh

newnortherner111 · 21/06/2021 08:06

I think you should ask for 2 days at home, 2 in the office.

I thought that was announced as part of the rail review by Grant Shapps a few weeks ago. Regardless of the way any part-time season ticket is structured, sadly it will not suit anyone. It is a pity you cannot have Oyster with the daily capping that is available in London, throughout the country.

looptheloopinahulahoop · 21/06/2021 08:06

The old SWR ticket was buy 10 journeys at a 5% discount but you had to use them within 2 months,

What we actually need is the old style carnet of 10 journeys at a 10% discount with no deadline - maybe 12 months if you really want one. That would suit people who hardly go in, as well as those who need to go in more often although it still would have been more expensive if you had to go in multiple days every week.

But they were never going to devise a truly part-time season ticket because it would be too expensive. As for it not being a working mum issue - it always has been because women were far more likely to be working part-time or part-time from home, and that was why nothing was done until now. Now it affects men as well, something has been done, but it is inadequate.

Laughing at the idea that a season ticket is "generous". For the amount DH was paying to get to and from London 5 days a week, he would have had more or less free travel on the entire German network. The UK system is so badly funded in comparison.

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