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How do you use split tickets?

If you buy the same journey split tickets, travelling using split tickets travel exactly the same way they would have on a regular, “straight-through” train ticket. The only difference is that by splitting their tickets they may have paid a lot less for the same journey. You still travel at the same times. If you buy the flexible journey split tickets, you might have to check and follow the stop that we show you when you buy the tickets if needed. Whatever split journey, those cheaper tickets would cover the whole journey, instead of one more expensive ticket. The only condition when using split tickets is that the train you take must stop at all the places you have bought tickets for and not just pass through them.

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What is split ticketing and how can it save me money on train tickets?

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Dividing a rail journey into separate segments can save a fortune on train tickets . As ticket-splitting becomes mainstream, will anyone ever pay full price ever again for rail travel?

What is split ticketing?

The practice of exploiting anomalies in Britain’s extremely complex rail fare structure to reduce the cost of train travel. On many journeys, buying two or more segments is cheaper than a through ticket.

From Shrewsbury to Liverpool, you must change trains in Chester. The obvious thing to do, you would imagine, is to buy a through Anytime fare is £31. But if you buy separate tickets for each leg– Shrewsbury-Chester and Chester-Liverpool – you save over £10, reducing the cost by one-third.

That is a simple example of ticket splitting at the connecting station. Yet the technique also works where the passenger stays on the same train.

First look inside the new Caledonian Sleeper train

For example, the Great Western line from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads has a walk-up Anytime fare for rush-hour trains of £118.40 (for a journey of just 100 minutes). But you can save over £43 by splitting tickets for the journey at Didcot Parkway.

In-the-know travellers have long known about this particular “Didcot dodge”, and about services such as TrainSplit.com. But increasingly passenger-friendly technology means that neither local knowledge nor complicated transactions are necessary.

Trainline automatically offers “SplitSave” tickets that exploit ticket-splitting opportunities – searching for the lowest combination of Advance, Off-peak and Anytime fares that will work for your journey. “Stay on the train, just switch tickets” is the mantra.

Is ticket-splitting legal?

Yes. The only requirement is that the train stops to set down and pick up passengers at the intermediate station.

On that London-Bristol route, the vast majority of Great Western Railway services stop in Didcot.

But between the English and Welsh capitals, most trains swoosh through the lovely Parkway station at 125mph. So if you have booked London-Didcot and Didcot-Cardiff you will be travelling without a valid ticket.

GWR says: “You could be issued with an Unpaid Fare Notice, a Penalty Fare Notice or be interviewed under caution.” It will be expensive and unpleasant, and many people who have tried to split the ticket have encountered problems when they haven’t scrupulously obeyed the rules.

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You have mentioned Anytime fares. But I can plan ahead. Anything in it for me?

If you can be flexible and book an Advance ticket, that London-Bristol trip can cost just £21.50 one-way from GWR – no intermediary stops necessary.

But for more complicated journeys, Trainline (or a similar service, Loco2) can help cut costs. For a trip between Swansea and Aberdeen, the one-way fare is £276. This is the Trainline fare for some journeys, but the app can find cheaper deals on others. Booking the day before, the lowest fare when The Independent investigated was £95 – combining three separate tickets: one to Crewe, another to Edinburgh and a third to Perth.

This is not quite comparing like with like; these tickets are for specified trains, as opposed to the fully flexible Anytime ticket. But if you are comfortable to lose flexibility, the reward is substantial.

What do I need to do?

If you decide to go ahead with Trainline, the fee on this occasion is £1.99. If you object to such fees, there is nothing to stop you getting free advice and booking your travel independently.

Either way, you must collect the tickets, either on your smartphone where available, or on paper from a station machine.

What if I am travelling through the rush hour but out the other side?

You can save in terms of timing, because it is possible to split a journey which crosses the peak/off-peak time boundary to obtain the benefit of the off-peak portion. From Hitchin in Hertfordshire to Brighton, the 8.56am departure switches from peak to off-peak at London St Pancras – and splitting the journey saves a fiver on the £44.50 through ticket.

Why are fares so irrational?

When British Rail was broken up and rail privatisation began in 1995, the fares regime was stipulated by the 415-page Ticketing & Settlement Agreement (TSA). It is a document intended to protect the interests of travellers. The TSA insists that each of the 2,500 stations in Britain must have a fare to all of the others. In the course of setting those prices, anomalies are inevitable.

But it was written long before the budget airlines transformed our attitude to travel pricing – accepting the principle that the most in-demand services will be expensive, and that the more flexible you are, the more you can save. The TSA also pre-dated the smartphone and the many travel blessings it provides, including easy access to ticket-splitting apps.

Fare revenue for UK rail before the pandemic approaching £11bn a year. At least £2bn in ticket sales has probably gone forever. And as apps proliferate and expose the savings (or, if you prefer, reveal the rip-off through fares), earnings from tickets will be hit. Taxpayers, many of whom never go near a train, will not want to make up the growing deficit.

The present system relies on some travellers paying more than they need – by failing to take advantage of beneficial splits. Everyone knows it is fundamentally flawed, not fit for purpose and ripe for reform.

So why not overhaul it?

Successive governments have failed to reform the system. The former transport secretary, Grant Shapps , promised a comprehensive overhaul. But his successor, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, has not reiterated that plan.

It is likely to face resistance in the Treasury. The reason: in the course of eradicating anomalies, switching to pricing based on one-way legs and removing the “cliff-edge” border between peak and off-peak prices, many fares will fall.

But some tickets will cost more. People who find the cost of their weekly commute or weekend excursion has risen by 10 per cent will make far more noise than those whose journeys are 10 per cent cheaper.

Shrewd travellers who split tickets will not only save money – they will also help to accelerate the progress of the necessary root-and-branch reform.

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What are Split Tickets?

Split Tickets are combinations of tickets that together offer the same journey but at a lower price than a regular ticket.

This is done by splitting regular train tickets at calling points along the journey. However, you stay on the same train as normal. There is no requirement to alight and re-board.

How does that work in practice?

So, for example, instead of getting a single ticket from London to Bristol Temple Meads, you would have a ticket from London to Didcot Parkway and then another ticket from Didcot Parkway to Bristol Temple Meads.

The train you get would need to stop at Didcot Parkway, but you don’t need to alight and re-board; you can just stay seated.

As a side note, this particular split is somewhat famous and even has its own name: the Didcot Dodge .

Do I just stay on the same train?

As mentioned above, the only requirement you need to abide by is that the trains you get must be scheduled to stop wherever your Split Tickets split. But Railboard works that out for you when buying tickets for a journey.

When the train does stop at one of those calling points, there is absolutely no requirement to alight and re-board the train.

Why are Split Tickets cheaper?

Thanks to the complexity of the UK rail network, there are various scenarios that can make breaking up your ticket work out cheaper overall.

Here are the two main ones:

• With journeys made around the change from Peak to Off-Peak times, instead of paying for a Peak ticket unnecessarily for the entire journey, it’s often possible to have a Peak ticket for just part of the journey and then an Off-Peak ticket for the rest.
• If the journey is long and uses services from several train operating companies, there are often pricing anomalies we can find and take advantage of for you.

What’s the catch?

We go into these in more detail here , but essentially, there are three main disadvantages:

• We do our best to avoid this, but sometimes your seat reservation will change mid-journey if using Split Tickets.
• You’ll have more actual tickets, so you will have a little more admin to deal with to find the correct one at barriers and such like.
• We charge a small commission based on any saving we find you. If there’s no saving, there’s no fee.

The savings from Split Tickets can be pretty massive, though, so for most people, the money saved from using them more than makes up for all of this!

Why doesn’t every ticket retailer offer Split Tickets?

A lot of work goes into finding Split Tickets and then updating them for new routes and fares. Luckily for you, Railboard’s ticketing partners, TrainSplit, first introduced split ticketing way back in 2014, and since then, have been constantly improving and tweaking their clever algorithms to find you the biggest savings.

Which is why you’ll often find better split ticketing savings on Railboard compared to its competitors, such as Trainline or TrainPal .

Lifestyle | Travel

Split ticketing: the trick that can make your train travel cheaper

Train fares in the UK are notoriously expensive – something which can be traced back to the privatisation of British Rail in 1993.

This means the popularisation of split ticketing, where you can ‘hack’ the system to make fares cheaper, is a welcome one.

To understand how to go about split ticketing – where you buy separate tickets for part of the journey instead of one ticket for the whole journey – we recently spoke to Mark Smith, the ‘Man in Seat 61’ and a rail expert who has held a number of posts, including working for the Department of Transport and being the station manager for London's Charing Cross, London Bridge and Cannon Street stations.

What is split ticketing?

Smith explains: “Split ticketing is where you buy a ticket from A to B and another from B to C, because it is cheaper than a ticket from A to C.”

For example, a one-way ticket from London to Edinburgh on July 30 would cost £73.20 direct. But a train from London to York costs £18 and a ticket from York to Edinburgh costs £33.45 on the same day – a total of £51.45, saving £21.75.

Smith uses this trick too, he says: “I often travel from Haddenham into London then from London to somewhere such as York or Edinburgh, and I always check whether it's cheaper to buy a through ticket all the way from Haddenham or a separate Haddenham to London ticket. The answer varies.”

The peak/off peak hack

While split ticketing won’t always save you money, there are certain situations where you can ‘hack’ the system. One of these being when you are travelling between peak and off peak times.

Smith explains: “When a journey straddles the peak/off-peak boundary, it can be cheaper to buy an Anytime ticket only for the part of the journey where the train in question is considered 'peak' and a cheaper Off-Peak ticket for the remainder. This can save money even on major flows to or from London, but remember it would still be cheaper to wait until the whole journey was off-peak, or to buy an Advance fare.”

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Why split ticketing is less likely to happen when travelling in the same district

Smith tells us: “The second major category [of split ticketing] is a straight-forward pricing anomaly, where fares of the same type have been set where A-B + B-C is less than A-C.

“This is less likely to happen on major flows to and from London where one pricing manager controls all the prices and will try to avoid that. It's more likely to occur on obscure cross-country flows such as Scarborough to Exmouth, where multiple pricing managers from multiple companies set various sections of the route.

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“So why don't they confer to sort this out? Under the Competition Act, it's illegal for them to do so. Furthermore, Department for Transport fares regulation prevents operators putting some fares up and others down to resolve anomalies, as British Rail might have done.”

Is split ticketing legal?

Smith says: “It's perfectly legitimate, as long as the train calls at B - there's no need to get off the train. In fact, if one of the tickets is a season ticket, concessionary pass or rail rover, then the train doesn't need to call where the regular ticket switches to/from the season ticket.”

What’s the easiest way to split tickets?

As Smith explains, there are several sites and apps you can use to see if split ticketing is an option for you. These include ticketysplit.co.uk and trainsplit.com but, perhaps, the most popular of these is Loco2 – a UK-based train booking system that finds cheap fares across the UK and Europe often using the split ticketing hack.

Smith says: “Loco2.com checks all ticket types, and does so in the course of its normal ticket selling process, showing a symbol if a split ticketing opportunity is found. It usually manages what I had thought impossible: getting the same reserved seat across multiple tickets, so you don't have to switch seats at the point where your tickets change over.

“Sometimes the savings can be substantial, so I'd always recommend checking.”

Why don’t rail operators just lower their fares?

Smith explains: “With commuter fares it's a political decision, as fares are regulated and trains usually subsidised. If it costs £3K pro rata to run a railway to get a person into work, we've chosen to have a £2K season ticket with £1K of subsidy, other countries may choose a £1K season and £2K subsidy, and may also have higher levels of taxation to pay for this.

“With long-distance fares we have some of the most expensive and some of the cheapest fares because, exactly as the airlines have found, a wide span maximises revenue from all segments of the market, from affluent businessmen to budget travellers. Most European rail operators are slowly catching up in that respect.”

You can find Mark at seat61.com .

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Brilliant Trains

Split Train Tickets: Everything You Need To Know

Split train tickets are a much touted way to save money on rail travel in the UK, but can you really save up to £300 on your journey?

The answer is that it depends. This short guide will tell you everything you need to know about split ticketing so you can make an informed decision.

What Are Split Tickets?

Basically, it’s when you book two (or more) tickets for separate parts of journey rather than one ticket for the whole way. The reason why you might want to do this is that it can, under certain circumstances, work out to be far cheaper.

So for example, say you want to travel from London to Glasgow it can work out cheaper to buy one ticket to Wiggan and then a second ticket from Wiggan to Glasgow than it would be to buy one ticket from London to Wiggan direct.

Some split tickets requite changing trains but others do not. So it’s very important you pay attention to the train times on all your tickets.

Why Split Your Tickets?

Well besides the obvious reason that it’s cheaper you may also want to split your tikcets for any of the following reasons:

• Break up your journey
• Take advantage of off-peak or super-off peak fares for a portion of your journey
• Taking a non-permitted route
• No suitable through fare is possible

Is Split Ticketing Legal?

In a word: yes!

It is expressly permitted by Section 19 of the National Rail Conditions of Carriage .

However, there are a couple of restriction you need to be aware of:

• The train must stop at all stations you’ve bought a ticket from and not just pass through the station.
• Be aware of peak/off-peak times for your journey and that each tickets covers the fare type of that portion of the journey.
• Some journey’s require you to change trains and some don’t make sure you know what to do before you depart.
• If you have set journey times you must follow it for all portions of the journey. If you first train is late causing you to miss your connection (not unknown) you’ll likely have to pay a full price fare for any portion of the journey not covered by your original ticket.

Can I Use A RailCard With Split Tickets?

Yes! Since split tickets just count as multiple regular tickets you’re entitled to use any railcard that’s permissible for that journey.

Are Split Tickets The Cheapest Train Ticket Option?

While they can be a good deal, advance tickets , bought 12 weeks ahead of time usually offer even greater savings than split tickets. However, it can be worth your while checking both to make sure.

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Reader interactions.

Terry Settle says

May 16, 2019 at 10:56 am

Can you purchase a London Underground ticket via split tickets

March 2, 2020 at 12:53 pm

Michael O'Dwyer says

January 20, 2023 at 5:05 pm

So splitsave is not necessarily cheaper if you have to change stations in London and buy a tube ticket to do so?

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Answers to your most common questions

Is split ticketing legal?

Split ticketing or buying separate tickets for individual legs of a journey instead of a conventional ‘through’ ticket because it works out cheaper may be a little known quirk of the UK rail fares system but it’s completely legal to use a combination of tickets under condition 19 of the National Rail Conditions of Carriage on the condition that the trains you travel on stop at all the places where the tickets are split.

Why do split ticketing fare anomalies occur?

Split ticketing fare anomalies normally occur because the prices for different sections of a route are set by different train companies. For this reason you will normally find the biggest savings on journeys going across the country, particularly on routes operated by CrossCountry Trains. That said split ticketing savings are available on direct trains, although less common, and on trains in and out of London too so it’s always worth a look.

If split ticketing is legal, why isn’t it more publicised ?

The train companies (TOCs) have long been aware of the savings from splitting tickets but none of them offer it as an option on their websites. This is probably because they have calculated that it would lose them millions in revenue if ‘split tickets’ became more generally available. Prior to the launch of book.splitticketing.com travellers in the know who wanted split tickets would have to spend hours trawling through hundreds of fares and then book each leg separately. The new site puts money back into the pockets of the consumer by taking this insider knowledge and making it easy and available to the man in the street, who will now not need to work out anything themselves.

How can I make split ticketing work for me?

If you want to buy split tickets, the journey planner at book.splitticketing.com is your best bet. Unlike rival apps it handles return journeys as well as singles and can handle multiple splits on a journey. Similarly it’s the only place online that finds splits and also automatically books the correct combination of tickets for you ensuring you don’t make a mistake, which could lead to a costly penalty fare. The ticket office at the station may be able to assist in splitting your train tickets but isn’t obliged to and given the complexity of the rail network the staff may not even be aware of the best combination of tickets.

How do I use split tickets?

More and more people are becoming aware of the fact that split tickets or split ticketing can make rail travel cheaper on many routes but there’s still some confusion over what they are and the way that they work. So what are the important things to know? First and foremost split tickets work in exactly the same way a conventional ‘through’ ticket, it’s simply a case of having more tickets for the same journey as this often works out cheaper. Split tickets can be booked in conjunction with a railcard to get even cheaper fares for a journey.

Split ticketing savings are available for both advance and flexible tickets so it’s always worth checking your route, especially if you’re travelling the same day or at very short notice. Split tickets won’t be available on every route but where they are, the savings can be very significant. An off peak single ticket for a London to Leicester journey purchased on the day of travel will normally set you back around £58.00 for instance but splitting it at Bedford and Kettering will reduce the price by £10.70 to £47.30.

If split tickets are bought through a specialist site like book.splitticketing.com , you may find that seats are reserved for you in different parts of the train for different parts of the journey even if you’re actually staying on the same train the whole time. Provided you’re not sitting somewhere that has been reserved for somebody else, though, there’s no need to leave the comfort of your seat for the duration of the journey and you certainly don’t have to get on and off the train at the splitting points.

To make it easier to find split ticketing savings, independent 3rd party rail retailer www.raileasy.co.uk has teamed up with rail buff Nick Brown to create book.splitticketing.com , the only website that finds splitting points and automatically books the correct combination of tickets in a single transaction.

Split fares have always existed but until now only those in the know have been able to benefit from them. Thanks to the new site, split rail fares are now available to the general public too. As one of Raileasy’s directors, Mike Richardson said, ‘The idea is to take insider knowledge and make it available to the general traveller so they don’t have to work anything out.’

Are split tickets always cheaper than conventional train tickets?

There’s been a lot in the news about how much you can be able to save on rail travel by splitting train tickets but does it find cheaper fares than conventional through on every route?

The short answer is no, but given the existence of sites like book.splitticketing.com , which is finding split ticket savings on 60% of journeys with an average additional saving of 30% compared to any other train booking site, it’s always worth taking a look. So what are some scenarios where you might find savings?

Travelling in and out of London

Contrary to popular belief, there can be savings on many journeys going in and out of London although they generally aren’t as spectacular as those that can be found on other routes. For example with split ticketing you can get a Wellingborough-London anytime day return for £49.80, saving £46.20.

Cross country routes

Journeys going across the country, particularly those operated by train company CrossCountry tend to have the biggest savings. As an example, a Plymouth to Derby off peak single ticket would normally set you back around £129.50 for instance but with 5 splits the price drops dramatically to just £79.80. In this case, it’s a direct service so there’s no need even to get off the train.

Journeys at peak times

Unsurprisingly some of the largest savings can be found on flexible anytime tickets for journeys taking place at peak times of day. Mike Richardson a Director of Raileasy, the partner site of Trainsplit.com said ‘If your journey starts at a peak time and ends off-peak – particularly if going cross country and using more than one different train operator – you could win from split ticketing.’

Train Journeys in Scotland

In April 2013 Scotland’s Transport Minister announced that the "decades-old fare anomalies of split-ticketing" would end in Scotland at least. Despite all of the fanfare there are still many Scottish routes where you can significantly reduce your fare with split ticketing. A Glasgow-Dundee off peak return, for instance, will normally set you back £37.40 but with a split at Perth, the price drops to a more affordable £24.00, saving £13.40 or 35.83%

Booking in advance

Even without any additional split ticketing savings, booking train tickets in advance can be up to 80% cheaper than the cost of buying train tickets on the day of departure. The cheapest tickets are generally released in limited quantities about 12 weeks in advance of the day of travel and are sold on a first come first served basis.

How can I find cheap train tickets?

Given the complexity of the UK rail fares system, finding a cheap train tickets can often feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. To give you a helping hand we’ve put together some of our top money saving tips…

Book in advance and you can save up to 80% on the usual cost of day of departure tickets, provided you don’t mind limiting yourself to travelling on a specific train. Advance train tickets are released up to 12 weeks in advance of the date of travel and sold on a first come served basis so you need to get in there quickly to get the cheapest fares. That said, advance fares are often available until 6pm the night before travel so even if you’ve left it late, you may still be able to get a good deal.

Anyone who’s serious about saving money should get clued up about split ticketing. Split ticketing savings are found on 60% of journeys and save consumers an additional average of 30% if a split is found. You’ll find split savings on both fixed time advance fares and more flexible off peak and anytime fares.

Complicated though it sounds, thanks to the Split Ticketing site, which works out where to split the tickets and books them for you Splitting train tickets or breaking a journey down into smaller bits with an individual ticket for each part of the journey. It’s an easy way to get cheaper train ticket with very little effort.

Any savings gained from split ticketing can be combined with a railcard discount to give you an additional third off the cost of your train fares. Railcards are available for travellers aged 16-25, over 60, disabled passengers, two people who travel together regularly, members of HM forces and those on Jobseekers allowance. Savings can be made on both cheap advance train tickets and more flexible fares. A railcard costs around £30 and lasts for a year so you need to be spending £90 a year or more to benefit from the saving.

If you’re happy to travel for longer for less, try searching for slower/overtaken trains along the same line or comparing alternative routes, for instance travelling via or avoiding London. It’s often a good way to bag a bargain.

How do you claim refunds on split tickets?

Splitting your train tickets into individual legs rather than buying a more conventional ‘through’ ticket can make rail travel much more affordable but how does it work out if your travel plans go pear shaped and you find that you need to travel on a different day or even want to cancel your journey altogether?

If you were delayed by a train company

Provided that you arrived at your departure station on time, if you were then delayed or missed a connection you'll probably be entitled to compensation from the train company that caused the delay. The amount you'll get varies according to the train company and the length of delay. No fee of any sort is payable.

To make a claim for a delay, cancellation or missed connection, you need to contact the train company directly. We're not able to issue the compensation - only the train company can do that. This is often called "Delay Repay", but they'll normally explain the procedure on their website, but if in doubt you can ring National Rail Enquiries on 03457 48 49 50.

If you want to cancel for other reasons

Tickets can be booked up to twelve weeks in advance of the dates of travel giving you four months in which to actually make the journey. Unsurprisingly your refund options will be different depending on the type of tickets you originally purchased.

Fixed time advance type tickets are non-refundable if you’re not going to be making the journey at all but they can be amended by rebooking the journey for different dates or times BEFORE THE ORIGINAL DEPATURE TIME and providing proof of repurchase as long as the departure and destination stations both remain the same. If you wait until after the original departure time for any reason, industry rules do not allow us to change advance tickets - regrettably your ticket will have no value.

Flexible tickets (off-peak and anytime, sometimes known as "walk-up" fares) can be refunded regardless of whether the journey is rebooked. You have up to 28 days after the ticket's expiry date to claim the refund.

In order to gain a refund from the retailer all the tickets must be wholly unused and returned to the point of purchase as they cannot claim back the money to refund you until they have the tickets back in their possession.

Cancellation Fees

One of the biggest downsides to splitting tickets at the station or manually on a train company site is undoubtedly the fact that cancellation or amendments fees will be applied per ticket. As a consequence you may very well find yourself having to fork out for two admin fees or more if you split the journey in several places, possibly cancelling out the saving you made from splitting your fare in the first place. You can get round this of course by only purchasing tickets on the date when you definitely know that you will be travelling but it does mean that you’ll miss out on the possibility of saving through split advance fares.

In contrast if tickets have been booked through the Split Ticketing site and you’re cancelling or amending, the standard industry admin fee of £10 will apply but will only be charged per booking reference rather than per ticket, no matter how many tickets you’re actually getting refunded.

Can I get on earlier or later trains with split tickets?

As rail fares become more and more unaffordable for the average traveller, it’s no wonder that split ticketing is increasingly being promoted as an easy way to travel for less. Based on their growing database of real life searches the founders of ticket splitting website trainsplit.com, the first website offering the facility to book split tickets automatically, are finding that split ticket savings are available on 60% of searched journeys and that Trainsplit.com provides an additional average saving of 30% compared to other train ticket websites.

Under the terms of the National Rail Conditions of Travel section 14, it’s perfectly fine and completely legal to use a combination of tickets rather than a more conventional ‘through’ ticket as long as the train(s) you are travelling call at all the points where you split your ticket.

Most people already understand the basics of split tickets and that’s all very well and good, but are split tickets still valid if you want to take an earlier or later train?

In short it really all depends on the ticket type. If you’re travelling on a fixed time advance type ticket you’re limited to travelling on the services you’ve booked and if you want to travel at a different time, you’ll need to rebook the journey. If your train tickets are flexible, however, you aren’t limited to travelling on a specified service as long as you abide by any peak period restrictions, if you have off peak tickets that is, and you make sure that the alternative train services you use also call at your splitting points.

If you’re taking a different train because the train on your first leg has been delayed, it’s a different kettle of fish and taking a later train isn’t a problem. Even if you’ve purchased fixed time tickets, as long as the tickets were booked with the correct minimum connection times, just as with ordinary unsplit advance tickets you will be entitled to board a later train service as long as it’s operated by the same train company you were originally meant to be travelling with.

If you’ve booked split tickets in one transaction through an accredited site like trainsplit.com, there’s no need to worry about the minimum connection times as the site will automatically take this into account when generating the itinerary. If you do get delayed though, it’s always best practice to get your ticket endorsed by a member of the train or station staff if you can just to avoid any confusion later on in the journey.

How do split fares and seat reservations work?

When it comes to split ticketing, where you have multiple train tickets for the legs of your journey rather than a single, more conventional ‘through’ ticket it’s not surprising that some of the most frequently raised queries relate to seat reservations.

Several UK train companies including South Western Railway, London Northwestern Railway and Northern don’t actually issue numbered seat reservations to anybody on any of their train services and may only offer a counted place seat coupon instead. Similarly at times when the train is likely to be crowded many of the train companies that do offer seat reservations may choose to declassify the train so that it’s not possible to reserve seats.

That said whilst seat reservations can never be guaranteed, wherever availability permits websites like we will always attempt to assign seat reservations at the time of booking, taking into account any seating preferences specified during the booking process. If seats are successfully reserved all the details will be shown on the confirmation email and separate seat reservation tickets stating the time of the train will be printed alongside the travel tickets

In instances where you’re travelling on a direct train but you’ve been issued with multiple tickets as it’s cheaper to split the tickets at points where the train calls along your route, there’s always a risk that you may be allocated seats in a different part of the train for different sections of the trip rather than one, although we’ll do our best to avoid this if at all possible

The problem is all down to limitations in the seat booking system and if you find yourself in this situation rather than playing musical chairs, it’s perfectly fine to disregard the seat reservations you’ve been given and sit elsewhere as long as you don’t occupy a seat that has been reserved for another passenger. Technically the guard may ask you to move to the seat that’s reserved for you but in practice this happens very rarely.

Train services will usually have an unreserved carriage for people who purchase their train tickets on the day and so it may be easier to find a seat there for the entire journey. Alternatively the ticket office at the station may be able to offer a through reservation provided you produce a valid combination of tickets for the whole journey.

How can I get cheaper business travel?

Advice for finding cheaper train fares often focuses on booking up to 12 weeks before the date of travel and travelling at times when trains aren’t busy. Advance train tickets can indeed be up to 80% cheaper than the cost of tickets bought on the day, but they simply aren’t practical for most business travellers who can’t be flexible with travel times and may be travelling at very short notice. So what can business travellers do to reduce their costs?

In a sentence, split their train tickets! Split ticketing savings can be found both fixed time advance fares as well as walk up anytime and off peak fares and so are ideal for business travellers. What’s more, if you’re already a rail commuter and hold a season ticket, you can book split tickets in conjunction with a gold card to lower the price of your journey even further.

So what do we mean by splitting train fares? Split ticketing is the term used when someone uses a combination of two or more tickets for a train journey - a ticket from your departure station to an intermediate station where the train stops and a separate ticket from the intermediate station to your destination station – instead of a more conventional through ticket.

Split ticketing might mean buying two single tickets rather than a return if it’s cheaper. Similarly if you’re making a longer journey starting in the peak time period but part of the journey falls into the off peak period, it will often work out cheaper to split the ticket so that you don’t pay a more expensive peak time fare for your entire journey.

Split tickets are available on lots of key business routes. For instance a standard class anytime return London to Manchester anytime return would normally set you back £329.00 but when the fare is split it can cost as little as £226.40 saving your company £102.60 . Alternatively if you need to get work done during the journey a split ticket may make it feasible to upgrade and travel in first class.

Splitting tickets used to involve hours trawling through fares and train times to find out stopping patterns. Even if you did find a split you’d then need to go away and book each leg separately, running the risk of making a mistake and potentially incurring a penalty fare. Thanks to sites like trainsplit.com, this is a thing of the past. The site automatically searches for splits and books the correct tickets automatically and will only offer splits for stations where your chosen train is scheduled to stop.

If you prefer you can of course split tickets yourself or buy them at the station but be warned, split tickets aren’t routinely offered by ticket offices unless you specifically request them and ticket machines cannot sell them either.

How will I get my tickets?

We will offer you E-Tickets for all routes and ticket types that allow us to. E-Tickets are delivered in PDF form and can be displayed on any electronic device or printed onto paper. We also support saving tickets to Google Wallet and Apple Wallet.

For some routes (e.g. involving the London tube, or travel on Scotrail services), E-Ticket delivery is not possible. We offer Ticket on Departure (ToD) for these bookings, and you will need to pick up the tickets at a ticket machine before travel.

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We are unable to sell the following products:

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Where can I find the National Rail conditions of travel?

Live running information and contact details to help with your journey

I need live running information

If you want to know whether trains are running on time, or you need help replanning journeys during disruption, please call National Rail Enquiries on 03457 48 49 50.

You can also access information on disruption and live train times by clicking here .

I need a refund or amendment

My question hasn't been answered, or i have a suggestion.

If your question hasn't been answered, please get in touch with us using the details below.

You can email customer.support@trainsplit.com

All transactions on this site are transacted by Ferries Trains Planes Limited, which is a company registered in England (with company registration number 3067728).

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Splitsave is not available on every journey. When it is available it will show as an option on our app when it is. 

What is SplitSave?

SplitSave is our latest feature available on our mobile app that makes split ticketing easy! Split ticketing is a way of saving money on train travel by ‘splitting’ your trip into multiple tickets. There’s a common misconception that split ticketing is all about changing trains, but that’s not the case. Actually, it’s the same journey, just more tickets than usual.

SplitSave finds clever combinations of tickets to save you money on thousands of journeys across the UK – all you have to do is show different tickets along your journey.

Changing trains…?

SplitSave doesn’t add any additional changes to your route. So, if your journey had no changes originally, there’d still be no changes – hurrah!

If your journey included a change anyway, then this will still apply. Your tickets won’t always ‘split’ at the same point that your train changes though. You can find a detailed breakdown in your Journey Tracker though, so you’re clear.

The only condition when using SplitSave is that the train you take must stop at all the places you’ve bought tickets for and not just pass through them.

How flexible is SplitSave?

If your SplitSave includes at least one Advance Single fare, then you’ll need to take the train you selected. But, if your SplitSave is made up of flexible fares (Anytime, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak) then you may be able to take different trains, as long as they stop at stations where your tickets ‘split’. And remember, you don’t necessarily have to change trains where your tickets ‘split’.

How does it work out cheaper?

Put simply, it's a quirk of the UK ticketing system

UK ticket prices are based on things like the journey duration, time of travel, and fare flexibility. SplitSave finds the cheapest combo of tickets to make your overall journey cheaper

Is it legit?

Absolutely! You're buying normal tickets, just more of them than usual. It’s the same journey, just multiple tickets.

Can I use railcards?

Absolutely! Just add them as normal when you search to get even cheaper prices.

Can I still reserve a seat?

Yes, if a train operator offers seat reservations, then we’ll do our best to reserve one for you.

In rare cases, you may only be able to reserve a seat for part of your journey. Occasionally, you may have to change seats partway through your journey. Check your ticket for seat-specific info.

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Split Ticketing: A Helpful Explanation (Part 2)

Split ticketing can save you money – sometimes a very large amount of money. If you have saved a large sum, I would like to know about it too see if it can beat the £150 saved on a journey from Durham to Abergavenny. This involved splitting the journey into four parts, with a separate ticket for each part. The train had to stop where you change from one ticket to another, which is the critical rule for split ticketing.

But what does this matter?

There are 23 separate train companies, more or less, in the UK – depending on how you count them. They run on different routes, sometimes on their own and sometimes on routes also served by other operators. Train companies or operators are often called TOCs, standing for train operating companies. These continue even though the franchising system has broken down during the COVID 19 crisis. The routes can be straight or criss-cross over one another, and for every flow (a journey from one station to another) the fares are set by one of the TOCs, and the revenue from that flow is shared out between the relevant TOCs depending on how many trains they run on the route, the number of seats provided and the speed of the journey, with the money usually going to the operator of the fastest train on the grounds that most passengers will choose a fast train over a slow one. These are pre-arranged percentages but that is a matter for the TOCs and does not concern the average passenger.

Imagine a simple railway between A and B

There are two operators on our imaginary simple railway. FASTtrain runs non-stop with new trains between A and B. SLOWtrain also runs between A and B using older trains which also stop at C, midway between A and B. (It does not matter if C is on the mainline and FASTtrain runs straight through, or if C is on a slower diversionary route which means SLOWtrain covers more miles between A and B. Let’s further imagine there are four types of single ticket on our imaginary railway:

1) Tickets valid on FASTtrain and SLOWtrain between A and B (which might call at C), £10 2) Slightly cheaper tickets valid on FASTtrain only between A and B, non-stop, £9 3) Cheaper still tickets between A and C, only available on SLOWtrain, £3.50 4) Tickets between B and C, only available on SLOWtrain, £4.50

We have made a simple example. In the real world there may be day returns, period returns, season tickets, child fares, maybe advance purchase bargains and railcards. SLOWtrain gets all the money for the £3.50 and £4.50 tickets. FASTtrain gets all the revenue for the £9 tickets, and the two of them get a share of the £10 tickets, the majority going to FASTtrain, say £7.

That’s why FASTtrain likes to sell £9 tickets instead of £10 ones because £9 is better than £7. But if you buy a £3.50 ticket and a £4.50 ticket via C and travel on the FASTtrain which does not call at C, the revenue goes to SLOWtrain whilst you have been riding on FASTtrain. Who don’t like that at all and will probably charge you £9 for riding on their train. Which is why you have to stop at the station where you switch from one ticket to another!

You don’t have to understand the workings of the system to save money. For train times and prices , look no further than nationalrail.com

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Mythbusting: correcting misconceptions about split ticketing

14 Sep 2023 · 4 min read

A number of misconceptions have recently cropped up, in relation to split-ticketing as well as ticket pricing and availability from different retail channels (ticket offices, ticket machines, online [independent] retailers). We set the record straight on a number of surprisingly persistent myths.

Myth: You'll get less get Delay Repay compensation when using split tickets

All train operating companies must provide exactly the same compensation, based on the tickets used for your entire journey, as if a single through ticket was used.

We have a blog post detailing your entitlement to Delay Repay  but the important thing to remember is that it doesn't change at all if you happen to use split tickets. You have every right for the tickets to be considered together and for your claim to be assessed for one journey.

Myth: I'll get better value tickets at the ticket office

Ticket office staff are advised not to sell split tickets as a general rule, and don't have access to the same range of Advance tickets that online retailers can sell. Ticket office staff must offer the cheapest valid through fare that they can sell from their ticketing issuing system from your origin to your destination impartially, nothing more. As we save our customers an average of £21.60 on every journey, you could be missing out on substantial savings.

A minority of ticket office staff will go above-and-beyond to recommend other options to passengers, including potential opportunities for split-ticketing - but we would always recommend buying via a system that's able to check the trains you intend to travel on are valid for the combination of tickets you intend to use and that the minimum connection times are met at each change in the itinerary. This is less risky than "self-splitting" or manually buying split tickets.

Online retailers can sell Advance ticket on-the-day, which isn't possible at some train operator ticket offices. 

There is a wider conversation happening currently on the role of ticket offices which is outside the scope of this blog post, but we think it is vital that passengers with a disability are not disadvantaged by any changes in this area. 

Myth: Online retailers always charge hidden booking fees

TrainSplit does not charge a booking fee, and only charges a "share of saving" fee if customers save money compared to the "through tickets" that they'd be sold during the vast majority of ticket purchases from train operating companies. We include the "share of saving" fee in all of our prices to ensure that we're upfront and honest with our customers, and also ensure that the savings figures we quote factor in this fee. The income from the fee helps us provide some of the best customer support in the industry and reinvest in improving the passenger experience.

Myth: I'll need to get off the train every time I change tickets

As long as the train calls at the points that you're splitting your tickets, you don't need to get off the train and change onto a different one when you're using split-tickets. We'll make it clear when you book with us as to where you need to change trains.

Myth: If I'm delayed and miss a connection on split tickets, I'll need to buy new tickets

Section 14 of the National Rail Conditions of Travel enshrines your right to use a combination of tickets to make your journey, provided the train stops at the split-points in most cases (we'll check this for you automatically when you pick a journey).

This means that your rights to travel on the next available service, matching any route restrictions on your ticket, are just as strong when you buy split tickets as when you buy one simple through ticket.

This applies in exactly the same way to cancellations .  Don’t worry if you miss a following connection, you’re covered all the way to your destination because of the cancellation (this also works for delays) and can take the next available train(s) as above to get to where you need to be.

Don't forget to claim delay repay from the train operator after the end of your journey.

Myth: If I hold split tickets and miss the last train due to previous delays/cancellations, train operators don't have to help me

Train operators have a duty to assist passengers who are prevented from completing their journey due to disruption. This applies irrespective as to whether the customer has purchased a set of split tickets or through tickets and applies to  all train companies who can reasonably assist you - not just those you were booked to originally travel with.

Where disruption prevents you from completing the journey for which your Ticket is valid and is being used, any Train Company will, where it reasonably can, provide you with alternative means of travel to your destination, or if necessary, provide overnight accommodation for you.

If you are likely to be delayed for more than 60 minutes:

You also have a right to meals and refreshments, a right to be re-routed, and a right to carry out your journey on a future date under comparable conditions in line with the Rail Passenger Rights and Obligations regulation.

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The easy way to make your train travel up to 40% cheaper

Split ticketing helps you find cheap train tickets by simply splitting your journey across two or more tickets. Thousands of people now enjoy rail travel that's up to 40% cheaper—and you can too!

How does split ticketing work?

With our site it’s quick and easy. Imagine you're travelling from Birmingham to Leeds:

• A return ticket costs £75.50*.
• With Split Ticket you can buy a train ticket from Birmingham to Derby, another from Derby to Sheffield and finally one from Sheffield to Leeds, all for just £49.30.
• That's a remarkable saving of £25.80.

*All fares quoted are Off-Peak (returning the same day) and accurate as of July 2023. Saving at peak times can be even greater.

What do I need to do to get cheaper train tickets?

Using Split Ticket is speedy and simple. Our powerful search engine will find you the cheapest train tickets ready for you to make your booking.

Will I have to get on and off the train with split ticketing?

You can relax and enjoy the journey! Even with multiple tickets, you stay onboard. If you’re in First Class, you may have to move seats (but not disembark the train) if they have been pre-allocated.

Cheap train tickets

Are you on the lookout for cheap train tickets ?

Given the complexity of the UK rail fares system, finding  cheap train tickets can often feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. To give you a helping hand we’ve put together some of our top money saving tips…

Book in advance and you can save up to 80% on the usual cost of day of departure tickets, provided you don’t mind limiting yourself to travelling on a specific train. Advance train tickets are released up to 12 weeks in advance of the date of travel and sold on a first come served basis so you need to get in there quickly to get the cheapest fares. That said, advance fares are often available until 6pm the night before travel so even if you’ve left it late, you may still be able to get a good deal.

Anyone who’s serious about saving money should get clued up about split ticketing. Split ticketing savings are found on 70% of journeys and save consumers an additional average of 30% if a split is found. You’ll find split savings on both fixed time advance fares and more flexible off peak and anytime fares.

Complicated though it sounds, thanks to the Split Ticket site, which works out where to split the tickets and books them for you Splitting train tickets or breaking a journey down into smaller bits with an individual ticket for each part of the journey. It’s an easy way to get cheaper train tickets with very little effort.

Any savings gained from split ticketing can be combined with a railcard discount to give you an additional third off the cost of your train fares. Railcards are available for travellers aged 16-25, 26- 30, seniors, families, disabled passengers, two people who travel together regularly, members of HM forces and those on Jobseekers allowance. Savings can be made on both cheap advance train tickets and more flexible fares. A railcard costs around £30 and lasts for a year so you need to be spending £90 a year or more to benefit from the saving.

If you’re happy to travel for longer for less, try searching for slower/overtaken trains along the same line or comparing alternative routes, for instance travelling via or avoiding London. It’s often a good way to bag a bargain.

While we always recommend booking your cheap train tickets up to 12 weeks in advance to secure the most significant discounts, there are still opportunities for savings even if you're planning closer to your travel date. So, whether you're a planner or a last-minute traveller, it's worth checking for cheap train tickets and potential savings as your travel date approaches.

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How Split-Ticketing Can Save You Money On Flights

Taking the example I gave in Part 2 of my Guide to Google Flights (which you should definitely read first if you haven’t yet), I will show you how a method I call split-ticketing can save me almost $150 on a round-trip flight from Vancouver, Canada to Krakow, Poland.

If purchased normally (using the techniques I show you in that guide), it would cost $817 for that return trip.  With split-ticketing, it would only cost $669.06. 

So what is split-ticketing and how would it save me almost $150, you ask?

Well how it works is that instead of searching for flights that go from point A to point C, you search for 2 different flights utilizing a common connection hub as the location of point B.  For example, there are no direct flights from Vancouver to Krakow and the $817 flight I found has a stopover in Frankfurt. 

Frankfurt is a major transit hub in Europe (especially for Lufthansa), but there are several others too such as Paris, Amsterdam, and most notably, London.  But you don’t have to go and research what the major transit hubs in your desired region are because if you use Google Flights’ Explore Map that I talk about in Part 2 of my Guide to Google Flights , you can easily see them for yourself!

If your map is crowded and you’re not sure which hub is the cheapest to fly to, an easy way to find it is to use the Price filter and filter out destinations until you only have 1 or 2 left as options.  

But in my case, I don’t have to do that because one immediately stands out: I can fly to London for only $539 return! 

If I look at the details of this flight, I can see that I arrive at London Heathrow (LHR) at 11:20 AM on March 8th and depart from Heathrow again at 2:30 PM on March 15th.  

This gives me the whole afternoon and evening of the 8th to catch a flight to Krakow and the whole morning of the 15th to catch a flight back to London.  Let’s see what’s available! 

I’m going to search for one-way flights to get the full array of options.  Starting with the flight to Krakow, I want to make sure that I’m only shown flights that I can reasonably catch so I will also adjust the Times filter to show me flights that depart from London after 2 PM on the 8th.  

*Generally, you want to make sure you give yourself enough time to catch your connecting flight, especially if you’re going to be changing airports.  Your stopover time is up to you and how risky you want to be, but to play it safe, I would generally go for at least 2 hours between flights if it’s the same airport and at least 4 if you have to change airports.

After sorting by the cheapest flights available, this is what I see:

The cheapest outbound flight in this search is a Ryanair flight that leaves at 5:20 PM from London Luton (LTN) which is another airport in London, but there are 5.5 hours between flights if I go with that one which I think is a safe amount of time between flights so I’m probably going to choose it.  Let’s now look for the return flight.

Similar to the previous search, I’m going to look for one-way flights on the 15th that arrive in London before 12 PM:

So the cheapest flight here is a Wizzair flight that arrives at London Luton at 7:45 AM which gives me about 6 hours between the time I arrive at Luton and the departure time of my flight back to Vancouver so this flight seems perfect!  

Next I will have to figure out how I will get from Heathrow to Luton and back.

Note: as I was researching these flights over two or three days, the price of both the Wizzair and Ryanair flights increased and decreased by several dollars every day so you always want to make sure you act fast when planning out your travels!

A good way to figure out how to get between airports in a city is to ask the internet! I might create a page dedicated to this in the future, but you can typically find this information simply by googling it, so this is what I’m going to do now.

Googling how to get between these airports gives me 3 options: taxi/uber (hell no, too expensive), train (still too expensive), and a shuttle bus offered by National Express (ding ding, we have a winner!).  

The shuttle bus to and from Luton costs £15 each way with an extra £1 for the transaction made on their website for a total of £31.

There’s only one other thing I need to figure out.  If I’m looking to bring a bag larger than 45 x 25 x 20cm (17.7 x 9.8 x 7.9in) with me, then I will have to consider the cost of my carry-on bags as well since both Ryanair and Wizzair are budget airlines that charge you extra for your carry-on. 

Learn more about these two airlines and other budget airlines in my Guide to Budget Airlines , if you haven’t checked it out already!

If I don’t need the extra bag and I can get by with the personal item that Ryanair and Wizzair allow me to bring on board, then I’d save myself even more money!  But let’s assume I am going to bring a bag larger than the personal item with me.  I am going for a week, after all!  

Let’s check how much it would cost me for each airline.  The only way you can get the most accurate price for a carry-on bag is to go through the booking process for each airline because they make it different for each flight so I’m going to do that now:

So Ryanair is charging an extra $12.50 for a carry-on bag for the Krakow flight and Wizzair is charging 88 Polish Zloty (which is roughly $22.72 USD) for the London flight.

Let’s now add up all the costs to see how much money I would save by split-ticketing:

• Return flight from Vancouver to London – $539
• Return bus from London Heathrow to London Luton – $40.84 (converted from £31)
• Ryanair flight from London Luton to Krakow – $20
• Carry-on for Krakow flight – $12.50
• Wizzair flight from Krakow to London Luton – $29
• Carry-on for London Stansted flight – $22.72 (converted from 88 PLN)

TOTAL: $664.06 with a carry-on and $628.84 without (savings of $152.94 and $188.16, respectively!)

If you’re serious about saving money, this is a good way to do it!  Sure, you have to cross London twice and add several hours to your travel time, but that’s $152.94/$188.16 back in your pocket and it’s hard to argue with that!  

That money could go towards your accommodation in Krakow for which there are also several ways to find for cheap (you can learn how in my Guide to Cheap Accommodation ).

But before you run off and book your flights, make sure to read these important notes on split-ticketing:

1. You must go and retrieve any checked luggage that you may have had once your first flight has landed (if you only have carry-on luggage, then this does not apply to you).  

Once you’ve retrieved your checked luggage, you must go and check it in again for your second flight.  After this, you must go through security and customs again.  

The reason you have to do all this is because since you purchased the tickets to each destination separately, the airline will not transfer your checked luggage to your next flight.  It is only when you buy packaged flights from airlines or travel agencies that the airline will transfer your checked luggage between flights.  

And if you don’t have checked luggage, you will most likely still need to go check in for your second flight at the check-in counter (unless you have already checked in online, which is now offered by most airlines, and you checked in before arriving at the airport).  After which, you will likely still have to go through security and customs again.

2. You must allow enough time between flights to catch the second flight.   This is something that I’ve already stated, but that I really need to reiterate.  

My general guideline is that if the second flight departs from the same airport, you should allow at least 2 hours between your arrival and your next departure.  If your second flight departs from another airport, you should allow at least 4 hours between them.  

The more time you allow between flights, the better.

The reason why is because there is a chance that your first flight could be cancelled, delayed, or just arrive late, and if you didn’t allow enough time in between flights, then you could miss your second flight, especially if you have to go through the whole checked luggage situation I outlined earlier. 

If your first flight arrives late and you miss your second flight, then you are effectively screwed because the first airline is only responsible for getting you to your first destination since you purchased the tickets separately.  

If you had purchased a packaged flight, then the airline would definitely be responsible for getting you to your final destination and would reimburse you if they were late in bringing you to your connecting flight, but since you purchased the flights separately, they will not refund you for the flight that you miss as a result of them being late since it is your responsibility to get to that second flight in time, not theirs. 

That being said, the risk of a flight being delayed or late is quite low as about 85% of flights arrive on time (you can see the data for this yourself), which means there is only a 15% chance that your flight won’t be on-time which is still pretty good and worth the risk in my opinion.  

If you really want to avoid the risk of missing your second flight, then you should allow yourself at least half a day in your connecting airport (and even longer if changing airports) in order to make your second flight, but I personally think 2 hours (and 4 hours if changing airports) is good enough.  

Another option is to turn your layover into a stopover and turn the connecting city into another stop on your trip!  For example, if you’re going to Krakow, why not also spend a few days in London since you’ll be stopping there anyways?  That’s what I did when I flew to Barcelona a few years ago.  Spent the weekend in London because why not?

And that’s all you have to keep in mind for split-ticketing!

But that’s not the only way to save money on your flights, there are more strategies to budget flying and in Part 2 , I’m going to teach you about how ridiculous airlines are with their pricing and how you can take advantage of it!

About The Author

Hi there,  I’m Sebastian , founder and creator of Travel Done Simple. Since I turned 20, I have lived in 5 different countries and traveled to over 40 others! You can learn more about me on my  About page   and find me on social media.

Hi there, I’m Sebastian , founder and creator of Travel Done Simple. Since I turned 20, I have lived in 5 different countries and traveled to over 40 others! You can learn more about me on my About page   and find me on social media.

I’m Sebastian , the founder and creator of Travel Done Simple! I was born in Europe and raised in Canada, but I now consider myself to be a citizen of the world. When I’m not busy exploring new destinations, I’m here giving you the best travel tips so you can do the same! 

You can learn more about me on my About page and if it’s your first time on my site,  start here !

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Biden-Harris Administration Announces Final Rule Requiring Automatic Refunds of Airline Tickets and Ancillary Service Fees

Rule makes it easy to get money back for cancelled or significantly changed flights, significantly delayed checked bags, and additional services not provided  

WASHINGTON – The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a final rule that requires airlines to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when owed. The new rule makes it easy for passengers to obtain refunds when airlines cancel or significantly change their flights, significantly delay their checked bags, or fail to provide the extra services they purchased.

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them - without headaches or haggling,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg . “Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers.”  

The final rule creates certainty for consumers by defining the specific circumstances in which airlines must provide refunds. Prior to this rule, airlines were permitted to set their own standards for what kind of flight changes warranted a refund. As a result, refund policies differed from airline to airline, which made it difficult for passengers to know or assert their refund rights. DOT also received complaints of some airlines revising and applying less consumer-friendly refund policies during spikes in flight cancellations and changes. 

Under the rule, passengers are entitled to a refund for:

• Canceled or significantly changed flights: Passengers will be entitled to a refund if their flight is canceled or significantly changed, and they do not accept alternative transportation or travel credits offered. For the first time, the rule defines “significant change.” Significant changes to a flight include departure or arrival times that are more than 3 hours domestically and 6 hours internationally; departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability.  
• Significantly delayed baggage return: Passengers who file a mishandled baggage report will be entitled to a refund of their checked bag fee if it is not delivered within 12 hours of their domestic flight arriving at the gate, or 15-30 hours of their international flight arriving at the gate, depending on the length of the flight.  
• Extra services not provided: Passengers will be entitled to a refund for the fee they paid for an extra service — such as Wi-Fi, seat selection, or inflight entertainment — if an airline fails to provide this service.

DOT’s final rule also makes it simple and straightforward for passengers to receive the money they are owed. Without this rule, consumers have to navigate a patchwork of cumbersome processes to request and receive a refund — searching through airline websites to figure out how make the request, filling out extra “digital paperwork,” or at times waiting for hours on the phone. In addition, passengers would receive a travel credit or voucher by default from some airlines instead of getting their money back, so they could not use their refund to rebook on another airline when their flight was changed or cancelled without navigating a cumbersome request process.  

The final rule improves the passenger experience by requiring refunds to be:

• Automatic: Airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops.   
• Prompt: Airlines and ticket agents must issue refunds within seven business days of refunds becoming due for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods.  
• Cash or original form of payment: Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in cash or whatever original payment method the individual used to make the purchase, such as credit card or airline miles. Airlines may not substitute vouchers, travel credits, or other forms of compensation unless the passenger affirmatively chooses to accept alternative compensation.    
• Full amount: Airlines and ticket agents must provide full refunds of the ticket purchase price, minus the value of any portion of transportation already used. The refunds must include all government-imposed taxes and fees and airline-imposed fees, regardless of whether the taxes or fees are refundable to airlines.

The final rule also requires airlines to provide prompt notifications to consumers affected by a cancelled or significantly changed flight of their right to a refund of the ticket and extra service fees, as well as any related policies.

In addition, in instances where consumers are restricted by a government or advised by a medical professional not to travel to, from, or within the United States due to a serious communicable disease, the final rule requires that airlines must provide travel credits or vouchers. Consumers may be required to provide documentary evidence to support their request. Travel vouchers or credits provided by airlines must be transferrable and valid for at least five years from the date of issuance.

The Department received a significant number of complaints against airlines and ticket agents for refusing to provide a refund or for delaying processing of refunds during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, refund complaints peaked at 87 percent of all air travel service complaints received by DOT. Refund problems continue to make up a substantial share of the complaints that DOT receives.

DOT’s Historic Record of Consumer Protection Under the Biden-Harris Administration

Under the Biden-Harris Administration and Secretary Buttigieg, DOT has advanced the largest expansion of airline passenger rights, issued the biggest fines against airlines for failing consumers, and returned more money to passengers in refunds and reimbursements than ever before in the Department’s history.

• Thanks to pressure from Secretary Buttigieg and DOT’s flightrights.gov dashboard, all 10 major U.S. airlines guarantee free rebooking and meals, and nine guarantee hotel accommodations when an airline issue causes a significant delay or cancellation. These are new commitments the airlines added to their customer service plans that DOT can legally ensure they adhere to and are displayed on flightrights.gov .  
• Since President Biden took office, DOT has helped return more than $3 billion in refunds and reimbursements owed to airline passengers – including over $600 million to passengers affected by the Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown in 2022.   
• Under Secretary Buttigieg, DOT has issued over $164 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations. Between 1996 and 2020, DOT collectively issued less than $71 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations.  
• DOT recently launched a new partnership with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general to fast-track the review of consumer complaints, hold airlines accountable, and protect the rights of the traveling public.  
• In 2023, the flight cancellation rate in the U.S. was a record low at under 1.2% — the lowest rate of flight cancellations in over 10 years despite a record amount of air travel.  
• DOT is undertaking its first ever industry-wide review of airline privacy practices and its first review of airline loyalty programs.

In addition to finalizing the rules to require automatic refunds and protect against surprise fees, DOT is also pursuing rulemakings that would:

• Propose to ban family seating junk fees and guarantee that parents can sit with their children for no extra charge when they fly. Before President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg pressed airlines last year, no airline committed to guaranteeing fee-free family seating. Now, four airlines guarantee fee-free family seating, and the Department is working on its family seating junk fee ban proposal.  
• Propose to make passenger compensation and amenities mandatory so that travelers are taken care of when airlines cause flight delays or cancellations.   
• Expand the rights for passengers who use wheelchairs and ensure that they can travel safely and with dignity . The comment period on this proposed rule closes on May 13, 2024.

The final rule on refunds can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/latest-news and at regulations.gov , docket number DOT-OST-2022-0089. There are different implementation periods in this final rule ranging from six months for airlines to provide automatic refunds when owed to 12 months for airlines to provide transferable travel vouchers or credits when consumers are unable to travel for reasons related to a serious communicable disease. 

Information about airline passenger rights, as well as DOT’s rules, guidance and orders, can be found at   https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer .