Does Rex ever have sales?

[Quickstatus]

Not for me but daughter at Uni in Wagga. Schedule is not released in months in advance to take advantage of specials. Will have better idea next year

 

[Wanderlust_tim]

Not for me but daughter at Uni in Wagga. Schedule is not released in months in advance to take advantage of specials. Will have better idea next year

Hi Quickstatus
Do you mean general dates of semesters or weekly timetables? I work in Higher Education and you can usually find the semester dates two years or so in advance. Weekly timetables I am afraid are a lot more fluid. If semester let me know and I will see what I can find.

 

[Quickstatus]

Hi Quickstatus
Do you mean general dates of semesters or weekly timetables? I work in Higher Education and you can usually find the semester dates two years or so in advance. Weekly timetables I am afraid are a lot more fluid. If semester let me know and I will see what I can find.

Semester dates are more or less set in stone, the weekly timetables within the semester is usually only available just before semester starts and can change. But additionally factors like compulsory work placements during semester breaks are unknown until arranged etc etc

 

[Wanderlust_tim]

Semester dates are more or less set in stone, the weekly timetables within the semester is usually only available just before semester starts and can change. But additionally factors like compulsory work placements during semester breaks are unknown until arranged etc etc

Ah of course, I thought that might be the case but just wanted to double check. Best of luck in getting some great fares.

 

[Quickstatus]

CSU Wagga this semester (about to end) has a timetabled item on Fridays 1700 hrs! but nothing between 1400-1700hrs!!. No its not a lecture which can be podcasted so have to attend.
Monday return is pretty good, the 0645 SYD-WGA is always at the cheapest $153 even 2 weeks in advance.
Slight PITA because can't get back to SYD on Friday evening, however REX on Fri evenings are circa $300.

Total cost REX ZL WGA-SYD(home) and return is:
Airfare $306
WGA 48 hours Airport parking $15
Sydney train $28 (concession)
Total = $350
Door to door travel time total 5 hours

Compared with driving:
Wear and tear (not rego or ins) etc @ $0.3/km
Diesel Fuel 960km @ 6L/100km $75
Total = $363
Door to door travel time total 6 hours

Whats better?. Currently Rex over car as driving is more tiring, risk of accidents, fines. Rex definitely safer for a green P plater. Miss QS has 2 cohorts in CSU who lost their P license for 3 months commuting between WGA and home. Apparently Cops are aware of increased number of P platers as WGA is a Uni town so ply their trade around the Uni and highway surrounds.

 

[Mattg]

I pay with my AMEX, there are no fees when paying with CC at the airport. I didn't ask about cash, sorry.

Well I just tried to buy a ticket at SYD. The lady could not quote me the Rex Net fare, and was only able to sell me a ticket at the more expensive Rex Saver price. She also mentioned that I would still need to pay a credit card surcharge when booking at the airport.

I asked if there was any way to buy the Rex Net fare without paying an internet booking fee and credit card surcharge, and the lady said that there wasn't. I said that this is illegal and that I will be writing to the ACCC... she didn't really seem to care.

 

[Quickstatus]

Agree. Should be all inclusive unless there is a way to avoid surcharge
On another level why a surcharge at all?. Isn't internet bookings much cheaper than having bricks and mortar presence?. And CC fees would be cheaper for the business than handling cash?

 

[CaviAck]

Well I just tried to buy a ticket at SYD. The lady could not quote me the Rex Net fare, and was only able to sell me a ticket at the more expensive Rex Saver price. She also mentioned that I would still need to pay a credit card surcharge when booking at the airport.

I asked if there was any way to buy the Rex Net fare without paying an internet booking fee and credit card surcharge, and the lady said that there wasn't. I said that this is illegal and that I will be writing to the ACCC... she didn't really seem to care.

It's a good thing you brought that up. I just had a look at my CC invoice and it seems I was slugged a 3.6% CC surcharge for my ticket. This was after I specifically asked if there were any booking fees and if there was a CC fee and the agent said no, the price that they saw was $241.30 and even my receipt says $241.30 on it... Called them up and the agent on the phone just pointed me to the website to make a complaint. I think I'm writing to the ACCC instead.

 

[Melburnian1]

....I think I'm writing to the ACCC instead.

Good and fair enough. I have read that the ACCC is 'volume-driven.' If one person makes a relatively minor complaints, it generally does not take any action. If a few individuals complain, action may be considered.

 

[Quickstatus]

Sorry M1 I did not include a train comparo upthread at #25

 

[CaviAck]

Good and fair enough. I have read that the ACCC is 'volume-driven.' If one person makes a relatively minor complaints, it generally does not take any action. If a few individuals complain, action may be considered.

Might inform AMEX (my CC provider) of what happened as well. Probably get a quicker response that way if I dispute the charge lol. My receipt does say $X not $X+cc fee.

 

[JohnK]

Whats better?. Currently Rex over car as driving is more tiring, risk of accidents, fines. Rex definitely safer for a green P plater. Miss QS has 2 cohorts in CSU who lost their P license for 3 months commuting between WGA and home. Apparently Cops are aware of increased number of P platers as WGA is a Uni town so ply their trade around the Uni and highway surrounds.

XPT not worthwhile? I'm not sure how many hours it takes so that could be a factor.

I went to Mitchell College for 6 months and the XPT was perfect at around 3 hours but obviously a lot closer to Sydney. On the way back from Bathurst on a Friday night there was a red-eye at around 5-6 hours and was one of those old clunkers.

 

[Quickstatus]

Xpt has a habit of arriving at 2am in WGA. And car has to be parked at train station. Not the best spot for teen girl
The prices are often more than Rex at times

so for us it would be
WGA-SYD XPT 0020-0653
SYD-WGA XPt 2035-0240

best Y = $125 return
best J = $170 return
Best F = $350 return (sleeper)
The day trains do not leave enough time in SYD to make the trip worthwhile and sleeping 2 nights on a train for a short weekend in SYD does not make sense

Interestingly my mother was the librarian at Mitchell College Bathurst back in the 80s when we lived in Lithgow
The old red clunkers - so noisy

 

[CaviAck]

Xpt has a habit of arriving at 2am in WGA. And car has to be parked at train station. Not the best spot for teen girl
The prices are often more than Rex at times

so for us it would be
WGA-SYD XPT 0020-0653
SYD-WGA XPt 2035-0240

best Y = $125 return
best J = $170 return
Best F = $350 return (sleeper)
The day trains do not leave enough time in SYD to make the trip worthwhile and sleeping 2 nights on a train for a short weekend in SYD does not make sense

Interestingly my mother was the librarian at Mitchell College Bathurst back in the 80s when we lived in Lithgow
The old red clunkers - so noisy

I'd have to agree, the timing at which the XPT leaves Wagga is horrible, not to mention the train is constantly late. The last time I caught the XPT Albury to Sydney the train was 30mins late! The last time I caught that XPT it was 10mins late out of Melbourne Southern Cross...

 

[Quickstatus]

i'd have to agree, the timing at which the xpt leaves wagga is horrible, not to mention the train is constantly late. The last time i caught the xpt albury to sydney the train was 30mins late! The last time i caught that xpt it was 10mins late out of melbourne southern cross...

tic.......

 

[Mattg]

Xpt has a habit of arriving at 2am in WGA. And car has to be parked at train station. Not the best spot for teen girl
The prices are often more than Rex at times

so for us it would be
WGA-SYD XPT 0020-0653
SYD-WGA XPt 2035-0240

best Y = $125 return
best J = $170 return
Best F = $350 return (sleeper)
The day trains do not leave enough time in SYD to make the trip worthwhile and sleeping 2 nights on a train for a short weekend in SYD does not make sense

Interestingly my mother was the librarian at Mitchell College Bathurst back in the 80s when we lived in Lithgow
The old red clunkers - so noisy

This is getting considerably OT, but FWIW I travel by train between SYD and CBR every couple of weeks. I bought a Premium 6 Month Discovery Pass for $550, which comes with unlimited first class travel within NSW for 6 months. For me it's worth it.

 

[JohnK]

Interestingly my mother was the librarian at Mitchell College Bathurst back in the 80s when we lived in Lithgow
The old red clunkers - so noisy

Oh wow. It's a small world. I was there in 1983.