Crusader Coach Holidays Crashes Out

[RentingForever]

Hmmm.... so it looks like my plans of a retirement in 20 years time at age 63, spending my time on a mix of cheap Open University courses and cheap 4-day-Lake-District-all-inclusive coach holidays is now ruled out in every conceivable aspect.

Just whisky, regret, and brussel-sprout farts left then.

[winkie]

Dare say the city to city coach market is doing fine, operated by Stagecoach et all. Was going to give the Huddersfield to London run a try but I'm not allowed to take a bike (even though I can dismantle it and bag it, has to be hinged in the middle apparently) so I'll take the train instead.

I like the buses and coaches and would hate to see them fail due to lack of use...I try and support them when I can....many people without transport of their own have to rely on them....more and more are having to give up the car due to cost, age and not forgetting the young who for many a car is out of their price range due to the extortionate insurance cost, parking costs, road tax, mot the cost of the car and servicing that car that is before the high fuel costs....fewer and fewer young will be able to afford drive...driving WILL become out of reach for more of us....so coach, train, trams,and buses will have a big place play in the future of getting the people from A to B.

Edit: Having said that the biggest travel threat is toll road charging........Beware of another big transport cost to pay.

Edited December 3, 2011 by winkie

[copydude]

Edit: Having said that the biggest travel threat is toll road charging........Beware of another big transport cost to pay.

With the price of fuel, that's becoming a bit of a trade off.

In France the tolls are steep, but you get better fuel economy . . . it can depend on the route. I always used to stay off the toll roads in France . . but I spent less on gas this year when using motorways. The constant 55 mph and all that.

When I've been around Europe by bus . . Eurolines particularly . . I've never found it restricted to a particular age group.

But I think this is very much a UK story about inflation and the worthless pound, not bus travel in general. We had the collapse of Sea France the other week after all.

[Rachman]

Penny Strange, 59, of Ipswich, was due to travel with Crusader Holidays to Bruges in Belgium on a four-day Christmas market break.

She said: “The company tried to call me on Wednesday – two days before I was due to travel – but I wasn’t in so they left a message saying they had important information.

“By the time I got the message their office was closed. I looked on their website, but it was down.

“I’m very disappointed, I’ve been looking to get away since October and I think I’ll be hard-pushed to find anything else now.

“I paid £306 for the holiday. I’ve been told that I should get it all back, but it won’t be in time to book anything else before Christmas.

“I’ve travelled with Crusader several times before and they’ve always been very reliable.”

What a lovely baby boomer - a load of people have lost their livelihoods in the run up to Christmas, she's not going to be out of pocket, the company got in touch with her to warn her sand did everything right, and all she cares about is her holiday. Not one mention of commiserations or sympathy with all the newly unemployed. The old witch. (or maybe the journalists missed her sympathy out of the final report )

[Caribbean Beauty]

What a lovely baby boomer - a load of people have lost their livelihoods in the run up to Christmas, she's not going to be out of pocket, the company got in touch with her to warn her sand did everything right, and all she cares about is her holiday. Not one mention of commiserations or sympathy with all the newly unemployed. The old witch. (or maybe the journalists missed her sympathy out of the final report )

Funny! This made me laugh. But, sadly, the old adage that when you get old you become more child-like (and introspective/selfish) is so true in many case. Most of the older folks in my family could not give a monkey's for anyones welfare or problems but their own. It happens to all of us as the Grim Reaper approaches - that holiday might have been her last!

[Bloo Loo]

What a lovely baby boomer - a load of people have lost their livelihoods in the run up to Christmas, she's not going to be out of pocket, the company got in touch with her to warn her sand did everything right, and all she cares about is her holiday. Not one mention of commiserations or sympathy with all the newly unemployed. The old witch. (or maybe the journalists missed her sympathy out of the final report )

she paid for it...she is entitled...didnt you read about the pension strikes this week?....and they hadnt even covered 1/3rd of the cost of their entitlement.

[winkie]

With the price of fuel, that's becoming a bit of a trade off.

In France the tolls are steep, but you get better fuel economy . . . it can depend on the route. I always used to stay off the toll roads in France . . but I spent less on gas this year when using motorways. The constant 55 mph and all that.

When I've been around Europe by bus . . Eurolines particularly . . I've never found it restricted to a particular age group.

But I think this is very much a UK story about inflation and the worthless pound, not bus travel in general. We had the collapse of Sea France the other week after all.

The toll roads in France are Very hefty ...... you have to weigh up whether to use them or not...more often than not it is not ....back to the UK and the new private infrastructure investments...investments mean the users pay the investors, meaning ever more transportation costs......laffer curve and all that.

[The Masked Tulip]

I know people in their 30s and 40s go on holiday as they like the peace and quiet, avoid chavs and find it less stressful than airports.

They do tell me that whenever they first get on a coach some senior citizen will sheepishly come along and suggest that they have got on the wrong coach.

[winkie]

I know people in their 30s and 40s go on holiday as they like the peace and quiet, avoid chavs and find it less stressful than airports.

They do tell me that whenever they first get on a coach some senior citizen will sheepishly come along and suggest that they have got on the wrong coach.

Now, now MT....sit next to a SC and they can well teach you more than a young teacher (no disrespect) in a couple of hours than a term in a over crowded school...1 to 1 has to be better than 30 to 1.......

[geezer466]

I went on one of those UK Holiday Company coach 3 night trips to Scarborough last weekend. Of the 52 seater coach (which made 3 pickups around my area) there were 26 of us on it when it got to the hotel at Scarborough so half full. That said I saw other coaches arriving from points in the UK full to the brim

The (Grand) hotel though was full. The deal was for three nights dinner bed and breakfast double room £252 (2 of us) so worked out at £42 per person per night. In addition they chucked in drinks vouchers to the value of 6 alcoholic drinks per person per night. Pints of lager or bitter or a glass of rose, white or red or a non branded spirit (full range) with a dash were included.

We ended up with a Kingsize room with a jacuzzi bath although it was on the 6th floor and we didn't get a sea view. Included in the price above was a day trip into York for the Xmas Fayre on the Sunday

All in all I thought it was excellent value and had no real complaints with the hotel (although some whingers did).

Only complaint I did have was on the Saturday we decided to get the local bus to Whitby ( I have been before but my partner never has) so walked up to the Station where we could catch the (hourly as it turned out) bus, we were 40 minutes early so shot into the nearby Wetherspoons for a coffee and a bun. We came back to the stop with 20 minutes to spare before the bus came to be greeted with a long que. We could see most of these indeed almost exclusively were pensioners from our hotel. Anyway in due course the bus turned up and everyone started to file on. I could see almost everyone in front of me presenting their free passes over the ticket machine. As we got to the door the bus was full so the driver wouldn't let us on. I enquired of the next bus (an hour away) and how much the fare would have been (£6.40 each return).

We sacked the idea and of course the Bus Company lost almost £13 of revenue. Multiply that across the Country and the UK bus companies must be losing a fortune from genuine fare paying passengers simply because they are being displaced by the free bus pass crowd.

I don't have an issue with pensioners having bus passes but they should only be valid in the Town and Borough's where they actually live. If they want to travel to other places in the UK and travel by bus let them pay like the rest of us.

It was the first time we had tried one of these coach trips and probably the last. It was good value and as I say we didn't have no complaints with the hotel or coach company. I did miss my car on departure morning and it was having to wait till 2 for the coach back which put me off, that said everyone should try one at least once

[Bloo Loo]

snip Multiply that across the Country and the UK bus companies must be losing a fortune from genuine fare paying passengers simply because they are being displaced by the free bus pass crowd.

I don't have an issue with pensioners having bus passes but they should only be valid in the Town and Borough's where they actually live. If they want to travel to other places in the UK and travel by bus let them pay like the rest of us.

It was the first time we had tried one of these coach trips and probably the last. It was good value and as I say we didn't have no complaints with the hotel or coach company. I did miss my car on departure morning and it was having to wait till 2 for the coach back which put me off, that said everyone should try one at least once

I think this answers your question:

"For passengers who genuinely don't pay - pensioners and the like - the bus company rings up a ticket to register their journey, and claims the money back from the local council. (This is why, if you're travelling for free on a bus which crosses a county line, you still have to tell them how far you are going - the bus company might have to claim bits of your fare from different councils.)

Where the council gets the money from, I'm not sure. I don't know if it comes out of general council spending, or there is a specific government grant to cover it. Either way, the ultimate answer would be "taxpayers.""

and this:

Devon has been hit by £1 million of costs after it emerged one-in-five people using free bus passes in the tourism season come from outside the county.

A Devon County Council survey found it was under-writing the free off-peak travel scheme, enjoyed by Britons over 60, for hundreds of visitors.

The survey revealed that during September 21 per cent of people using a concessionary bus pass were not from the Devon local authority area.

The figure included 2 per cent from Torbay and 1 per cent from Plymouth, but 18 per cent were residents from beyond the two neighbouring authorities.

Devon County Council is calling for more funding from Government to pay for the £1 million it cost to pay for outsiders to travel free. Currently, the authority is handed £7 million a year by Government to run the scheme, which also applies to disabled people. But it faces a £5 million shortfall because it costs £12 million in total.

Read more in This is North Devon

Our comment: This must be good news for Devon, think of what these visitors will be spending during their visits, a substantial multiple of the sum mentioned we think

Edited December 3, 2011 by Bloo Loo

[SNACR]

I would make it that free bus passes continue for pensioners (whatever age that means, seemingly, 55-70+ depending on public/private sector).

However, I would make it a condition that to claim a free bus pass any claimants must hand their car driving licence back to the DVLA - easy non-intrusive way to means-test genuine need.

[The Masked Tulip]

We sacked the idea and of course the Bus Company lost almost £13 of revenue. Multiply that across the Country and the UK bus companies must be losing a fortune from genuine fare paying passengers simply because they are being displaced by the free bus pass crowd.

I don't have an issue with pensioners having bus passes but they should only be valid in the Town and Borough's where they actually live. If they want to travel to other places in the UK and travel by bus let them pay like the rest of us.

The bus companies get paid by central Govt funding for pensioners.

[winkie]

I would make it that free bus passes continue for pensioners (whatever age that means, seemingly, 55-70+ depending on public/private sector).

However, I would make it a condition that to claim a free bus pass any claimants must hand their car driving licence back to the DVLA - easy non-intrusive way to means-test genuine need.

Why?......buses do not to everywhere you want to go, anyway you've got a car you pay road tax and insurance before you drive it.

Edit: BTW I am not an OAP....just standing up for them.....one day hopefully.

Edited December 3, 2011 by winkie

[SNACR]

Why?......buses do not to everywhere you want to go, anyway you've got a car you pay road tax and insurance before you drive it.

Ergo - you use your car and stop unnecessarily leeching off everyone else.

[winkie]

Ergo - you use your car and stop unnecessarily leeching off everyone else.

I go on a bus into a large market town...to be honest it seems like I am the only one that pays, the rest have free passes......that bus brings much business into the town collectively....many of those OAPs are on minimal pensions, many no longer drive, many still do for now, how much longer is anyone's guess....they are at the twilight of their lives, many are not in good health, they have paid their way in life and brought up their families...have respect for our elders, you have a lot to learn from them.

[Bloo Loo]

The bus companies get paid by central Govt funding for pensioners.

councils pay quite a bit...see above.

so, the pensioners are actually paying for their own bus passes...

[spyguy]

Only complaint I did have was on the Saturday we decided to get the local bus to Whitby ( I have been before but my partner never has) so walked up to the Station where we could catch the (hourly as it turned out) bus, we were 40 minutes early so shot into the nearby Wetherspoons for a coffee and a bun. We came back to the stop with 20 minutes to spare before the bus came to be greeted with a long que. We could see most of these indeed almost exclusively were pensioners from our hotel. Anyway in due course the bus turned up and everyone started to file on. I could see almost everyone in front of me presenting their free passes over the ticket machine. As we got to the door the bus was full so the driver wouldn't let us on. I enquired of the next bus (an hour away) and how much the fare would have been (£6.40 each return).

Ahh the 93. Been there. Stood there.

Same goes for the Coastliner.

Free buses are nothing more than a expensive way to get old people to vote for Gordon Brown.

Should be banned.

Whitby's problem is that its by the coast with a large hinter land - Middlesbrough, York, Leeds, etc.

As far as paying for it - they don;t the funding is allocated on heads/population. The funding for the late night buses has been cut because the free bus travels sucks up most of the travel budget.

The 93 is a joke. You are letting rich old people park their cars up and trave l for free, leaving poor younger people trying to get to work stood at the stop,

You have people in the poorest area of N Yorks paying for rich people to ride their buses for free which they cannot get on.

Basicaily, Gordy needs to have his ablls tied to the back of the bus and be dragged by it for the rest of his life.

If they are to continue then they need to put a maxium number of seats on the bus for free travellers - say 30%.

ps. I'd avoidthe grand. Its like a lab for breeding the winter flu bug. They carry OAPs out in strechers from their.

[Bloo Loo]

Ahh the 93. Been there. Stood there.

Same goes for the Coastliner.

Free buses are nothing more than a expensive way to get old people to vote for Gordon Brown.

Should be banned.

Whitby's problem is that its by the coast with a large hinter land - Middlesbrough, York, Leeds, etc.

As far as paying for it - they don;t the funding is allocated on heads/population. The funding for the late night buses has been cut because the free bus travels sucks up most of the travel budget.

The 93 is a joke. You are letting rich old people park their cars up and trave l for free, leaving poor younger people trying to get to work stood at the stop,

You have people in the poorest area of N Yorks paying for rich people to ride their buses for free which they cannot get on.

Basicaily, Gordy needs to have his ablls tied to the back of the bus and be dragged by it for the rest of his life.

If they are to continue then they need to put a maxium number of seats on the bus for free travellers - say 30%.

ps. I'd avoidthe grand. Its like a lab for breeding the winter flu bug. They carry OAPs out in strechers from their.

or, the bus company runs sufficient buses to meet demand...they get paid regardless of the passenger type.

[spyguy]

Oh and before any says 'But they spend money ...'

Do they f-ck.

I used to work in varous cages/hotels/bars.

'Can we have a pot not tea and a large jug of hot water?'

No, f-ck off.

Never ,ever, ever kids yourself into relying on OAP to spend money.

The old dears spend it all on cats, donkeys, and trying to claim winnings from Spanish loterries.

[Ruffneck]

I'm surprised it took this long for the wheels to fall off.

Also, there goes Fergus Wilson's backup business plan.

Sorry to hear things are not going well for you Caribbean Beauty.

I thought Fergus' backup plan was being a pub landlord and the other (Janet?) was working in a charity shop , saving money on donated clothes?

Edited December 3, 2011 by Ruffneck

[spyguy]

or, the bus company runs sufficient buses to meet demand...they get paid regardless of the passenger type.

They don't. They get paid a fixed sum.

They are obliged to provide a level of service - x buses an hour type of thing - which they do.

Think it through - ift hey were paid per passenger then there would be a bus every 20 minutes. There is not.

[Bloo Loo]

They don't. They get paid a fixed sum.

They are obliged to provide a level of service - x buses an hour type of thing - which they do.

Think it through - ift hey were paid per passenger then there would be a bus every 20 minutes. There is not.

Im thinking it through....i have a full bus with people left standing....thats fares im not collecting...so I need A: a bigger bus or B: another bus.

Or maybe there is some commie scheme in operation with these private bus Companies?

[geezer466]

ps. I'd avoidthe grand. Its like a lab for breeding the winter flu bug. They carry OAPs out in strechers from their.

Funny you should say that Her indoors has got a stinking cold....

Seaside coach trips are geared for pensioners probably 80% of the clientèle of the Grand fell into this category. As has been pointed out they bring much needed spending power to these resorts and directly support jobs. Looking at how full the hotel was there is also no recession in this industry.

Still they shouldn't have all and sundry travel on the buses though local and surrounding area of abode only in my opinion. Even if the Government do pay a subsidy to the bus Companies this is still taxation on the rest of us. It could in some cases also be harming the local economy if persons cannot get to work.

[Self Employed Youth]

I would make it that free bus passes continue for pensioners (whatever age that means, seemingly, 55-70+ depending on public/private sector).

However, I would make it a condition that to claim a free bus pass any claimants must hand their car driving licence back to the DVLA - easy non-intrusive way to means-test genuine need.

The bus pass scheme has probably saved lives by encouraging the elderly to give up their cars.

But it's a little unfair to allow only them to travel for free when their grandchildren are supposed to work longer for less.

Free bus travel for all would be good for us all, it would encourage trade and work.

16/17 year olds not in further education must spend a fortune on travel. Adult fares and the lowest minimum wage.