 Poster: A snowHead
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Anyone know if the Chunnel has a flat fare charge or does it get more expensive closer to travel date?
Can't I book the overnight deal for £45 and not take the return? Then book a separate overnight rate from France (I assume they're doing them there as well).
A single costs £100.
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Failure to complete both the outward and return journeys in respect of a return booking will invalidate your booking and in the event that you complete only one journey in respect of a return booking, you will be liable to pay the difference between the price that you paid for your return booking and the single fare applicable at the time that your journey was made. Eurotunnel reserves the right to obtain from you payment in full for all sums so arising.
All travel must be completed within 1 calendar year of the date of booking.
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You reckon they bother checking?
Even so, that staatement reads like they wouldn't charge you the difference for the outward journey.
So instead of £100 one way and £100 back, it's £50 one way, miss return, pay difference of £75 on next return.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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GordonFreeman, ANPR... so I would expect them to know...
One way travel is the oldest trick..and it used to be a hassle to tie-it up and so you could get away with it...
Now, they have closed the loop-hole...
Whether they will actively pursue it depends on the day...who is on duty.etc etc ....
Multi fare gets more expensive as the departure vehicle..( plane, boat, train) fills up....so expect it to get progressively more expensive as places fill...
they may discount closer to the time ...it they need more bookings...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| JT wrote: |
GordonFreeman, ANPR... so I would expect them to know...
One way travel is the oldest trick..and it used to be a hassle to tie-it up and so you could get away with it...
Now, they have closed the loop-hole...
Whether they will actively pursue it depends on the day...who is on duty.etc etc ....
Multi fare gets more expensive as the departure vehicle..( plane, boat, train) fills up....so expect it to get progressively more expensive as places fill...
they may discount closer to the time ...it they need more bookings... |
What about if you go back a year later?
chunnel over, ferry back? 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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GordonFreeman,
If you swapped Operator, then they wouldn't/couldn't know.....they might guess but couldn't do anything about it....and they have thousands of people travelling so it would just get lost in the mix....
But if you booked again with the same car details, etc...it may well flag that you didn't use the return...but there can be good reasons for that..
If you did it often enough, I think they could 'surcharge' to as per T&C..if they wanted to..
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I suspect you will find that if you fail to use the return portion of your ticket all subsequent bookings would be cancelled. Or they would register when you DID come back and charge you for the journey you actually made. The difference in price is so large that it would be mind-bogglingly stupid of them not to have closed down that loophole.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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At one stage, the best price could be found be selecting another country of residence when booking online - although I suspect that loophole has now been closed.
I've often thought about the two-tickets trick, but they do have a lot of ANPR type cameras around (to stop the multiple trip white-van bootleggers) so suspect you would get stopped quickly
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GordonFreeman, A friend who knows about these things says the tunnel has the best security of all our ports. A part of which as others have said are the ANPR (Automatic number plate recognition cameras) which flash your registration plate as you approach check in. If you put your registration in on the booking form your check in will become even quicker  etc etc.....
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Boredsurfing,
If the cameras and software are any good...
Mostly it has been developed for UK type plates..and it falls down on some of the foreign number sequences....
At the mo, it is most useful to speed up check-in.... and the booking details should flash up on screen as you near the booths.. but later, it will be used for security and
passport control. Most booths/operators should have passport scanner sys so it wouldn't be too hard to hook this up centrally to a UK/UE travel DB..
I can't imagine that Eurotunnel would take a booking without reg details...and if they do, they will enter it into the booking when you turn up....which slows things down...so by the time your travel, your ticket/booking will have those details and those of your pax...
Atm, as I say, this is all very jolly for the Operators as they will greet you by your name..courtesy of ANPR...and you think it is very cordial, polite and pleasant..not to mention quicker...
What else they intend to do with it..they ( the government ) do not say...but they are always being taken to task for not knowing who leaves/enters the country and this is one step to address it...
Last edited by After all it is free  on Mon 13-04-09 1:33; edited 1 time in total
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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A friend who knows about these things says the tunnel has the best security of all our ports.
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So I've been led to believe - as it was designed and built during the height of the IRA troubles
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I've read in the press that some ferry operators routinely turn away customers with cheap 24 hour return tickets and cars bulging with luggage suggesting that a longer stay is planned. Having said that, I have friends who've used exactly this trick for several years - but with LD Lines, not Eurotunnel
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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IME you can just get the cheapest fares going at off peak times. Booking ahead guarantees you get this fare. At busy times (School half-terms and other holidays etc) you may miss out as the off-peak trains are full. If you collect Tesco points you can use them for eurotunnel too, they're worth 4x their face value when used for part or all of the fare.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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They use fluid pricing on the Tunnel like they do on No frills airlines, therefore as more spaces sold the price goes up.
This year (using 2 seperate credit cards) I booked two day return trip and dumped the respective returns and have had no come back at all. Saving of over £100 in total. Their system is not clever enough to work it out by reg. But it can by credit card.
You must use the web to do this option and dont turn up on the day as it's "double" the price of doing it the day before on the internet. Standard one way fair is over £110 i think.
Hope that info helps.
Alex
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You can of course book single trips - if done in advance at off-peak, these are as low as £49 each way
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You know it makes sense.
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Alex A,
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Their system is not clever enough to work it out by reg. But it can by credit card.
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Very much doubt that..............as ANPR will go straight to the booking details anyway which is the real seller for Operators so far. In the future it will have the security element but most use it atm to clear check-in quicker...and need less staff to do it...
Be glad that you got way with it.....but I'd assume you got lucky on the day/days and the staff weren't looking for extra work.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| JT wrote: |
| Very much doubt that..............as ANPR will go straight to the booking details anyway which is the real seller for Operators so far. In the future it will have the security element but most use it atm to clear check-in quicker...and need less staff to do it... |
If you don't enter your registration number when you book will their system record your plate when you arrive at check-in, then search (in real time?) for the same number being used on a different booking for a journey in the opposite direction?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Surely it's got nothing to do with the reg #. I'd be astonished if their booking system couldn't quite easily identify any booking that was not completed in the terms agreed. They have your credit card details and if I have understood the above quote from their T&C correctly then they will just hit you for the extra when the booking limit (1-day / 3-day / etc) expires.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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rob@rar, agree you don't have to put them in online but it will go down on the manifests at departure anyway...so the booth will enter it.. but no, they aren't likely to do a real time search as this will add to the time taken for check-in and nulify the benefit they have with ANPR. Otherwise, ANPR is useless to an Operator... it is customs, Immigration and the like that want it. I believe it is an EU directive for the future anyway..
The info is there and down to how the Operator wants to process it and how much they can be bothered. If it happened a lot and there was a reason to look into it they could trace it by lots of different ways. Otherwise, it is an expensive exercise for little gain
Companies will have to keep the records and police often request confirmation of travel details.... and the bootleggers of old used to change vans regularly but it didn't stop them getting caught in the end. Customs can be pretty good when they want to..
It gets harder once it gets archived.... but only in terms of effort involved..
dsoutar, sure, if they want to...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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the booking details should flash up on screen as you near the booths.
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ah! I wondered about that, as the check in screen had all our details as we drew up, coming out last time. It was a bit spooky, really, but very quick.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Remember that you need the credit card you booked with which sort of reinforces the fact that the reg # is pretty redundant
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Assuming you booked with a CC. We booked via a tour operator, and last week (both directions) had to enter our booking reference number manually before it found our booking.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Who has a good promotion code for eurotunnel?
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chect2000, is there one? I use Tesco clubcard deals to buy my tickets
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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wilkybob, welcome to SnowHeads
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Thanks all for the welcome
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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the reg # is pretty redundant
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Not for the Check-in booth as ANPR will recognise your number and deal with check-in quicker.....now if you leave this out of the booking entry and check-in has to search via name or whatever, it will be slower. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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| JT wrote: |
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the reg # is pretty redundant
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Not for the Check-in booth as ANPR will recognise your number and deal with check-in quicker.....now if you leave this out of the booking entry and check-in has to search via name or whatever, it will be slower. |
Can also flag up no mot insurance car tax used in crime suspicious or simply flagged as interesting not sure if Kent Police are linked into the tunnels ANPR ....yet.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've travelled a couple of times recently and for both bookings I entered the reg details when booking online.
Didn't noticed any difference at check in - turn up - put CC in slot - get ticket - carry on. About a minute, same as its always been.
Where does the ANPR come into it?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Boredsurfing, Doubt it.... as most ports don't use it yet...but sure, I reckon that is in the big pic.
And ANPR isn't so great at some foreign number plates but is very very reliable on UK plates... but that is just software atm.....
Typical that, isn't it.
Re. crime... they know what cars travel on manifests already so that piece of circumstantial evidence has long been explored
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Boris, At the moment it is only installed on some lanes, the intention is to install it on all lanes and make the reg no a compulsory field on the booking form. You will then get to the screen to find it saying welcome Mr Boris and then you put your card in! Of course those consipiracy theorists amongst us will assume the info is for some other use 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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JT, I'm told it can read French and Belgian quite well at the mo.....
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Boris, Thats automated check-in ...which will come in sooner or later... how do you know where to go after that... a booth and lane directory..? what about passport scanning ..?
For assisted check-in, you roll up to the booth and provided your reg details are in the booking, then all details of your booking are already on the screen..you then hand over your passports, they are scanned and you are directed to a lane for boarding...
So the operator has on file a record of your movements and pretty soon it will be quite probable that these go to central immigration and customs so the government's work is done for them...
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If Reg No becomes a compulsory field how will anyone be able to take a hire car? Can't see that working 
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you will also see a barrage of cameras per lane.... as each operator will have 'theirs' hooked up along with the harbour boards. but I doubt all Ops have their systems installed atm...
I think the UK side is more populated but other ports less well so. Also, some cams only log damage to FR8 vehicles so just because there is a camera there, doesn't mean it is for ANPR...
You would think there would only need top be a central feed from one..... but that isn't working atm..hence ziilions of them racked up....
Boredsurfing, we have a decent size reg number so easier to read...some countries, less so...... plus the font isn't so great either
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Yoda, you are right...it will have to be entered when known... so expect a delay there..that is all...
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Yoda, I asked the question as sometimes I dont know which car we are taking (Our cars are leased) and the response was that we would have to phone the customer service centre and get the number changed before we check in, but as this is all planned for some time in the future they couldn't be sure. One fault (imho) with their current system is that once a booking is made any alterations have to be made by phone, so I guess another reason to make a phone call to them isn't a big deal 
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FAQ
, I've not tried it recently though.
