Screen-scraping thetrainline.com
Apr. 20th, 2006 07:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lovingbothI wonder if there is a script for this. As mentioned elsewhere, I've been looking on it several times a day recently, waiting for the cheap fares to BiCon to become available.
At some point today, the GNER fares for the 'to Glasgow' leg did so. It didn't take long at all for the cheapest ones to sell out (if you want to travel on the Wednesday, you can still get some £13.50 tickets...)
With a script, you could be (reasonably) sure of getting the cheapest ones the minute they become available.
I also wonder if anyone's making money out of buying up the cheapest tickets and then selling them, nearer the date of travel, for more. Unlike airlines, train tickets aren't tied to an individual's name and there are some journeys you just know will be popular enough for you not to be left with a pile of unused, 'no refund', tickets.
I'm not particularly disappointed - I was thinking of going first class anyway, and the cheapest of those tickets were still available - but I'm a little annoyed that I still haven't had the promised email from GNER saying 'you can buy them now...'
At some point today, the GNER fares for the 'to Glasgow' leg did so. It didn't take long at all for the cheapest ones to sell out (if you want to travel on the Wednesday, you can still get some £13.50 tickets...)
With a script, you could be (reasonably) sure of getting the cheapest ones the minute they become available.
I also wonder if anyone's making money out of buying up the cheapest tickets and then selling them, nearer the date of travel, for more. Unlike airlines, train tickets aren't tied to an individual's name and there are some journeys you just know will be popular enough for you not to be left with a pile of unused, 'no refund', tickets.
I'm not particularly disappointed - I was thinking of going first class anyway, and the cheapest of those tickets were still available - but I'm a little annoyed that I still haven't had the promised email from GNER saying 'you can buy them now...'
(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-20 08:43 pm (UTC)It'd take a bit of research to work out which tickets would be the ones likely to sell really well and I believe that for events like major football matches/Glastonbury etc none of the tickets are available online making it hard to make anything from the really obvious ones.
I'm very grateful that I still have a Young Persons rail card:)