Channel Tunnel Vouchers and New Ticket Type

[DDJC]

The pace and brilliance of the vaccine rollout has encouraged me to book crossings for this year. Yeah, yeah I know, even if 80% of UK is vaxxed, much of Yerp will still be below 50%, but I am an optimist!

Anyhoo, I was the proud owner of two le Shuttle 'goodwill' vouchers, valid until 29 October this year. I decided to book rather than let them expire and lose nine hundred quid.

So I rang Eurotunnel and spoke to a delightful French clerk, with better English than me. After taking down the crossing details she asked me whether I wanted their Flexiplus ticket, (a thousand quid to get out of one's moho and sit in their lounge? Why?), the standard ticket for the same price... ... or the new ticket. "New ticket"? says I. "Tell me more". They have created a new type of Covid-cognisant ticket that allows cancellation and refund. It costs a bit more, but in these uncertain times, it is worth it in my book.

So here is the good news. If I have to cancel due to a Covid reason (UK or Yerp), I will get vouchers for the amounts on the ORIGINAL vouchers, presumably dated to 12 months in the future, but the extra bit that I paid on credit card to upgrade from Regular to Covid ticket, is refundable to the card, i.e. money back. No loss.

It is essentially a covid insurance premium, with you getting the premium back if you cancel. Sure they keep the premium if you do travel, but I would rather travel (oh god, wouldn't I just) and pay the extra to Eurotunnel.

So if you have a voucher that is due to expire soon, just book a crossing and pay the extra. If you can't travel, you get a new voucher and the premium back, at half the price of a flexiplus ticket!

I guess that the ultra-hyper-optimists amongst us will not go for the extra protection, but for me, it is perfect.

 

[jongood]

They ve also been very fair with the frequent traveller tickets, on one occasion I changed my booking only about 4 hours before I arrived at the tunnel entrance.

I'm wondering where France is going to go with closing their border to Non EU countries because it effectively makes their tunnel redundant.

 

[MisterB]

They ve also been very fair with the frequent traveller tickets, on one occasion I changed my booking only about 4 hours before I arrived at the tunnel entrance.

I'm wondering where France is going to go with closing their border to Non EU countries because it effectively makes their tunnel redundant.

and they need the money for Eurostar, but i dont blame them for closing the borders at the moment, their priority at the moment is, and should be, their citizens

to the OP, how much extra is the ticket ?

 

[DDJC]

and they need the money for Eurostar, but i dont blame them for closing the borders at the moment, their priority at the moment is, and should be, their citizens

to the OP, how much extra is the ticket ?

The one at Whitsun was ten quid extra outwards, and ten quid return. The one in August was twenty quid going out and (gulp) one hundred and fifty extra return (we NEED a holiday )

 

[Jenka]

I was at euro tunnel on Saturday 12 hrs from arriving to boarding 100s' literally of EE Van's trying to get home absolute joke .after complaint they reluctantly offered a £30 voucher the French just hindered the process 2 lanes out of 13 available.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[DDJC]

I was at euro tunnel on Saturday 12 hrs from arriving to boarding 100s' literally of EE Van's trying to get home absolute joke .after complaint they reluctantly offered a £30 voucher the French just hindered the process 2 lanes out of 13 available.

What's an EE Van?
And yes, the number of lanes never seems to be matched by the number of French Officials.

 

[Jenka]

Eastern European and the French just stood around laughing when asked about delay the reply Its the British with a smile of glee !

 

[DDJC]

Eastern European and the French just stood around laughing when asked about delay the reply Its the British with a smile of glee !

Sounds like the French Police!

I wonder whether the French site owners, restauranteurs, gite owners and hoteliers will be equally gleeful when everyone turns left out of Calais to Belgium, rather than south.

 

[DDJC]

I'm wondering where France is going to go with closing their border to Non EU countries because it effectively makes their tunnel redundant.

Only for tourists. Freight is still going through at a great rate of knots.

But someone needs to buy up the Transeuropa Ferries or Sally Line name and reinstate the Ramsgate and Ostend crossing. Bypass France until Macron sees the light.

I also have a vague memory of crossing from Dover to Belgium (I think it was Zeebrugge) about 35 years ago.

 

[denisejoe]

We have 2 1/2 trips +£100 voucher expiring this year so booked 1 sept for a month so see what happens

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[jongood]

Only for tourists. Freight is still going through at a great rate of knots.

But someone needs to buy up the Transeuropa Ferries or Sally Line name and reinstate the Ramsgate and Ostend crossing. Bypass France until Macron sees the light.

I also have a vague memory of crossing from Dover to Belgium (I think it was Zeebrugge) about 35 years ago.

I'm not so sure, there are a lot less EE trucks around, really noticable because I can now park in the services.