SNAFU: ID Required for Train Ticket Purchase
Jun 15, 2011, 9:57 pm
#76
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast USA
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Real fares. Cnvol is not an agency website. They are rarely off the official by more than 1-2 RMB. Note that on many routes, cnvol will list Soft Seat fares when no soft seat carriage is available. I strongly suggest you learn to use 12306.cn and on the Master Transportation thread, there is another link that walks you through (in English and with screenshots) how to use the basics of the Chinese site.
Jun 16, 2011, 12:32 am
#77
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
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Jun 16, 2011, 1:14 am
#78
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: KIX, ITM, UKB, YVR
Programs: Star Alliance - AC
Posts: 2,356
Well that was stupid.
Went and purchased tickets for a trip that day. Gave them my passport and all the clerk inputed was the last 4 numbers of my passport.
For my wife, they even went further and inputed only the first two letters.
As for the check, they didn't OPEN the passport.
Took it and then gave it back to us.
Went and purchased tickets for a trip that day. Gave them my passport and all the clerk inputed was the last 4 numbers of my passport.
For my wife, they even went further and inputed only the first two letters.
As for the check, they didn't OPEN the passport.
Took it and then gave it back to us.
Jun 16, 2011, 1:18 am
#79
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: KIX, ITM, UKB, YVR
Programs: Star Alliance - AC
Posts: 2,356
Was speaking to a local yesterday about how stupid this is and his reply was, it has nothing to do with security.
He said, especially during Chinese New Year and other holidays - people go and buy up as many tickets as possible to resell at many times face value. To stop this practise, they have this new requirement.
If you have a Chinese ID card with RIFID, it is really quick and they automatically print your name on the ticket so nobody else can use the ticket.
Don't know how true this is but it kind of makes Chinese sence.
He said, especially during Chinese New Year and other holidays - people go and buy up as many tickets as possible to resell at many times face value. To stop this practise, they have this new requirement.
If you have a Chinese ID card with RIFID, it is really quick and they automatically print your name on the ticket so nobody else can use the ticket.
Don't know how true this is but it kind of makes Chinese sence.
Jun 16, 2011, 5:39 am
#80
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast USA
Programs: various
Posts: 6,710
There are also some locals with the more paranoid view who suspect that, in addition to curbing scalping, Big Brother also wants to keep more track of internal movements of people. Accomplishing this feat would require one of the world's largest databases, but I suppose nothing's beyond the Chinese govt, who also works on controlling the weather...
As far as ticket scalping toes, it's always been more serious and pervasive on the non-CDG trains at all times--not just holiday periods--so it's curious that the government wanted to start this Real ID thing with the fast trains while leaving the ZTK# trains alone.
As far as ticket scalping toes, it's always been more serious and pervasive on the non-CDG trains at all times--not just holiday periods--so it's curious that the government wanted to start this Real ID thing with the fast trains while leaving the ZTK# trains alone.
Jun 16, 2011, 1:56 pm
#81
Join Date: Sep 2010
Programs: UA 1K, SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, Priority Club Platinum
Posts: 26
Was speaking to a local yesterday about how stupid this is and his reply was, it has nothing to do with security.
He said, especially during Chinese New Year and other holidays - people go and buy up as many tickets as possible to resell at many times face value. To stop this practise, they have this new requirement.
If you have a Chinese ID card with RIFID, it is really quick and they automatically print your name on the ticket so nobody else can use the ticket.
Don't know how true this is but it kind of makes Chinese sence.
He said, especially during Chinese New Year and other holidays - people go and buy up as many tickets as possible to resell at many times face value. To stop this practise, they have this new requirement.
If you have a Chinese ID card with RIFID, it is really quick and they automatically print your name on the ticket so nobody else can use the ticket.
Don't know how true this is but it kind of makes Chinese sence.
Jun 16, 2011, 2:00 pm
#82
Join Date: Sep 2010
Programs: UA 1K, SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, Priority Club Platinum
Posts: 26
It's not because of scalping
I discussed the possibility that the new rule was due to the prevalence of scalping during busy periods with a Chinese colleague. She said it's not likely due to the fact that locals tend not to buy the high price tickets for high speed trains.
People going home for Chinese New Year tend to buy the cheapest tickets possible. For most people, the cost of high speed tickets is way too expensive to even consider.
People going home for Chinese New Year tend to buy the cheapest tickets possible. For most people, the cost of high speed tickets is way too expensive to even consider.
Jun 16, 2011, 5:51 pm
#83
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,648
exercising good business sense
Was speaking to a local yesterday about how stupid this is and his reply was, it has nothing to do with security.
He said, especially during Chinese New Year and other holidays - people go and buy up as many tickets as possible to resell at many times face value. To stop this practise, they have this new requirement.
.
He said, especially during Chinese New Year and other holidays - people go and buy up as many tickets as possible to resell at many times face value. To stop this practise, they have this new requirement.
.
Is there really scalping going on on the fast trains between Shanghai and Hangzhou or Shanghai and Nanjing?
Jun 16, 2011, 6:03 pm
#84
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: KIX, ITM, UKB, YVR
Programs: Star Alliance - AC
Posts: 2,356
I discussed the possibility that the new rule was due to the prevalence of scalping during busy periods with a Chinese colleague. She said it's not likely due to the fact that locals tend not to buy the high price tickets for high speed trains.
People going home for Chinese New Year tend to buy the cheapest tickets possible. For most people, the cost of high speed tickets is way too expensive to even consider.
People going home for Chinese New Year tend to buy the cheapest tickets possible. For most people, the cost of high speed tickets is way too expensive to even consider.
However the middle class is also ballooning. Its these people that use the high speed trains. They can afford the ticket and prefer the convienence.
Jun 16, 2011, 6:11 pm
#85
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: KIX, ITM, UKB, YVR
Programs: Star Alliance - AC
Posts: 2,356
I don't suppose if the reason was to prevent scalping during peak seasons on popular routes that they could apply this ID system only at that time and to certain trains. I'm guessing that this isn't the Chinese way. Perhaps it is too efficient.
Is there really scalping going on on the fast trains between Shanghai and Hangzhou or Shanghai and Nanjing?
Is there really scalping going on on the fast trains between Shanghai and Hangzhou or Shanghai and Nanjing?
Jun 16, 2011, 7:43 pm
#87
Ambassador: China
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Malibu Inferno Ground Zero
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Posts: 4,836
at your hotel mini bar, walk across the street and its 4 RMB. Plus
its crappy beer.
08 Olympics 10x the face value for a ticket and the venue is half empty.
Double seems like the yellow bull is giving you a good deal.
Jun 16, 2011, 11:32 pm
#88
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Oslo, Norway
Posts: 819
That "convenience fee" ain't cheap. In Beijing Yanjing beer is 60 RMB
at your hotel mini bar, walk across the street and its 4 RMB. Plus
its crappy beer.
08 Olympics 10x the face value for a ticket and the venue is half empty.
Double seems like the yellow bull is giving you a good deal.
at your hotel mini bar, walk across the street and its 4 RMB. Plus
its crappy beer.
08 Olympics 10x the face value for a ticket and the venue is half empty.
Double seems like the yellow bull is giving you a good deal.
Jun 16, 2011, 11:45 pm
#89
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: DL DM/MM, UA 1K, AA Exp, HH Dia, WOH Glob, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, NA EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 17,419
Well that was stupid.
Went and purchased tickets for a trip that day. Gave them my passport and all the clerk inputed was the last 4 numbers of my passport.
For my wife, they even went further and inputed only the first two letters.
As for the check, they didn't OPEN the passport.
Took it and then gave it back to us.
Went and purchased tickets for a trip that day. Gave them my passport and all the clerk inputed was the last 4 numbers of my passport.
For my wife, they even went further and inputed only the first two letters.
As for the check, they didn't OPEN the passport.
Took it and then gave it back to us.
Jun 17, 2011, 5:50 am
#90
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: HHonors Gold, Marriott Lifetime Gold, IHG Gold, OZ*G, AA Gold, AS MVP
Posts: 1,874
The silly thing is here. Most recent foreign passports have RFID too, why can't the readers at the automatic machines accept those? Wave your passport against the reader, have it read off your name and passport number, then print your ticket.