JR ticket. Bought reservation but not base fare by mistake
Apr 10, 2014, 2:47 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver, ITA Club Executive, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,607
JR ticket. Bought reservation but not base fare by mistake
Hi,
On a self service machine at Shinjuku station I bought a reserved seat for a train from Hiroshima to Kyoto, thinking that I was buying the ticket and the reserved seat.
How can I purchase the base fare now from Shinjuku? Ideally from a machine.
Thanks!
On a self service machine at Shinjuku station I bought a reserved seat for a train from Hiroshima to Kyoto, thinking that I was buying the ticket and the reserved seat.
How can I purchase the base fare now from Shinjuku? Ideally from a machine.
Thanks!
Apr 10, 2014, 5:01 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Beantown! (BOS)
Programs: AA PtPro (2 MM); Hilton Diamond; Hertz President Cr; DL SkyMiles; UA MileagePlus
Posts: 3,448
In your situation, if you insist on buying base fare from ticket machines then it will be difficult. Buying base fare from ticket machine will be no problem. However, if you purchase base fare ticket alone then base fare ticket alone is valid starting from day of purchase, standard rule is that base fare ticket alone does not have advance purchase.
Base fare tickets for distance less than 100 km are valid for one day only. Hiroshima – Kyoto is 381 km in distance. Base fare tickets for distance between 200 – 400 km are valid for three days. If you purchase base fare ticket alone from Hiroshima to Kyoto then a ticket will be void at the fourth day from the day purchase.
In your situation you do need to go to ticket counter with a person, not a machine. Purchasing ticket from ticket counters do accept credit cards, but English of ticket agents can be minimal (but remember likely their English is better than your Japanese and you are in Japan).
If you go to travel agency, such as JTB, then there are good chance that there will be somebody who speak decent English. At the ticket counter you show your Shinkansen Express surcharge fare ticket. If you show your advance purchased reserved seat ticket, then ticket agents can issue base fare ticket valid form the day of your trip. This is the way you can advance purchase base fare. You can advance purchase base fares only in conjunction with advance purchase surcharge fares such as Shinkansen reserve ticket.
In your situation you did not purchase base fare same time as Shikansen Express reserved seat surcharge fare. Then you do need to show your Shinkansen reserved seat ticket to purchase base fare ticket valid from the day of your travel. On ticket machines there is no way to show your Shinkansen reserved ticket as a proof of the day of travel.
Base fare tickets for distance less than 100 km are valid for one day only. Hiroshima – Kyoto is 381 km in distance. Base fare tickets for distance between 200 – 400 km are valid for three days. If you purchase base fare ticket alone from Hiroshima to Kyoto then a ticket will be void at the fourth day from the day purchase.
In your situation you do need to go to ticket counter with a person, not a machine. Purchasing ticket from ticket counters do accept credit cards, but English of ticket agents can be minimal (but remember likely their English is better than your Japanese and you are in Japan).
If you go to travel agency, such as JTB, then there are good chance that there will be somebody who speak decent English. At the ticket counter you show your Shinkansen Express surcharge fare ticket. If you show your advance purchased reserved seat ticket, then ticket agents can issue base fare ticket valid form the day of your trip. This is the way you can advance purchase base fare. You can advance purchase base fares only in conjunction with advance purchase surcharge fares such as Shinkansen reserve ticket.
In your situation you did not purchase base fare same time as Shikansen Express reserved seat surcharge fare. Then you do need to show your Shinkansen reserved seat ticket to purchase base fare ticket valid from the day of your travel. On ticket machines there is no way to show your Shinkansen reserved ticket as a proof of the day of travel.
Last edited by AlwaysAisle; Apr 10, 2014 at 5:09 am
Apr 10, 2014, 7:38 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: BA Gold, JGC Sapphire, OZ Diamond, AF Silver, CX GR, Marriott Lifetime SL
Posts: 3,598
as per hyperdia if you got a shinkansen reserved seat ticket, it should show 4930 +/- 200 Yen for a specific train ride. If that's the case, you just need to buy a 6480 yen base fare ticket (as per hyperdia) and that should be it. put both ticket into the ticket gate and shinkansen gate should fix it.
Or, alternatively, just refund the ticket at reservation counter and ask them to get you one from ground-up
Apr 10, 2014, 8:14 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver, ITA Club Executive, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,607
All sorted tonight at the ticket office in Shinjuku. A young women understood my request well and I paid by credit card. Costs are exactly as ChrisLi mentions above.