John Wareing’s lunchtime train from Preston to London on 1 December arrived a mildly irritating 18 minutes late. But Avanti West Coast has a generous delay repay policy that applies if trains are as little as a quarter-hour behind schedule. So the 72-year-old from Lancashire put in an online compensation claim.
Mr Wareing, a retired HR manager, expected £10.10 back – representing one-eighth of the cost of his £80.85 return ticket. But three days later he received an email from the rail firm saying: “If your claim is approved for the delay you have entered, you can expect to receive compensation of £10,106.25.”
