Have you arrived at least 15 minutes late when travelling on an Avanti West Coast train? If you are wondering how to get an Avanti refund, you are in the right place. Our guide explains how to apply for Avanti West Coast Delay Repay compensation, how much you could receive and when you can expect to receive the payment.
How does Avanti West Coast Delay Repay work?
Delay Repay is a national scheme that makes train operating companies responsible for compensating travellers if their services are delayed or cancelled. Passengers with Avanti West Coast can get compensation on journeys with delays of 15 minutes or more.
The National Rail Conditions of Travel establish the minimum standards for train operators. These state that passengers must be provided with at least one form of monetary compensation for a delayed train, whether that is a bank transfer, cheque, refund, rail vouchers, or a donation to charity.
You can get an Avanti refund for delayed or cancelled trains up to 28 days after the date of travel. For the purposes of your Avanti compensation, the amount received is calculated by the difference between the arrival time and the time stated on the timetable. In cases of planned engineering works or holidays, pre-published, amended timetables will be used instead. The exact refund can also vary based on factors like the cost of your original ticket and the type of ticket you have.
How to claim Avanti West Coast Delay Repay
The easiest way to claim compensation is to apply online through the Avanti West Coast Delay Repay page.
If you choose to claim compensation through the Delay Repay page, you will be have to log in to the Avanti website or create an account. At that point, the form will guide you to input key information such as length of delay, ticket type, date of travel, and how you would like to be reimbursed.
Complete this form in full and post to Avanti, alongside your original ticket. (Note: Season Ticket holders should submit a scan or hi-resolution photograph of your Season Ticket and photocard, where relevant, and Touch Smartcard users should provide their Smartcard number.)
Passengers wishing to claim Avanti Delay Repay can also speak to a member of staff at an Avanti West Coast help desk at any Avanti West Coast station.
All compensations are processed by the train operators that you travel with, not with Trip.com.
How much will I be compensated by Avanti West Coast Delay Repay?
The percentage of the original ticket you are entitled to depends on your delay and ticket type. With Avanti West Coast, the amount of compensation available is as follows:
| Length of Delay | Single tickets | Return tickets | Season tickets (% cost of a journey) |
| 15-29 minutes | 25% | 12.5% | 25% |
| 30-59 minutes | 50% | 25% | 50% |
| 60-119 minutes | 100% | 50% | 100% |
| Over 120 minutes | 100% | 100% | 100% |
How much compensation can I claim as a Season Ticket holder?
If a Season Ticket holder has a journey delayed, you will be refunded the proportionate cost of the price of your Season Ticket. Your refund is calculated as an estimated number of single journeys over the Season Ticket’s duration, as follows:
- Annual Season Tickets - 464 Single journeys
- Six-monthly season ticket - 240 single journeys
- Quarterly Season Tickets - 120 Single journey
- Monthly Season Tickets - 40 Single journeys
- Weekly Season Tickets - 10 Single journeys
Photo by Geof Sheppard
Do Avanti West Coast deliver on their Delay Repay promise?
It is possible to check whether Avanti compensation is reliable because the company publishes the number of claims received and percentage approved. Avanti West Coast also shares the total value compensated and the average time for the claim to be processed. The following table breaks down some recent periods:
| Period | Volume of claims received | Number of claims approved | Total value of compensation paid per period | Average time for a claim to be processed (days) |
| 21/07/2024 - 17/08/2024 | 96,597 | 83,346 | £2,194,914.98 | 1.7 |
| 18/08/2024 - 14/09/2024 | 98,276 | 86,404 | £2,902,014.22 | 1.35 |
| 15/09/2024 - 12/10/2024 | 94,899 | 79,624 | £2,816,537.05 | 1.62 |
| 13/10/2024 - 09/11/2024 | 99,257 | 87,234 | £2,676,609.67 | 2.32 |
| 10/11/2024 - 07/12/2024 | 162,583 | 118,003 | £3,797,129.73 | 1.86 |
| 08/12/2024 - 04/01/2025 | 142,748 | 130,489 | £3,931,992.96 | 2.12 |
You can find more data on the Avanti West Coast Delay Repay website.
You’ll notice that more than 70% of claims are approved in all periods, with most above 80%, proving that Avanti West Coast offers a reliable Delay Repay service. And, it won’t take long to find out, as average turnaround time is 1-2 days.
Why was my Avanti West Coast Delay Repay claim declined?
Although most Avanti West Coast Delay Repay claims are paid, there are a few reasons why your Avanti West Coast compensation application may have not been accepted.
Common issues include:
- Your claim was submitted after more than 28 days
- You didn’t provide sufficient proof of purchase
- The tickets provided were not valid for the journey you claimed
- Avanti West Coast was unable to find a delay of more than 15 minutes
- The delay was caused by an operator other than Avanti
If you’re still confused about whether you’re entitled to claim or how to do so, feel free to reach out to the Avanti Customer Support Team.
Should I get Delay Repay compensation or a Refund?
Delay Repay compensation is typically for travellers who were delayed but still completed their journey. If you were forced to abandon your journey or weren’t able to start it, you will more likely need to request a full Avanti refund, which involves filing a separate form. Note that this is different to the equivalent of a full refund you can claim through Delay Repay in cases of delays of an hour or over for Single and Season tickets.
Things to look out for when claiming Delay Repay with Avanti West Coast
- Be sure to provide details of the journey you booked (the journey you tried to take), not the journey you did take after the delay.
- Be extra careful with getting the details right when submitting your claim; a mistake in the dates or costs of your ticket can delay or deny your refund.
- Make sure that you are providing a high-resolution scan or photograph of your ticket(s) and passes.
- Always check whether there were planned engineering works on your day of travel. If there were, this can impact your ability to make a successful claim.