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The Korean Train Express (KTX) is as fast as an airliner but, alas, costs as much to use. With a Seoul-Busan two-way ticket costing nearly W100,000 (US$100), ordinary office workers won¡¯t find it easy to open their purses. But don't worry; a number of ticket discount systems have been devised in the past year or so since the express rail went into service in April 2004, and rules for taking the express rail cheaply are widely circulated among Netizens. They follow:
¡ãUnited, You Live!
The cheapest way, when the date and time of your travel are fixed in advance, is using compartment seats. Four seats in a compartment, two seats facing each other, are sold in a package. Compartment seats are popular because strangers can make arrangements through Internet cafes. Even if only three purchase the tickets, the unit price is much lower than for ordinary tickets.
Also available are discount cards, which a group of people can buy in the name of one member and use in rotation. A discount card covering 40 trips in six months or 80 trips in a year provides a discount of 30-15 percent at any time. Cards differ according to age groups; form a group with members of similar ages. Expired discount cards can be extended by three months for six-month cards and by six months for one-year cards upon payment of a handling charge of W400. Organizations are advised to buy group cards with which up to nine members can enjoy the same discount rates.
¡ãPut Up With Slight Inconveniences.
Reverse seats, seats near entrances and open seats offer a 5 percent discount in addition to basic discounts. Beginning on July 30, the open-seat discount is available on weekdays only.
¡ãYou Save Money If You Change Seats.
If you don't mind changing your seat from one coach to another once during a trip, you can also save money. A one-way ticket costs W44,800 between Seoul and Busan. But it costs W19,500 between Seoul and Daejeon and W24,000 between Daejeon and Busan -- a saving of W1,300.
If you buy a ticket with the full course of a trip divided into two, you can also save money. Because express train tracks are available between Seoul and Daegu only in the Seoul-Busan railroad service, the express rail runs at a speed similar to ordinary trains between Daegu and Busan. If you buy a KTX ticket only for between Seoul and Daegu and take an ordinary train from Daegu to Busan, you can save W5,300.
¡ãThe Sooner, the Cheaper.
The earlier you buy a ticket in advance, the greater the discount. A 20 percent discount is available for advance ticket purchases of between one and two months, 15 percent for 15 to 29 days in advance and 7 percent for 7 to 14 days.
¡ãUsing Cards You Have
Holders of railroad membership or KTX family cards are eligible for a 5 percent discount and can have 3 percent of fare deposited.
¡ãUse the Automatic Ticketing Machine.
The use of the automatic ticketing machine earns a discount of 1 percent in addition to basic discounts. Don't miss that final 1 percent.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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