In message , at 20:41:47
on Sat, 16 Feb 2013, remarked:
Which Southern Web site are you looking at?

As I said, www.southernrailway.com.

22nd April: £7.50 on the 09:53 is the first of the day, a few at £10
later, and not until 11:38 is there one at £5.

I tried 18th February after 10:00.

The first train (showing right now) with a promotional ticket is the
11:38 at £10. Which proves my point entirely.

"I'm finding that it's more and more difficult to buy Advance
tickets [in general, not for Southern] for some times of day,
for the cheapest prices, and if not months in advance."

In other words, nothing at £5, and nothing at all before late morning
(which is not much use if your plane arrives at 8am).

Unless you book months in advance (eg late April) when at least there's
some availability at £5, but the 11.38 threshold appearing again leads
me to think they may have a tiny quota of £5 fares earlier than that in
the morning even when first released.

Looking at (say) 13th May it says:

15 trains unavailable
09:53 £5
6 trains unavailable
10:38 £5
10:50 unavailable
10:53 £5

and so on.

By a week further from the booking horizon (6th May) several £10 fares
are creeping in.
--
Roland Perry