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Avanti West Coast issues

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VauxhallandI

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Ive been reading a lot of Twitter complaints over the last few days about reservation systems failing and chaos on the line.

I normally look forward to my trip up to Glasgow on Xmas eve as it feels like the start of the holiday.

I'm now dreading it, we have a few bags and was looking forward to a relaxed trip up in First.

Does anyone have any info on why this is happening and how worried we should be?
 
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thecrofter

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Seems Avanti's reservation system doesn't have the flexibilty that Virgin had in that you can't select your own seat(s) and it allocates at random. Particularly annoying if you're travelling as a group and get split up.
 

VauxhallandI

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Indeed, luckily we booked in the Virgin days and have reservations.

I'm assuming they haven't been erased by these new lot
 

The_alchemist

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Use Trainsplit/Raileasy and you still can :)
This morning pnoned Avanti Cust Serv about lack of seating char 4 days ago,as had been on Virgin app, when I booked Edin - Coventry, for 5 January. Rep (in India} was adament it is there both on app & website. There certainly was not then, so perhaps the old Virgin one has been slipped in now. Took 40 mins on phone the other day to get seats changed.
 

Journeyman

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I've done Edinburgh to Carlisle and back today, and everything was fine.
 

Bletchleyite

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This morning pnoned Avanti Cust Serv about lack of seating char 4 days ago,as had been on Virgin app, when I booked Edin - Coventry, for 5 January. Rep (in India} was adament it is there both on app & website. There certainly was not then, so perhaps the old Virgin one has been slipped in now. Took 40 mins on phone the other day to get seats changed.

They are awful. Took a good 15 minutes today to get them to do a refund less admin fee for a cancellation. A really obvious case, too - the booked train, a simple return journey with one train on each leg, was cancelled. It's bad enough that I have to phone to do that but to faff about so much...

(No, it isn't there - they are blustering about choosing preferences for window/aisle etc being the same but of course it's not)
 

yorkie

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Seems Avanti's reservation system doesn't have the flexibilty that Virgin had in that you can't select your own seat(s) and it allocates at random. Particularly annoying if you're travelling as a group and get split up.
Indeed, though as others have said, an alternative is available; see https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/why-has-avanti-west-coast-got-rid-of-the-seat-selector.196410/ :)
This morning pnoned Avanti Cust Serv about lack of seating char 4 days ago,as had been on Virgin app, when I booked Edin - Coventry, for 5 January. Rep (in India} was adament it is there both on app & website. There certainly was not then, so perhaps the old Virgin one has been slipped in now. Took 40 mins on phone the other day to get seats changed.
I would struggle to believe this... but I see on Twitter many people have similar complaints, so you are not alone.
 

VauxhallandI

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Well passing Carstairs Junction South and all well with journey.

No menus out and the food offered wasn't the Xmas menu iirc and the meat course was not available but I have a seat so that's good.
 

cactustwirly

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They are awful. Took a good 15 minutes today to get them to do a refund less admin fee for a cancellation. A really obvious case, too - the booked train, a simple return journey with one train on each leg, was cancelled. It's bad enough that I have to phone to do that but to faff about so much...

(No, it isn't there - they are blustering about choosing preferences for window/aisle etc being the same but of course it's not)

Surely it's the same customer service staff as Virgin Trains though?
 

Skie

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They're probably reading from the same old Virgin scripts, only changes will have been to copy and paste the Avanti name in.
 

theironroad

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Did Glasgow to Euston yesterday and all was good, couple of minutes down until reaching signal outside Euston and arrived 22 late due to Euston being closed due to a suspicious package in the underground. I didn't have a reserved seat and train was less busy than I thought it might. Clearly not Avanti fault, but delay repay submitted while I was on tube...

One curious things was , despite being on from Glasgow , a trolley didn't appear until about 25 mins before arrival in London which wasn't much good. I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't like plodding through 4/5 carriages for a coffee and kit kat!

While I'd like the whole train replaced, one thing I am looking forward to is power sockets at every seat, not a couple at the tables...
 

38Cto15E

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Last week I boarded a northbound Avanti West Coast Pendo at Preston, I checked the seating where I was going to sit and it stated 'Reserved from Euston', then a lady came up to me and said "you are sitting in my seat" Coach A25 I think.
It was rear facing and I was only going to Lancaster so I didn't argue but moved to a facing seat in coach B. I formed the impression that more seat reservations were the same format, but no announcement from the TM.
 

Bletchleyite

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Surely it's the same customer service staff as Virgin Trains though?

They're just Trainline staff. I haven't had to phone Trainline before, but have had to twice in recent months and on neither occasion were they particularly satisfactory. I find it particularly stupid that you can't (unlike "proper" Trainline) apply for a cancellation refund online with Avanti. I find it even more unsatisfactory that it's not just a case of pressing a button on the app if the ticket was actually booked for travel on the train that was cancelled.
 

trainophile

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They are awful. Took a good 15 minutes today to get them to do a refund less admin fee for a cancellation. A really obvious case, too - the booked train, a simple return journey with one train on each leg, was cancelled. It's bad enough that I have to phone to do that but to faff about so much...

(No, it isn't there - they are blustering about choosing preferences for window/aisle etc being the same but of course it's not)

Why an admin fee when they cancelled your booked train?
 

yorkie

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Last week I boarded a northbound Avanti West Coast Pendo at Preston, I checked the seating where I was going to sit and it stated 'Reserved from Euston', then a lady came up to me and said "you are sitting in my seat" Coach A25 I think.
It was rear facing and I was only going to Lancaster so I didn't argue but moved to a facing seat in coach B. I formed the impression that more seat reservations were the same format, but no announcement from the TM.
This is normal now. Loads of reports of this happening and of no sign of a TM and no announcements.

https://twitter.com/andybowie/status/1206636895582793729
if the seat reservations are not working is it not easier for it to be announced on the train by the TM and let people know their reservations are not valid, rather than let the chaos ensue that generally happens?

https://twitter.com/DrTermagant/status/1209474817822470144
I know they're still allocated when booking but on the last two trains I've been on they haven't been shown...
On two different trains on different days?

https://twitter.com/chrisdlallen/status/1209480718851686402
No announcements made at all - there have already been arguments in the carriage and no idea where train manager is. You need to display seat reservations - Virgin always managed at least this
https://twitter.com/OPD2005/status/1208372238484983808
I left at Euston. My ticket said coach B seat 7. Now its changed. My destination is Manchester Picadiilly
Now the seat that was assigned to me has changed status .... What's going on
@AvantiWestCoast

https://twitter.com/MrPaulRadford/status/1206505465280159744
Great to see nothing changed and no sense of direction. Train to Liverpool Lime St and you show this !
045 RESERVED FROM Manchester Picc

https://twitter.com/317meme/status/1208403835766607872
I know you have only been in charge of the line a few weeks but you really do need to get a grip on the train reservation system so far every journey I have made they have not been working today there are reservations but from stations we go nowhere near.

https://twitter.com/KJensenClark/status/1208114770710343681
The seat reservations haven’t downloaded on a single Avanti journey I’ve taken yet. Nor have I found a train manager to speak to about it. I did hear a train manager make an announcement it had been done but it was not true. Check my tweet history, common complaint.

https://twitter.com/SeanFCanavan/status/1207058737141309448
No seat reservations on the 1730 Euston to Glasgow, my reserved seat was double booked, unable to select a seat when booking and the handy diagram showing how busy each carriage is as now gone.

https://twitter.com/etlmksw1/status/1204889845270798336
That’s not correct ... there were double seats that were double reserved but had nobody in the other seat .... get it sorted ...

https://twitter.com/DaveRutt/status/1203926312668352513
0630 Birmingham to Watford seats double booked and reservations showing in the 'unreserved' coach C. Several seats showing install messages. Not making a good first impression

https://twitter.com/KJensenClark
19:03 from Euston AGAIN seat reservations not downloaded. Watched several people get turfed out of seats by ticket holders and frustrated passengers. No announcement again from train manager about it not working or when it would be updated.
 

Skie

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Noticed on one 11 car train they had F, U and C as unreserved coaches. I wonder if the sudden reintroduction of F as an unreserved coach is causing some of the havoc. And considering Virgin went ahead and started selling tickets waaaaaay into the future when they realised the franchise was lost, the chaos could continue for a while if Avanti don't sort out peoples bookings or fix the system.
 

Bungle965

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Noticed on one 11 car train they had F, U and C as unreserved coaches. I wonder if the sudden reintroduction of F as an unreserved coach is causing some of the havoc. And considering Virgin went ahead and started selling tickets waaaaaay into the future when they realised the franchise was lost, the chaos could continue for a while if Avanti don't sort out peoples bookings or fix the system.
Coach F is sometimes left unreserved on the busiest services.
Sam
 

IslandDweller

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I've used Avanti three times in the last week. First train, no reservations shown until half an hour into the journey. Second two journeys, reservations system dead throughout journey.
I know the reservations occasionally failed with Virgin, but this seems habitual? No announcements whatsoever from on board crew about failure of reservations system, on all three journeys.
Not a great first impression.
 

Furrball

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Did Glasgow to Euston yesterday ...

One curious things was , despite being on from Glasgow , a trolley didn't appear until about 25 mins before arrival in London which wasn't much good. I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't like plodding through 4/5 carriages for a coffee and kit kat!

Trolleys are a rare beast on Glasgow to Euston services. Virgin trialled them for a short while but not seen one since the summer.

Find it strange that you get a trolley on Euston to Birmingham but nothing on the Anglo Scottish
 

DaveB10780

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I've used Avanti three times in the last week. First train, no reservations shown until half an hour into the journey. Second two journeys, reservations system dead throughout journey.
I know the reservations occasionally failed with Virgin, but this seems habitual? No announcements whatsoever from on board crew about failure of reservations system, on all three journeys.
Not a great first impression.
I had this on the first weekday off peak train from Stockport to Euston. Lots of frustrated people since this is a very busy train with folks standing sometimes. Good news was it was relatively quiet and everybody eventually got a seat. No announcement whatsoever from the train manager which I thought was abysmal service and a cause for disciplinary warnings. As usual despite the obviously busy train there were quite a few anti social people with their bags on an empty seat so you had to walk along begging a space. Quite an unpleasant experience and very stressful.
 

Skie

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Coach F is sometimes left unreserved on the busiest services.
Sam

Never seen Virgin have coach F as unreserved since they stopped with F+U and swapped to C+U, and I'm regularly unfortunate enough to be one some very heavily loaded trains. New Avanti thing?

If it was also coach K I would say “ how appropriate “ !

Well I think K is still the unreservable first class coach!
 
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I thought it was just me but I had the same issue last Thursday on the 11.30 Euston to Lancaster, the reservation didn't download until Rugby but there was an announcement, the train was that busy you couldn't move for luggage, people were jammed in the aisles, naturally people were chancing their arm regarding seats however when someone appeared with their reservation proof in an already packed carriage it was bedlam.
 

Furrball

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Never seen Virgin have coach F as unreserved since they stopped with F+U and swapped to C+U, and I'm regularly unfortunate enough to be one some very heavily loaded trains. New Avanti thing?

Quite regular occurrence on at least one mid afternoon Euston to Glasgow service on a Friday in the days of VTWC
 

voyagerdude220

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Well I think K is still the unreservable first class coach!

I had a reservation for coach K on a very busy 11-car Pendolino from Birmingham New Street a couple of months ago on a Friday. (14:43 Euston to Edinburgh)

I'd usually go to coach G on a 11 car, but I noticed as it pulled in that the majority of seats were taken there. Someone was in my booked seat (I'd been put on a table of 4 with two other people already reserved around it, despite being on my own, so I happily sat on one the two unoccupied airline style seats behind my reserved seat.)
 
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