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advance tickets _ proportion of no shows

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deltic

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Apologies if asked before but does anyone know roughly the proportion of no shows on advance tickets.

Travelling on Virgin today and at least 10% no shows albeit that people may not be sitting in the seat they reserved and may have reserved a seat with an open ticket

 
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Greenback

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I dare say there are a few no shows, but I doubt there are any records kept, for exactly the same reasons as you have mentioned!
 

trainophile

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I read somewhere that some business travellers routinely book more than one return Advance ticket, as it still works out cheaper than an open return if their meeting runs on or something else delays them.
 

Zoe

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If part of the advance fare was a reservation charge and this was refundable then this would cancel the reservation. As you have to book so far in advance these days to get the cheapest fares, it's inevitable that some people end up not travelling as quite a bit can change in twelve weeks.
 

Flamingo

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From walking through trains pulling out the reservations from seats after that stop has passed, I'd say over a quarter of passengers do not sit in their reserved seat. OK, a large proportion of them are people who are sitting in the seat beside the reserved seat, in an effort to have two seats, but that still leaves a lot who are not on their reserved train
 

trainophile

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If there's a double unreserved seat free, why would you sit squashed into your single reserved one, perhaps next to an overweight unwashed looking person? :lol:
 

Zoe

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If you were to buy two advance fares on the same train with reservations next to each other, could you use this to stop anyone sitting next to you?
 

Flamingo

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If you were to buy two advance fares on the same train with reservations next to each other, could you use this to stop anyone sitting next to you?
Not on my train :lol: I've had that argument on busy trains before now.
 

rail-britain

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Between 0% and 3% of advance tickets do not turn up

The greater amount are passengers with flexible tickets with reservations
This is typically nearer 15% as the passengers may have arrived at their originating station or other connection station either earlier or later

I have done it myself
Arrived at Milton Keynes Central two hours early, so rather than travel on the booked train I travelled on the next service with my standard single and spent some time at Crewe
I then travelled on the booked service from Crewe, as this was an advance ticket
 

rmt-driver

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Not on my train :lol: I've had that argument on busy trains before now.

Why not? If you have paid for two tickets, why can you not take two seats??

Same if one person buys two full priced adult single standard open tickets and reserves two seats next to each other.. why can he/she not occupy both seats? As they have paid for it
 

Zoe

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It doesn't help with flexible tickets that some of the booking engines will reserve a seat for you regardless of if you want one or not unless this has recently changed.
 
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323235

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because its ridiculous, train seats are at a premium on some routes and at busy times of the day without someone buying two seats to avoid having a person sitting next to them. If you want the other seat then I think you should be charged the full open fare for the additional seat, that would deter people from trying that trick although I don't think it should be allowed at all.
 

SS4

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If there's a double unreserved seat free, why would you sit squashed into your single reserved one, perhaps next to an overweight unwashed looking person? :lol:

Very true, or why sit at your single seat when you can have a four seat table (this has never happened to me on a standard advance oddly enough :p)
 

Flamingo

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NRCoC
40. Reserving seats
This ticket allows you to reserve no more than one seat per person for each part of your
journey.
One seat per person, not per ticket. That's my argument, and it's my train!

One man one vote - I'm the man, and it's only my vote that counts!
 

Zoe

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That says that the ticket allows you to reserve one seat per person. So two tickets should allow two seats.
 

TEW

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Can you imagine explaining to standees that it is fine that there is an unoccupied seat and that they can't sit in it, because that person paid for it. Seats are for people only, and people can have one each.
 

Flamingo

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That says that the ticket allows you to reserve one seat per person. So two tickets should allow two seats.
And if the person hasn't turned up, the seat is then free. It's not like an airline.
 

trainophile

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What if someone accepts that they are obesely enormous and knows the train doesn't have particularly generous seat widths, so decides to buy two seats because they will take up two seats?

If they are overspilling onto half the adjacent seat, it is hardly fair to expect the rightful occupier of that seat to travel all squashed in, is it?

Sorry if I appear to have an obsession with this, but I do see people at stations who I hope won't be sitting beside me, and I know it's unkind and probably not their fault if they are obese, but the fact remains... I'd rather they bought two seats so we could all travel in comfort.
 

John @ home

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If you have paid for two tickets, why can you not take two seats?
Because the National Rail Conditions of Carriage don't allow it.

National Rail Conditions of Carriage said:
40. Reserving seats
Seats in some trains can be reserved before you travel and you may have to pay a fee. Unless you have a seat reservation, the Train Companies do not guarantee to provide a seat for your journey. You must have a valid ticket for your journey before reserving a seat. This ticket allows you to reserve no more than one seat per person for each part of your journey.
 

bb21

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That seems to assume they only have one valid ticket, nothing about if they have two valid tickets.

That doesn't say anything about using two tickets, only that you can't reserve more than one seat with each ticket.

Yes but the CoC specifically says 'one seat per person' so my understanding is that you're not really allowed to buy two seats/tickets for one person.
 

rmt-driver

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Yes but the CoC specifically says 'one seat per person' so my understanding is that you're not really allowed to buy two seats/tickets for one person.

But I read it as you're valid ticket allows you to reserve only one seat (per ticket!)... so two valid tickets....
 

Zoe

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Yes but the CoC specifically says 'one seat per person' so my understanding is that you're not really allowed to buy two seats/tickets for one person.
It says "this ticket" allows you to reserve not more than one seat. If you had two tickets then that should allow you to reserve not more than one seat for each ticket and so two seats.
 

WestCoast

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Not on my train :lol: I've had that argument on busy trains before now.

What if the person is obese and can't fit on one seat?

You are allowed to purchase two seats on flights now - and in America, there is a big debate about whether it should be compulsory or not.
 

lyesbkz

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If there's a double unreserved seat free, why would you sit squashed into your single reserved one, perhaps next to an overweight unwashed looking person? :lol:

Prior to EC's seat selection engine, I would find it almost impossible to manage to book the individual seats when booking 1st Advances, and I would more often than not move from a 4-seat table to an unreserved 2-seat table or airline style seat.
 

trainophile

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There's the makings of a new thread here - what is your preferred seat? Mine's aisle airline. Have done the route so often that there's no need for me to look out the window, and I dislike table seats ever since I was sneezed (or should I say exploded) on by someone sitting opposite, and ended up with the worst dose of 'flu I've ever had for five weeks.

Prefer forward facing because I have back trouble (yeah yeah :roll: - I'm not on any sort of benefits for it!) and the thrust of forward travel is more comfortable, but can put up with travelling backwards for an hour or so if need be.

Sorry - off topic :oops:. Point is that when ATW used to issue seat reservations I rarely got what I wanted anyway, so if there was an available alternative I'd sit in it and hang the consequences!
 

Flamingo

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It says "this ticket" allows you to reserve not more than one seat. If you had two tickets then that should allow you to reserve not more than one seat for each ticket and so two seats.

It says one seat per person.
 
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