Advance ticket with no reservations

js517 · 18 Apr 2019

My wife collected a Chelmsford to Hebden Bridge Advance earlier today and wasn't issued any reservations. I don't think it's a case of not collecting the reservations coupon as there's no reference to another coupon on the ticket.

The emailed booking confirmation also made no mention of seat numbers.

Can anyone explain what has happened here?

RailUK Forums

ForTheLoveOf · 18 Apr 2019

js517 said:
My wife collected a Chelmsford to Hebden Bridge Advance earlier today and wasn't issued any reservations. I don't think it's a case of not collecting the reservations coupon as there's no reference to another coupon on the ticket.

The emailed booking confirmation also made no mention of seat numbers.

Can anyone explain what has happened here?

Oh dear, it would appear that the booking and/or printing process has gone rather wrong there, hasn't it!

Can you upload a redacted screenshot or copy of the booking confirmation email?

Merseysider · 18 Apr 2019

Show the booking confirmation, on her phone or printed, when she travels. No need to worry.

js517 · 18 Apr 2019

The attached screenshot is the best I can do from my phone for now.

I've also checked and the collection receipt definitely states 1 coupon.

I actually had trouble buying this ticket originally - LNER would show the advance as available but then fail at a later stage when I tried to book. In the end I went through southern instead.

WesternLancer · 18 Apr 2019

js517 said:
The attached screenshot is the best I can do from my phone for now.

I've also checked and the collection receipt definitely states 1 coupon.

I actually had trouble buying this ticket originally - LNER would show the advance as available but then fail at a later stage when I tried to book. In the end I went through southern instead.

Yeah, take that uploaded schedule and have it to hand, be sure to be on the listed trains (unless the journey is disrupted) - belt and braces would be to have a quick word with the guard of the LNER train concerned on the platform before getting on and ask eg 'is it OK to sit in any unreserved seat because I'm booked on this train but the print out failed to generate the seat details'

or avoid being told not to board by getting on said train, and as soon as it leaves Kings Cross, actively go to seek out guard, say the same thing but adjusted version eg 'I've sat in an unreserved seat because..., is that OK?' Staff usually seem happy to help if politely asked in my experience.

js517 · 18 Apr 2019

Thanks all for the advice. No trouble so far.

_toommm_ said:
By the looks of it, it's attempted to print the ticket in the newer style, but failed to print the reservations on the actual ticket, or failed to realise the reservation text might be too big and print it on another coupon.

Do let us know how your wife gets on though, incase she gets any trouble off guards...

If reservations have been booked shouldn't the booking confirmation show what they are? Is it possible that it isn't a printing issue and actually a failure to reserve?

WesternLancer · 18 Apr 2019

js517 said:
Thanks all for the advice. No trouble so far.

If reservations have been booked shouldn't the booking confirmation show what they are? Is it possible that it isn't a printing issue and actually a failure to reserve?

well the only way to resolve that for certain (and given what I say next I doubt it would be "for certain" in reality, would be for you to ring LNER customer services I guess and see what they say - but since the staff may not be able to tell you definitively and then might refer you to who you booked the ticket off (Southern), who might then refer you to the station or TOC you collected it from.... I can imagine you would just end up in a kafkaesque world of call centre discussions that would waste most of your Good Friday.

So if it were me I'd do as above, have a friendly word with the actual guard and hope for the best. In worst case scenario then sort it out after the event, in this case as I suspect (but of course can not gaurantee) it will all be OK on the day.

WesternLancer · 18 Apr 2019

WesternLancer said:
well the only way to resolve that for certain (and given what I say next I doubt it would be "for certain" in reality, would be for you to ring LNER customer services I guess and see what they say - but since the staff may not be able to tell you definitively and then might refer you to who you booked the ticket off (Southern), who might then refer you to the station or TOC you collected it from.... I can imagine you would just end up in a kafkaesque world of call centre discussions that would waste most of your Good Friday.

So if it were me I'd do as above, have a friendly word with the actual guard and hope for the best. In worst case scenario then sort it out after the event, in this case as I suspect (but of course can not gaurantee) it will all be OK on the day.

Worst case scenario is probably clause 3.2 page 5 of this
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/national rail conditions of travel.pdf

Some types of Ticket (for instance advance Tickets) require you to make a reservation when buying your Ticket.
But as a passenger I'm not sure that you are able to tell anywhere which TOCs do and which do not require a seat reservation (as opposed to a nominated individual train) with an Advance ticket, and that ticket you uploaded does not say on it (does it?) "only valid with accompanying reservation", so if challenged on that point I suppose you could always say "well how was I supposed to know that, this is what I collected and I was careful to check this was all that was printed out for me".

_toommm_ · 18 Apr 2019

And of course, if you do need a seat reservation, you could always tweet LNER asking for one.

Starmill · 18 Apr 2019

js517 said:
I actually had trouble buying this ticket originally - LNER would show the advance as available but then fail at a later stage when I tried to book. In the end I went through southern instead.

This is the smoking gun.

It looks like what has happened is there is still some quota for advance tickets available but there was no seat left as they'd all been reserved. This is a common problem where an Advance price is shown but a seat cannot be reserved. Many people report this issue and cannot buy a ticket (sometimes you can still buy the ticket but inly by reserving the wheelchair or wheelchair companion space!!). I've had this issue before and been permitted to add an Advance to my basket ready for payment without a seat reservation. I'm surprised Southern let this happen but there it is.

Starmill · 18 Apr 2019

_toommm_ said:
By the looks of it, it's attempted to print the ticket in the newer style, but failed to print the reservations on the actual ticket, or failed to realise the reservation text might be too big and print it on another coupon.

I don't think so, because the OP tells us they got no seat reservation.

_toommm_ said:
And of course, if you do need a seat reservation, you could always tweet LNER asking for one.

They can, but it sounds an awful lot like the train is full to me?

_toommm_ said:
Possibly, although I'm not sure LNER issue advances without reservations, unlike TPE for example

Nearly, but not quite. TransPennine Express and many others issue some Advance tickets with a counted place reservation. This is not the case here with the OP where the reservation just doesn't exist.

Advance ticket with no reservations

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