České dráhy website will sell standard but not first class ticket?

[ainsworth74]

Looking at booking a ticket from Prague to Oswiecim on EC115 (the 1024 departure). I'm planning on travelling in first class as tickets aren't that expensive over there on the whole but it seems like the CD website won't sell them? It has the "check price" message. Meanwhile the same train on the same date it is happily selling standard class tickets (so it's not that the train isn't open for booking)! Any one have any ideas why this might be the case? Or any work arounds!?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Does loco2.com offer it?

 

[hexagon789]

Looking at booking a ticket from Prague to Oswiecim on EC115 (the 1024 departure). I'm planning on travelling in first class as tickets aren't that expensive over there on the whole but it seems like the CD website won't sell them? It has the "check price" message. Meanwhile the same train on the same date it is happily selling standard class tickets (so it's not that the train isn't open for booking)! Any one have any ideas why this might be the case? Or any work arounds!?

Seat61 says First Class tickets should be available through "more options" and must be selected before running a ticket enquiry.

 

[Mag_seven]

You could also try other booking sites such as DB.

 

[ainsworth74]

Seat61 says First Class tickets should be available through "more options" and must be selected before running a ticket enquiry.

Yes indeed, I should perhaps have been clearer that I've done that

 

[hexagon789]

Yes indeed, I should perhaps have been clearer that I've done that

I've just tried it and can get First Class fares to display, so I'm not sure why you can't I'm afraid.

 

[ainsworth74]

You could also try other booking sites such as DB.

DB don't appear to sell tickets at all for that sadly

 

[ainsworth74]

@hexagon789 has kindly tested using my journey criteria and replicated the same issue so it's not just me! Anyone with any ideas?

 

[Mag_seven]

DB don't appear to sell tickets at all for that sadly

I've also tried SBB and they don't either.

 

[hexagon789]

Quick suggestion, what about running the query on the Czech-language version of the site using Google translate or Chrome and seeing if it says why there's no First Class?

Often I find the local language-version of a site can have more information sometimes than the English version.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Hi - my (limited) experience of booking Czech tickets online is that some of the cheap (to us, anyway) deals/prices aren't bookable via other ticket outlets, and you have to do it via CD itself. So you're right to try to book with CD, even if the journey was bookable via another ticketing system. However, that doesn't deal with your question of why the First Class option isn't showing up...

 

[Mag_seven]

Looking at booking a ticket from Prague to Oswiecim on EC115 (the 1024 departure). I'm planning on travelling in first class as tickets aren't that expensive over there on the whole but it seems like the CD website won't sell them? It has the "check price" message. Meanwhile the same train on the same date it is happily selling standard class tickets (so it's not that the train isn't open for booking)! Any one have any ideas why this might be the case? Or any work arounds!?

Maybe first class is full on your chosen date - have you tried a couple of other dates to see if you can get a first class option on those?

 

[hexagon789]

Maybe first class is full on your chosen date - have you tried a couple of other dates to see if you can get a first class option on those?

Admittedly it only seems to covey a first class-cum-restaurant car with 22 First Class seats; so that might be the issue.

 

[ainsworth74]

Using the "I want a reservation only" option and having looked at the seat map it appears that there is still capacity on the train in 1st class (though some seats appear to be reserved).

 

[Cloud Strife]

Same problem here, but curiously, you can buy tickets to Bohumin, so it must be a problem with the booking system. You can buy 1st class tickets to Warsaw without any problems, so it seems to be a problem with that specific train.

 

[30907]

Admittedly it only seems to covey a first class-cum-restaurant car with 22 First Class seats; so that might be the issue.

I think you are right, it's something to do with the AR... car: the two direct Warsaw trains have a full First (The portion in EC115 is Second only, as do (random search) most trains to Slovakia. And full-price First international tickets to Poland don't seem to be bookable online at all.
I think your next step is a mail enquiry to CD, they do answer!
Or travel First to Bohumin, and then have a late lunch!

PS and slightly OT: you also cannot buy a CD First class ticket online where part of the journey is second class only

 

[ainsworth74]

I emailed them earlier and have already had a response (UK TOCs take note!) the very helpful person explained that there are only a limited number first class "First Minute Europe" tickets and those are now all sold out for the train in question. First class is still available but only by going to a ticket office in the Czech Republic and buying a full price first class international ticket as they are not for sale via their website. So that appears to answer that!

Or travel First to Bohumin, and then have a late lunch!

That's actually a rather good idea! It's around an hour and a half from Bohumin to Oswiecim, just about perfect for lunch

 

[hexagon789]

I think you are right, it's something to do with the AR... car: the two direct Warsaw trains have a full First (The portion in EC115 is Second only, as do (random search) most trains to Slovakia. And full-price First international tickets to Poland don't seem to be bookable online at all.
I think your next step is a mail enquiry to CD, they do answer!
Or travel First to Bohumin, and then have a late lunch!

PS and slightly OT: you also cannot buy a CD First class ticket online where part of the journey is second class only

That would make sense, limited first class and first class and the portions.

 

[D6700]

If you get yourself in one of the compo's, they are usually very decent, with only 3 seats across.

https://www.vagonweb.cz/razeni/vlak.php?zeme=CD&kategorie=&cislo=115&nazev=Cracovia&rok=2019

The second class coaches with 66 seats are compos - click on the camera icon under the coach to see some pictures.

As some of the coaches are dated (as opposed to being every day), it's best to cross-reference with CD website or the Muj Vlak phone app.

 

[30907]

If you get yourself in one of the compo's, they are usually very decent, with only 3 seats across.

https://www.vagonweb.cz/razeni/vlak.php?zeme=CD&kategorie=&cislo=115&nazev=Cracovia&rok=2019

The second class coaches with 66 seats are compos - click on the camera icon under the coach to see some pictures.

I think you mean compartment coaches? They are indeed nice, but compo to us ancients means composite - CD have some that were built as firsts and have legroom to match (eg on Brno- Plzen), very nice.

That would make sense, limited first class and first class and the portions.

Yes, on closer inspection the random date I checked mid-Sept was the exception and every other day round then had tickets on offer.
Seats to Bohumin only sounds daft, but there will be 1st class pax transferring from the one-a-day Budapest-Bratislava-Warsaw which has a full 1st and WR.

@ainsworth74 occupying the restaurant car to get a decent seat (and table for your laptop) is a standard Central European practice - though the CD cars do now have notices asking you to leave when you have finished?

 

[hexagon789]

I think you mean compartment coaches? They are indeed nice, but compo to us ancients means composite - CD have some that were built as firsts and have legroom to match (eg on Brno- Plzen), very nice.



Yes, on closer inspection the random date I checked mid-Sept was the exception and every other day round then had tickets on offer.
Seats to Bohumin only sounds daft, but there will be 1st class pax transferring from the one-a-day Budapest-Bratislava-Warsaw which has a full 1st and WR.

@ainsworth74 occupying the restaurant car to get a decent seat (and table for your laptop) is a standard Central European practice - though the CD cars do now have notices asking you to leave when you have finished?

Sitting in the restaurant is a good idea, I get the impression that unless it's busy a lot of the time staff won't ask people to vacate it when finished eating.

 

[ainsworth74]

Yes I think the conclusion I've come to is that I'll just take up residency in the restaurant car. I've booked a 1st class ticket to Bohumin and then a standard class ticket onward from there. I might try the international ticket window at Prague when I arrive just to see how much a "walk-up" 1st class ticket from Bohumin to Oswiecim would be. More out of curiosity than anything else (though if the price appeals the standard class ticket I pre-booked was only £4.50 so I'll just class it as a booking fee ).

Thanks all for you assistance. This was the first real stumbling block I've run into so far as the CD website is usually excellent (and I'm still stunned by the speed of response to my email query!).