Advance Tickets offered but not bookable: Error E00219

[TheManOnThe172]

Booking engines (Cross Country, East Midlands, Trainline) come up with a good range of Advance tickets for Chesterfield or Sheffield to York tomorrow morning (24/10). But try to book them, and after asking about seat preferences, the system comes back with "We have been unable to successfully validate your journey for the following reason: E00219 No availability for requested accom on leg from SHF to YRK on 24/10/2015". The CC call centre thought they could book me, but also failed to complete the transaction.

I eventually persuaded CrossCountry Customer Assistance to investigate and they came back insist that this is not a systems error - it is apparently what always happens when "ordinary" Advance tickets are sold out: they claim they they have to leave availability showing "for wheelchair users and their companions", and this then shows up for every enquiry even though there are no tickets for the "ordinary" passenger.

This seems crazy. The passenger with a limited budget is effectively denied the chance to choose from trains which do have availability at Advance fares (none for that route this close to tomorrow, apparently) - they would have to try each train in turn to see whether there was one which didn't come back with an error.

This can't be the way that other TOCs work - I am sure that I have been able to see Advance tickets available for some trains and not for others. Is CC out on a limb with this policy, or have they given me a dud explanation?

 

[island]

Have you tried a WebTIS-based system such as GWR, Southeastern, or FTPE?

 

[unlevel42]

Each train is allocated a certain number of 'Advance' tickets.
'Advance' tickets need seat reservations and when they are gone they are gone and the standard fares are payable.

Tomorrow as in Saturday Hull are entertaining Birmingham, Derby are at Huddersfield, Gateshead are being visited by Worcester etc. so sections of the journey you want overlap

Approaching Christmas, shopping in York becomes more popular.

The passenger with a limited budget effectively needs to book further in advance and/or other days , routes and times and consider "splitting".

Cross Country unusually do sell discounted on the day if they have any left.

 

[father_jack]

Each train is allocated a certain number of 'Advance' tickets.
'Advance' tickets need seat reservations and when they are gone they are gone and the standard fares are payable.

Tomorrow as in Saturday Hull are entertaining Birmingham, Derby are at Huddersfield, Gateshead are being visited by Worcester etc. so sections of the journey you want overlap

Approaching Christmas, shopping in York becomes more popular.

The passenger with a limited budget effectively needs to book further in advance and/or other days , routes and times and consider "splitting".

Cross Country unusually do sell discounted on the day if they have any left.

Think the problem might be AP allocation being still available without an unreserved seat being left on the the train.