Double booked seats, Grand Central

[jon0844]

How often do seats get double booked and why does it happen?

I'm on the 1244 KGX Grand Central (1N93) service and at least 8 seats were double booked in first class, including all four of ours. And the reservations all check out.

Given how busy the train is, the TM hasn't yet come down but a lady from the buffet did come down and verify the mistake. She was then going to phone in to report the problem, but of course it's meant us having to sit on the floor along with other people who opted to stand in first class - not fun with a two year old and my disabled mum.

Fortunately everyone has been great. My mum and dad got given seats from others and my son is now with my dad, so not made to stand or sit in the aisle. Others have offered me and my wife their seats but we're okay with standing.

I accept these things happen but it's not as if they had a cancelled train before and combined them. And on Good Friday of all days!

It's an HST. Do the 180s have more seats? Could that be it?

 

[Paul Duck]

180 would have had less seats yesterday as GC put an extra carriage on. Had few reports of double booked seats with Grand Central. Sorry to hear about your problems.
Paul @ Eaglescliffe Ticket Office

 

[YorkshireRider]

In my experience of double booked seats on EC, one of the 2 parties/persons have used The Train Line to book their tickets

 

[jon0844]

My mum had booked direct from Grand Central (website) but the others had regular tickets so possibly had used the trainline.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The GrancCentral website booking system is powered by TheSheepLine, IIRC.

 

[jon0844]

Surprise surprise. Same problem on the 1406 from York - 6 people (including us). And this time the occupants of the seats were very much of the 'not our problem'.

Fortunately this time the TM came down and sorted it. We got some other seats, but not all together, and two people wanting first class upgrades were asked back into standard to accommodate the other two.

Feel sorry for those who boarded first class to upgrade who then had to stand in the vestibule because they'd not even tried to get seats in standard.

Still, at least I can say I've tried Grand Central.

 

[34D]

Grand Central trains are busy

I am genuinely shocked

 

[jon0844]

Somewhere around Peterborough all the lights went out for a bit in our coach and then came back on, but now I think the aircon has gone off as it's starting to warm up! Only 25 minutes to go now though, thankfully.

Can't wait to get off and never have to darken their doorstep again.

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

I have seen it happen when I worked there but it was usually the print at home tickets that were double booked because for some reason they were (at the time) on a separate reservation system which of course didn't get printed out with the 'normal' reservations

 

[yorkie]

Grand Central trains are busy

I am genuinely shocked

The Sunderland route is nearly always busy. The Bradford route is a different kettle of fish!

 

[jon0844]

I have seen it happen when I worked there but it was usually the print at home tickets that were double booked because for some reason they were (at the time) on a separate reservation system which of course didn't get printed out with the 'normal' reservations

I guess they haven't fixed this problem then, as we had print at home tickets, booked via their site.

 

[1D53]

Grand Central trains are busy

I am genuinely shocked

What's there to be shocked about?

 

[Sir_Clagalot]

That will explain it then!! Where I work now we also have print at home but they seem to link with the reservation system ok...

 

[jon0844]

Wasn't the system properly integrated?

I get the impression that they offered print at home via another company, then relied on an email or phone call to say when a ticket was sold, to manually enter into another system and reserve those seats in time to stop them being sold elsewhere.

That would be crazy of course, as it would be quite easy to sell the tickets twice - although even if that DID happen, it should be spotted very quickly and dealt with well in advance of travel. The tickets were purchased in early March, and the total price was just short of £500!

The lady on the return trip said she'd only had this problem twice 'since she started' but obviously I don't know how long she'd been working there. Or if she meant 'started' as in her shift that day.

 

[SeanG]

The Sunderland route is nearly always busy. The Bradford route is a different kettle of fish!

Boarded a Bradford service at Doncaster the other week, around dinner timeish.
Was the only person in the front coach of the 180.

I have to say, the interior condition of the 180s is not good at all, especially when compared to Grand Central's really nice HSTs

 

[222001]

There was some commotion to do with double booked seats on a Bradford to London 180 I was on on Sunday. Weird how this can happen, not seen it happen on any other operators.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

I never book seats, I just turn up and go. Saying that if someone has booked seats and I'm sat in theirs I'll ask to see their ticket reservation cheack seat and coach number then move if needs by.

 

[noddingdonkey]

And this time the occupants of the seats were very much of the 'not our problem'.

Not an entirely unreasonable position if they also had a legitimate booking for those seats.

 

[jon0844]

Not an entirely unreasonable position if they also had a legitimate booking for those seats.

Of course. I didn't mean to suggest they should move. Just a comment on the difference in attitude. It was obvious that they didn't care and even thought it funny. One child even said 'these are our seats' to us.

As my once wheelchair bound mum still struggles to walk (and a walking stick should be a giveaway), it was quite amazing that nobody would offer her a seat - at least until staff moved some standard class people out. Maybe none of them had to move, but I was still surprised.

Going up, my parents were offered seats. Indeed all of us were, but being able bodied I politely refused (as did my wife). I'd like to think I would do the same for someone else in that situation.