• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Hull Trains Stupid Online Seat Reserver

Status
Not open for further replies.

westv

Established Member
Joined
29 Mar 2013
Messages
4,203
Why, 3 months from the date selected to travel, does it try to force me to reserve a table when I want window airline and only agree to offer me what I want after I add several random other tickets for the same service to my basket? <(:roll:
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

island

Veteran Member
Joined
30 Dec 2010
Messages
15,982
Location
0036
Have you tried telephoning FHT to book? Or popping round your local staffed station?
 

westv

Established Member
Joined
29 Mar 2013
Messages
4,203
Have you tried telephoning FHT to book? Or popping round your local staffed station?
I book every week once a week so that wouldn't be a practical solution.
 
Last edited:

island

Veteran Member
Joined
30 Dec 2010
Messages
15,982
Location
0036
Presumably you are at staffed stations when you travel, yes?
 

westv

Established Member
Joined
29 Mar 2013
Messages
4,203
It's a bit late then though isn't it? I'd rather have the reservation sorted before I get there.
 

ainsworth74

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
27,542
Location
Redcar
It's a bit late then though isn't it? I'd rather have the reservation sorted before I get there.

I think the suggestion was that if you're at a staffed station you could arrange a future trip. So whilst it might be too late for that one it wouldn't be for the next one. Unless, of course, you can't plan far enough ahead for you to be able to arrange the next trip on a previous one!
 

Starmill

Veteran Member
Fares Advisor
Joined
18 May 2012
Messages
23,224
Location
Bolton
Practical suggestions for the short term. In the long term what's needed is a Hull Trains seat selector. Now that these are available on GR, XC and VT I feel that HT and GW (High-Speed at least) are lagging a little. HT are in many ways a quality operator. Keep ahead of the curve guys...
 

westv

Established Member
Joined
29 Mar 2013
Messages
4,203
Not really time to sort out tickets when I arrive at the station - I think I get up early enough as it is. :lol:
Ticket office is closed when I get back.
 

transportphoto

Established Member
Associate Staff
Quizmaster
Joined
21 Jan 2010
Messages
4,570
Not really time to sort out tickets when I arrive at the station - I think I get up early enough as it is. :lol:
Ticket office is closed when I get back.
Equally, you can buy them at your destination station?
 

westv

Established Member
Joined
29 Mar 2013
Messages
4,203
Equally, you can buy them at your destination station?

I need to get to work going
I can't leave work any later coming back
Kings Cross is very busy both times.

It would just be easier if the online system had some logic to it.
 
Last edited:

ainsworth74

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
16 Nov 2009
Messages
27,542
Location
Redcar
I think practically all that can be done short term is to try and do it at a station either at the start, end or on route. Long term, as Starmill suggests, this is going to become industry standard (at least on long distance fixed formation operators) so Hull Trains should really pull their finger out and get it done as soon as possible hopefully. Particularly considering that the booking engine they use on their website (Webtis) already has such software integrated for VTEC so it shouldn't be too hard to do!
 

causton

Established Member
Joined
4 Aug 2010
Messages
5,504
Location
Somewhere between WY372 and MV7
Particularly considering that the booking engine they use on their website (Webtis) already has such software integrated for VTEC so it shouldn't be too hard to do!

That means nothing in the railway unfortunately - it is not how easy it is but how easy it is to pay for it :lol:

For example, the Euston departure boards showing the formation and times of stops was funded at least partially by Virgin so that is why they only show for Virgin services. Of course, showing the times for London Midland and London Overground services is not "too hard to do" but the amount of money they would charge... <(
 

Starmill

Veteran Member
Fares Advisor
Joined
18 May 2012
Messages
23,224
Location
Bolton
I've sent them a webform pointing out that a) I often use Hull Trains and often book on their website and that b) Virgin Trains East Coast allow me to choose my own seat if I travel with them and use their website. I've asked if they have any plans to develop this functionality in the near future.

www.hulltrains.co.uk/customer-services/

Others might like to also.

Once GR have a fleet of uniformly* comfortable trains, their new complimentary wifi will put them on a level with HT. The seat selector and the superior First Class menu is them starting to steal a march on HT.

*EC64's eccentricity notwithstanding and who knows what will happen to NL65
 
Last edited:

westv

Established Member
Joined
29 Mar 2013
Messages
4,203
And now the system won't allow me to use my work around to get a suitable seat. After the first selection it then just shows bogus £15 fares!
 

Bletchleyite

Veteran Member
Joined
20 Oct 2014
Messages
97,540
Location
"Marston Vale mafia"
Practical suggestions for the short term. In the long term what's needed is a Hull Trains seat selector. Now that these are available on GR, XC and VT I feel that HT and GW (High-Speed at least) are lagging a little. HT are in many ways a quality operator. Keep ahead of the curve guys...

What's needed is a *national* seat selector available on all the booking systems. It's annoying with a multi-TOC journey to have to split it if you wish to select seats.

Make it chargeable if you like, I'd pay, particularly to ensure a good window view and extra legroom, just as I do on an aircraft.
 

island

Veteran Member
Joined
30 Dec 2010
Messages
15,982
Location
0036
There is always the option of booking at your local staffed station or by telephone.
 

westv

Established Member
Joined
29 Mar 2013
Messages
4,203
There is always the option of booking at your local staffed station or by telephone.

I've already said that I book tickets every week so I would rather not have to spend time every week ringing up or going to the station.
It would be better if there was a system that worked correctly.
I've written to them about this.
 

HMS Ark Royal

Established Member
Joined
2 Sep 2015
Messages
2,807
Location
Hull
And now the system won't allow me to use my work around to get a suitable seat. After the first selection it then just shows bogus £15 fares!

HT are doing £15 advance fares now - there could simply be a glitch where it is being applied by the system to all services. Is it possible for you to post an image of this so we can better understand it?
 

westv

Established Member
Joined
29 Mar 2013
Messages
4,203
HT are doing £15 advance fares now - there could simply be a glitch where it is being applied by the system to all services. Is it possible for you to post an image of this so we can better understand it?

And as soon as I try to do that it allows me to add multiple tickets and I get the seat I originally requested. :roll:
 

island

Veteran Member
Joined
30 Dec 2010
Messages
15,982
Location
0036
I've already said that I book tickets every week so I would rather not have to spend time every week ringing up or going to the station.
It would be better if there was a system that worked correctly.
I've written to them about this.

That's fine, it just means that you value the small incremental time saving higher than having your preferred seating.

FHT's directors and officers are legally obliged to act in the best interests of their shareholders and I should be surprised if they chose to invest in a change that a tiny proportion of their customers care about and that would not make them any incremental revenue.
 

Starmill

Veteran Member
Fares Advisor
Joined
18 May 2012
Messages
23,224
Location
Bolton
FHT's directors and officers are legally obliged to act in the best interests of their shareholders and I should be surprised if they chose to invest in a change that a tiny proportion of their customers care about and that would not make them any incremental revenue.

The same could very well be said of adding platform coach marker boards but they still did that, didn't they?

And if such a small proportion of customers care about this kind of thing, why have 3 other major long-distance operators decided to implement it?
 
Last edited:

MikeWh

Established Member
Associate Staff
Senior Fares Advisor
Joined
15 Jun 2010
Messages
7,865
Location
Crayford
The same could very well be said of adding platform coach marker boards but they still did that, didn't they?

Well I guess that having people in the right place on the platform may improve the chances of a right time departure which may in turn reduce the potential to lose revenue by causing delays and/or needing to pay delay repay.
 

westv

Established Member
Joined
29 Mar 2013
Messages
4,203
That's fine, it just means that you value the small incremental time saving higher than having your preferred seating.

FHT's directors and officers are legally obliged to act in the best interests of their shareholders and I should be surprised if they chose to invest in a change that a tiny proportion of their customers care about and that would not make them any incremental revenue.

Change? All I'm asking for is a system that works as it's supposed to.
 

Starmill

Veteran Member
Fares Advisor
Joined
18 May 2012
Messages
23,224
Location
Bolton
Well I guess that having people in the right place on the platform may improve the chances of a right time departure which may in turn reduce the potential to lose revenue by causing delays and/or needing to pay delay repay.

Which is no more tenuous than a customer using the Hull Trains website instead of another site because it will permit them to choose their seat, thereby minimising commission payments to other retailers.
 

island

Veteran Member
Joined
30 Dec 2010
Messages
15,982
Location
0036
The same could very well be said of adding platform coach marker boards but they still did that, didn't they?

Coach marker boards would be added by Network Rail, which does not have shareholders, and therefore the same could not in fact be said of it.
 

IanXC

Emeritus Moderator
Joined
18 Dec 2009
Messages
6,331
Coach marker boards would be added by Network Rail, which does not have shareholders, and therefore the same could not in fact be said of it.

I'm pretty certain Network Rail have not paid for signs stating the equivalent of:

"Wait here for Coach A on Hull Trains services"

Given only HT and VTEC have them on the East Coast Mainline surely Network Rail would not be acting impartially to all operators. HT have also reported it was their initiative following a suggestion made by a passenger via their website...
 

Starmill

Veteran Member
Fares Advisor
Joined
18 May 2012
Messages
23,224
Location
Bolton
It's ridiculous logic anyway. There are lots of things companies provide to satisfy passenger demand and reward their customers which do not necessarily generate revenue directly. Promoting the reputation of the company and attracting repeat business are just as important as generating revenue.
 

Master29

Established Member
Joined
19 Feb 2015
Messages
1,967
Why, 3 months from the date selected to travel, does it try to force me to reserve a table when I want window airline and only agree to offer me what I want after I add several random other tickets for the same service to my basket? <(:roll:

GWR have a similar problem. This is an issue with first in general.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top