• 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!

LNER seat reservations overkill

Status
Not open for further replies.

johntea

Established Member
Joined
29 Dec 2010
Messages
2,585
A simple trip from Wakefield Westgate to Harrogate on LNER this morning

‘You must have a seat reservation’ announcement at Wakefield Westgate station by the manual staffed announcer

‘You must have a seat reservation’ announcement by the guard upon the train arrival / departure at Leeds

...Followed by the guard partially coming down the train and checking passengers had a seat reservation and ‘advising’ if not!

Seemed rather overkill for a journey which essentially has enough passengers for a single passenger in each coach with some left over to spare! (Also the reservation system onboard was turned off anyway so technically I would argue the reservations mean nothing anyway!)
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Ianno87

Veteran Member
Joined
3 May 2015
Messages
15,215
(Also the reservation system onboard was turned off anyway so technically I would argue the reservations mean nothing anyway!)

Not if absolutely everyone has a reservation it doesn't.
 

37424

Member
Joined
10 Apr 2020
Messages
1,064
Location
Leeds
It does seem a bit overkill for a short local journey near the end destination especially when a substancial number of long distance passengers are likely to have bailed at Doncaster or Wakefield.
 

Ianno87

Veteran Member
Joined
3 May 2015
Messages
15,215
It does seem a bit overkill for a short local journey near the end destination especially when a substancial number of long distance passengers are likely to have bailed at Doncaster or Wakefield.

But then it's not a huge ask to go to the ticket office or go on the LNER website (via phone) to reserve your seat just before departure. Takes about 30 seconds.
 

High Dyke

Established Member
Joined
1 Jan 2013
Messages
4,267
Location
Yellabelly Country
I did a reservation for a 10 minute journey the other week (Grantham - Newark). Seemed pointless I know, but there you go.

My only gripe about the reservations, as I've posted on other threads, is the inability to spread people out better. 16:33 Kings Cross - Bradford last week. A coach with 80 odd seats, a couple of passengers at either end of the coach and 10 passengers all crammed in a space of about 18 seats towards the middle. Surely they could've managed that better?
 

mikeg

Established Member
Joined
20 Apr 2010
Messages
1,743
Location
Selby
I've just been allocated a seat right opposite someone sat at a table seat. Given that tpe have suspended reservations for social distancing reasons, my thoughts are that lner were just looking for an excuse to introduce compulsory reservations and it has nothing to do with social distancing.
 

trainophile

Established Member
Joined
28 Oct 2010
Messages
6,186
Location
Wherever I lay my hat
I wonder whether the overall intention is to prevent people boarding and inadvertently taking a seat that someone else has just vacated, in case of residual "droplets" or whatever the current worry is. That would depend on spacing out reservations throughout the whole route though, and there's no way of finding out if that is the case.
 

bramling

Veteran Member
Joined
5 Mar 2012
Messages
17,685
Location
Hertfordshire / Teesdale
I wonder whether the overall intention is to prevent people boarding and inadvertently taking a seat that someone else has just vacated, in case of residual "droplets" or whatever the current worry is. That would depend on spacing out reservations throughout the whole route though, and there's no way of finding out if that is the case.

If so why should it be an issue on LNER, but not on something like GTR where things are a free-for-all?
 

route101

Established Member
Joined
16 May 2010
Messages
10,595
I've just been allocated a seat right opposite someone sat at a table seat. Given that tpe have suspended reservations for social distancing reasons, my thoughts are that lner were just looking for an excuse to introduce compulsory reservations and it has nothing to do with social distancing.

Ive seen that too, TPE only had one free seat per a bay of 4 when they blocked seats. If you wanted to move and seek out a free seat, they have switched the seat reservation displays.
 

yorkie

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Administrator
Joined
6 Jun 2005
Messages
67,434
Location
Yorkshire
I've just been allocated a seat right opposite someone sat at a table seat...
They'll be in the wrong seat; LNER put people diagonally opposite but not directly opposite.

If I've found someone directly opposite me, and there are quieter parts of the train, then I move. So far no-one has challenged me on this. If challenged I would state I was following Government guidance.
 

VauxhallandI

Established Member
Joined
26 Dec 2012
Messages
2,743
Location
Cheshunt
Happened to me on LNER too. There was someonein the single seat by the door and the system put me in front of him albeit in the aisle position.

The remainder of the carriage....empty
 

Cambus731

Member
Joined
19 Jul 2013
Messages
1,121
I intend to use a few LNER trains in the next fortnight using my safeguarded staff pass.
Would people say it is advisble to reserve seats?
My main issue with that is the loss of flexibility especially as which train I'll be catching depends on my ability to get up in the morning.
I vehemently disagree with any measure that erodes the turn up and go passenger railway.
 

Mag_seven

Forum Staff
Staff Member
Global Moderator
Joined
1 Sep 2014
Messages
9,994
Location
here to eternity
I intend to use a few LNER trains in the next fortnight using my safeguarded staff pass.
Would people say it is advisble to reserve seats?
My main issue with that is the loss of flexibility especially as which train I'll be catching depends on my ability to get up in the morning.
I vehemently disagree with any measure that erodes the turn up and go passenger railway.


See the current RSTL document re reserving seats on LNER with staff passes:


How to make reservations
There are three options to reserve a seat:
• Online at www.lner.co.uk/reserve you will need to create
an LNER account to do this. Once you have selected
your train, you will need to enter “Staff” into the box
which requests ticket number.
• Station Travel Centres
• LNER Customer Solutions Centre
Please note that if you make a reservation and then will not
be travelling you should cancel your reservation to ensure
availability for another customer. This is an easy process
to do if the reservation was made via the LNER app or
online at lner.co.uk.
 

greyman42

Established Member
Joined
14 Aug 2017
Messages
4,894
I intend to use a few LNER trains in the next fortnight using my safeguarded staff pass.
Would people say it is advisble to reserve seats?
My main issue with that is the loss of flexibility especially as which train I'll be catching depends on my ability to get up in the morning.
I vehemently disagree with any measure that erodes the turn up and go passenger railway.
Just make multiple reservations covering the services you might use or book in the travel office when you get to the station. LNER are running pretty empty at the minute.
 

cav1975

Member
Joined
24 Sep 2010
Messages
362
This is just another example of the railway industry doing its utmost to discourage use at the moment.

I have a car at home so I'll use it next time - I know not everyone does so others will just not travel.
 

Cambus731

Member
Joined
19 Jul 2013
Messages
1,121
Just make multiple reservations covering the services you might use or book in the travel office when you get to the station. LNER are running pretty empty at the minute.
good advice. That is exactly what I will do
 

Hadders

Veteran Member
Associate Staff
Senior Fares Advisor
Joined
27 Apr 2011
Messages
12,980
Just make multiple reservations covering the services you might use or book in the travel office when you get to the station. LNER are running pretty empty at the minute.
good advice. That is exactly what I will do

This is rather selfish, especially as it reduces the number of seats available for fare paying passengers who might need to travel, at a time when the number of seats available is very much reduced.
 

Cambus731

Member
Joined
19 Jul 2013
Messages
1,121
This is rather selfish, especially as it reduces the number of seats available for fare paying passengers who might need to travel, at a time when the number of seats available is very much reduced.
I won't book more than two. Anyway, LNER really shouldn't be so draconian.
 

Hadders

Veteran Member
Associate Staff
Senior Fares Advisor
Joined
27 Apr 2011
Messages
12,980
I won't book more than two. Anyway, LNER really shouldn't be so draconian.

I disagree with compulsory reservations. I've booked several reservations online less than 10 minutes before departure, only once have I been unable to obtain a reservation this way.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top