Reserved (ish) seats

[Smudger105e]

I am currently sitting on a train at Edinburgh Waverley and there is an issue with the seat reservations. The electronic reservation signs above the seats say 'this seat may be reserved'. People like myself are taking a seat and then being moved. It isa Cross Country service.

Any comments on whether this is a regular thing?

Sent from my GT-I8190N using Tapatalk

 

[Clip]

Its been an age since I was on a XC service but would they not just say reserved from x to y like on the seat labels?

 

[sprinterguy]

Its been an age since I was on a XC service but would they not just say reserved from x to y like on the seat labels?

No: For a while now, Crosscountrys’ reservation system has allowed passengers to make seat reservations as little as 20 minutes before the train arrives at their origin station. As such, seat availability is advertised on the assumption that they “may be reserved” at some stage during the course of the trains’ journey.

 

[alex17595]

I beleive it is something to do with corsscountry offering seat reservations before the train arrive. E.G. You can get advances the same day through the XC app.



Edit: Beaten to it!

 

[SamS]

My understanding from travelling several times a week with XC is that if a seat is reserved for any time during the journey the display says "This seat may be reserved en route. Available Newcastle to Leeds". At Leeds the display will refresh to the reservation such as "Leeds to Bristol Temple M"

If the seat is not reserved during the journey it is simply available.

Whist there is 10 minute reservations I've never come across anyone that has managed to successfully use it.

 

[TEW]

I successfully used the 10 minute reservation system last week, only the screens on the train weren't updating and weren't showing any new reservation information, only information from ages ago on the journey.

 

[ASharpe]

I frequently use ten minute reservations and only once has it told me none were available. Once you understand the format they are easy to send and mean you get a seat when you might not otherwise.

I've even got them whilst on the train to make I wasn't left standing after a busy station.

 

[Smudger105e]

The displays did change to reflect the correct reservations but only after the train left York. The couple that got moved twice before the train left were not very happy, understandably so imho.

Sent from my GT-I8190N using Tapatalk

 

[LowLevel]

It's a vile system that only makes this rather repulsive train operator less pleasant to travel with.

 

[ASharpe]

It's a vile system that only makes this rather repulsive train operator less pleasant to travel with.

I do agree with that sentiment, and think they should get rid of it.

However, since I lost a previously non-reserved seat to someone with one of these reservations, I decided as it's the system in place I had best just go along with it.

 

[IKBrunel]

Are there no 'not reserved' seats at all now on xc??
And last minute seats are only available with a smartphone app?
That would favour the tech savvy at the expense of those less tech savvy, which will tend to include more older people, people with learning difficulties, etc, etc. I would go so far as to say it might even be discriminatory.

ok the scramble for unreserved seats isnt without its issues but even if you don't get a seat on boarding, you can often bag one at the next stop and expect to sit in it for the rest of your journey

 

[starrymarkb]

No App Needed, a simple text message will do it.

 

[dysonsphere]

I would say once a train has started on its trip thats it for seats, if you havnt booked a seat by then its hard luck really.

 

[Smudger105e]

I would say once a train has started on its trip thats it for seats, if you havnt booked a seat by then its hard luck really.

So I boarded a train on which every seat said 'this seat may be reserved'. And it's my fault that someone wants that seat? Or should I simply stand until the displays show which seats are actually reserved and between which stations?

As a system it stinks for people that have not booked a seat or people who do not know how to book a seat.

 

[Jones]

Personally I think it's time reservations were scrapped.

But as with all things on the railway's, riding a unicorn would be easier.

 

[Smudger105e]

I have no issues with reservations, but at least tell the public which seats are reserved!! This train was an Edinburgh to Plymouth train, and was potentially a game of musical chairs for anyone travelling for a period of time on this service.

 

[ValleyLines142]

The electronic reservations is a ridiculous system. It constantly fails and many people don't notice them on either, expecting seat labels to be on the traditional method of sticking out of the top of seats.

I'm on a Bristol to Manchester journey next week and I have an awful feeling I won't get my seat as the sodding thing will be broken!

As with the Ten Minute Reservation system, I think it's a great idea and there have only been two occassions where no seat has been available, but when I've got on the train, the seat just says 'Available', so a waste of messaing charges really.

 

[rg177]

I had this happen on the 0735 Newcastle-Reading this morning. All seats as 'This seat may be reserved' until after leaving Durham. TM was aware however and was telling people on Advances to sit in their allocated seats.

 

[Class377]

Twice now on XC I've actually had my reserved seat double booked. First time on a Bristol Temple Meads - Leeds journey (with an online advance - only problem was another person also had that seat booked on an advance from Exeter to Newcastle!) then yesterday from Exeter St Davids to Bristol TM, this time on a text reservation. Not a problem because first time the train manager upgraded me to First and second time there were other spare seats, but a little concerning given they're the only two XC journies I've reserved a seat on for a busy service.

 

[yorkie]

I would say once a train has started on its trip thats it for seats, if you havnt booked a seat by then its hard luck really.

Can you clarify what you mean by that?

 

[306024]

It's a vile system that only makes this rather repulsive train operator less pleasant to travel with.

Not keen then?

I've seen this elsewhere in mainland Europe (can't recall which country), as the technology develops it could become more common, then every operator will be equally repulsive

 

[Chapeltom]

Can you clarify what you mean by that?

My understanding of that post is, once the train has left it's origin station then that is it for seat reservations, if you haven't reserved a seat by then, you will have to take a chance. Which is pretty much what happens on any other journey on another other TOC which does specific seat reservations.

 

[LowLevel]

Not at all keen, no. What seems logical about a system that stuffs anyone who turns up and doesn't know about it, gets settled in to a seat that's ostensibly available then, possibly several hours after sitting down gets turfed out by someone who just texted in without even being on the train. Even if you do become aware of the system, there's no guarantee it will let you bag the seat you've already sat in.

As a guard, resolving the disputes it will inevitably cause would be among my least favourite jobs!

 

[LateThanNever]

Not at all keen, no. What seems logical about a system that stuffs anyone who turns up and doesn't know about it, gets settled in to a seat that's ostensibly available then, possibly several hours after sitting down gets turfed out by someone who just texted in without even being on the train. Even if you do become aware of the system, there's no guarantee it will let you bag the seat you've already sat in.

As a guard, resolving the disputes it will inevitably cause would be among my least favourite jobs!

Quite - happened to me twice on an Exeter Edinburgh trip. In both instances the seat was originally unreserved. At the time hadn't a clue what was going on. Didn't have much luggage so wasn't too put out but if I'd been travelling with someone and /or with more baggage then it would have been a complete pain, rather than an annoying inconvenience. So for XC, not only is the catering offer abysmal and the journey slow, but you have to play regular and compulsory musical chairs on the journey - and all this on a full price walkup open ticket which wasn't cheap, to put it mildly. At the very least a warning is needed on what happens if you don't reserve a seat. I now try and avoid XC if it's possible.
Basically it's a bonkers system!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

My understanding of that post is, once the train has left it's origin station then that is it for seat reservations, if you haven't reserved a seat by then, you will have to take a chance. Which is pretty much what happens on any other journey on another other TOC which does specific seat reservations.

No your seat can be reserved en route - even tho' you're sitting in it!

 

[Nean]

What I've found on the FTPE From Hull to ManPicc is that seat reservations tend to be taken with a pinch of salt... I'm often able to nab one of the good seats in the end compartment of Coach C (Class 170) which only a few people seem to be able to find and is often replete with table and power socket thanks to people not turning up for their reservation.

 

[Tetchytyke]

There is nothing wrong with the principle that "this seat may be reserved". I don't understand what is confusing about this message. Sit in the seat and you might get turfed out. Seats which will never be available for reservation either don't have an electronic display on them, or state "available".

The problem is that the electronic reservations don't download as well as they ought to. The reservations should have been downloaded before the train doors were opened at Waverley. As they weren't, you have no idea as to whether the seat is available, reservable or reserved.

If the system worked it'd be better than paper tickets which, at least on TPE coming from the Airport, have a mysterious tendency to grow little legs and run away.

 

[D1009]

Are there no 'not reserved' seats at all now on XC??

I believe coach B on voyagers is still unreservable.

I'm not convinced the demand for "on the day" reservations justifies the number of seats marked as "may be reserved en route", but I suppose this will increase as more people use on line booking rather than the traditional way of buying tickets.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

My understanding from travelling several times a week with XC is that if a seat is reserved for any time during the journey the display says "This seat may be reserved en route. Available Newcastle to Leeds".

This is what really annoys me. You are supposed to deduce from that message that the seat definitely is reserved from Leeds, even though it doesn't say so.

 

[Hellfire]

Personally I think it's time reservations were scrapped.

Reservations are not a problem when they are managed correctly. They work well on most TOCs.

But this idea that you can reserve seats 10 minutes before boarding is ridiculous.

Seems ironic to me that the TOC with the most overcrowded long distance trains operates this system.

 

[edwin_m]

I don't think there is anything wrong in principle with being able to reserve seats a short time before boarding - it allows people with, as stated, the most expensive walk-up tickets to have something that the holders of cheap* Advances get automatically.

Where this falls down is that there should be some proportion of seats left unreserved for people who don't have or understand the technology or turn up too late to use it. If these are all in a particular part of the train then this should be made clear by announcements or by notices in each coach.

It would be good also if XC had adopted less verbose messages for their seat reservations, which would fit on the displays without scrolling and would therefore be much easier to read. Something like "Available to Leeds" would do the job - though I'm not sure how many characters there are on the display. And I was pleased to see something in the IEP spec about each seat having a traffic-light-type display to show at a glance whether it was available or not.

*well OK, as this is XC, "less expensive"!

 

[Drsatan]

It would be good also if XC had adopted less verbose messages for their seat reservations, which would fit on the displays without scrolling and would therefore be much easier to read. Something like "Available to Leeds" would do the job - though I'm not sure how many characters there are on the display. And I was pleased to see something in the IEP spec about each seat having a traffic-light-type display to show at a glance whether it was available or not.

*well OK, as this is XC, "less expensive"!

Exactly.

I've experienced a few occasions whereby I've got on board a Voyager, attempted to find a seat, and discovered that the seat reservation screen is taking an age to show where the seat is reserved to and from. If the train's quiet, I'll simply look for an unreserved seat instead.

Arguably, having such verbose messages might put off some passengers from using seats that will only be reserved for part of the journey: a passenger boarding at Waverley heading to Newcastle might notice a seat that's only reserved from Leeds onwards, but due to the message shown above, might think the seat's going to be occupied until Leeds.

Why even bother having seat reservations if it's going to be too difficult to see if a seat's been reserved or not?