Seat reservations with on-line retailers

[TUC]

Most of the on-line ticket retailers' website ask you when reserving a seat whether you want a table/aisle seat/power socket etc. Tonight on East Coast I yet again discovered that, although I had requested a table seat, this was not what had been allocated. This is not the first time this has happened.

I can understand that sometimes that the reservation requested isn't available. However tonight there were tables available further down the same carriage.

Even where the requested reservation isn't available, would it not be possible for the retailer to state in the reservation confirmation that 'sorry the table/aisle seat etc that you requested is not available'?

It dos make me wonder whether the items requested really are fed into the reservation systems or whether the system actually just looks randomly for a seat. Can anyone give more details on how the systems are supposed to work?

 

[Flamingo]

I am firmly of the opinion that this is just a "sop" to give the appearance of giving choice, and nothing more.

I know with FGW, there are so many variables in the system of numbering and location of tables, that it's not very likely that a reserved table will actually materialise, and it is random luck whether it happens.

However, it's probably the most common complaint I get about reservations "I asked for a table and didn't get one". Sometimes followed with "I want to move to 1st Class!", to which the answer is a polite but firm "No".

 

[krisk]

I'd love to know more about how it works, especially when people come to me and say I asked to face the direction we were travelling but i'm going backwards or I didnt want to sit in the quiet coach etc

Anyone shed any light on this?

 

[rail-britain]

Most of the on-line ticket retailers' website ask you when reserving a seat whether you want a table/aisle seat/power socket etc. Tonight on East Coast I yet again discovered that, although I had requested a table seat, this was not what had been allocated. This is not the first time this has happened.

Almost all seats have tables, what you may be referring to is a difference between a seat-back table (airline seat) and full-size table
Most booking systems do not make any difference between these two types

 

[valenta]

Most of the on-line ticket retailers' website ask you when reserving a seat whether you want a table/aisle seat/power socket etc. Tonight on East Coast I yet again discovered that, although I had requested a table seat, this was not what had been allocated. This is not the first time this has happened.

I booked an airline seat, and was given a table seat, coach C, 49.
Try booking an airline seat next time, and see what happens!

 

[northwichcat]

I booked seats on two Pendolino and two 185 operated services yesterday. In all four instances I was given the opposite of the aisle/window option I had selected. I ticked airline and was given that on both Pendolinos but given table on both 185s. I ticked the 'view' option and that one actually gave me my preferred option!

 

[AlterEgo]

Seat allocation is incredibly complex (nearly as complex as ticketing! No, I jest).

Each TOC is different, but:

Solo travellers will often not be given a table seat - these being put to one side for larger groups

Seat facing direction is variable - sets can turn round and ruin everything (Virgin no longer offer seat direction option on the website)

Only a certain portion of seats on a train are reservable. You may see a free table seat, or window seat, etc, when you board the train but it may be a wholly unreservable seat.

You may be put in the Quiet coach if there is literally no more availability anywhere else, or if you have been very specific (I want a window seat at a table near a luggage rack). If there are no more seats of that description anywhere else, it may try and put you in the Quiet coach.

Naturally, the earlier you reserve, the more likely you are to get the seat you want.

 

[Ferret]

I am firmly of the opinion that this is just a "sop" to give the appearance of giving choice, and nothing more.

I know with FGW, there are so many variables in the system of numbering and location of tables, that it's not very likely that a reserved table will actually materialise, and it is random luck whether it happens.

However, it's probably the most common complaint I get about reservations "I asked for a table and didn't get one". Sometimes followed with "I want to move to 1st Class!", to which the answer is a polite but firm "No".

I find thetrainline.com and raileasy to be the very worst for double booking reservations even, and telling downright lies about facing direction of travel and table seats. It's not good enough really, but I don't sense any will to stop them doing it.

 

[tom1649]

Apparently if you want a seat reservation on ATW you have to book at the station, there isn't even an option with the online retailers anymore. Just hope that the service my grandparents are using is a four car set on a summer Saturday, seeing as they have no seats booked. By the way this is the Birmingham Int. - Holyhead service.

 

[Phil6219]

To be honest I used thetrainline.com a lot when I was living in London and visiting home in Manchester (and now the other way around) and have not had any problems with my reservations I have always gotten my preferred seat choice without any problems.

Well not quite, the only problem I have had is on several occasions I have booked a window seat and (you guessed it) got a window seat with no bleedin' window thanks to the Pendolino design. It would be swell if VT classed these type of seats as non window and non isle seats as I know I am far from the only one who's had this problem.

I'm not a big fan of the reservation system anyway due to various reasons but that's a different topic altogether.

 

[Turbocharger]

As much as I understand your frustration TUC, I guess booking a train seat is not like booking an aircraft seat which would be more precise.

Train configs are changed more often than types of aircraft and so for advanced bookings it will be more hit or miss.

But interested to know is there some sort of warning on the website to advise this?

Cheers
Dave

 

[ainsworth74]

I guess booking a train seat is not like booking an aircraft seat which would be more precise.

Depends on the TOC both XC and EC allow you to specify exactly which seat you want via a seating plan on their website. Of course it's only available for reservations on their trains. I suspect that it will slowly become more common as time goes on as there are other TOCs that operate fairly regular diagrams which wold suit such as system (TPE and VT for instance).

 

[Flamingo]

I find thetrainline.com and raileasy to be the very worst for double booking reservations even, and telling downright lies about facing direction of travel and table seats. It's not good enough really, but I don't sense any will to stop them doing it.

On the odd occasions (very rare, to be honest) that I have found double bookings, the trainline has always been involved somewhere, now that you mention it.

Regarding the rest of it, I stick by my theory that it's just giving the appearance of choice to keep people happy whilst booking.

Best one I had recently was someone who demanded compensation as the train had changed direction half way through the journey and their forward facing seat was now backward facing. I think I was about three seats away continuing my ticket check when they finished ranting (but they were already unhappy as they had been charged for having no railcard )

 

[Greenback]

It's a bit pointless being given a choice if you don;t then get what you requested. It's like the smoking room option that comes up on many hotel booking websites, even when the hotel operates a no smoking policy in all rooms!

Still, I am sure there will be some small print somewhere on all these websites saying that requests and preferences cannot be guaranteed!

 

[northwichcat]

It's a bit pointless being given a choice if you don;t then get what you requested. It's like the smoking room option that comes up on many hotel booking websites, even when the hotel operates a no smoking policy in all rooms!

Still, I am sure there will be some small print somewhere on all these websites saying that requests and preferences cannot be guaranteed!

It depends what country you're going to. The UK and Ireland don't still have smoking rooms but in a country like Spain they do, so the booking system probably still allows it as an option for all countries even though it isn't available for all countries.

When GNER were the only operator still with smoking carriages does anyone remember if the smoking/non-smoking was shown as an option when booking with other operators?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Still, I am sure there will be some small print somewhere on all these websites saying that requests and preferences cannot be guaranteed!

You can bet your life that all TOC will be covered by your comment above.

 

[philjo]

Like when booking for a Pendolino service - requesting a window seat usually just gives you a pillar unless you also select the "view" option.

On the EC site you can now select your exact seat when booking an EC service.

One issue - when requesting a table/window/quiet coach combination you usually manage to get 2 out of the 3 if you are lucky - often it ignores the quiet coach bit which would be the main preference!

 

[snail]

Still, I am sure there will be some small print somewhere on all these websites saying that requests and preferences cannot be guaranteed!

It's not that small, on most booking sites it is on the same page as the options.

I agree that the Pendolino 'wall' seat options are the worst. At least you now get told the allocated seat before the final payment page, so it's possible to choose another one. Before they did this I used to go to the local (Virgin) booking office and change the reservation but they are becoming less reluctant to do this now for Advance tickets booked online.

 

[stanley T]

It would be ideal if the seat selection software could get people to rank their preferences (i.e which is most important to them) between:
1. Facing/backwards
2. Aisle/window
3. Table or airline
4. Quiet or normal coach.

Would save a lot of arguments.

Asian and American practice, unlike European, is to have reversible seats so everyone can face forwards. You don't get a table though, and would cause chaos at reversals!

As for Pendolino wall seats, they should not be reservable - lastditch option for those who turn up without reservations.

 

[snail]

As for Pendolino wall seats, they should not be reservable - lastditch option for those who turn up without reservations.

As much as I hate them, they tend to be distributed first when buying Advance tickets, i.e. to those paying the lowest fares. Why should someone paying several times as much as an Advance ticket holder not be entitled to a window view?

One more Pendolino rant: Why can't the display show more than just RESERVED? It's annoying when getting on one not knowing whether a seat is reserved for someone getting on at the same station or was allocated earlier in the train's route and not taken up. The system can do 'Available Until...', why not 'Reserved From...'?

 

[northwichcat]

One more Pendolino rant: Why can't the display show more than just RESERVED? It's annoying when getting on one not knowing whether a seat is reserved for someone getting on at the same station or was allocated earlier in the train's route and not taken up. The system can do 'Available Until...', why not 'Reserved From...'?

I thought they could do that. I've not been on a Voyager for a couple of years but I'm sure under Virgin they said things like "Reserved from Edinburgh to Leeds"

 

[snail]

I thought they could do that. I've not been on a Voyager for a couple of years but I'm sure under Virgin they said things like "Reserved from Edinburgh to Leeds"

Hint: read my post again. Particularly the bit that says "One more Pendolino rant". Voyagers are fine (in that respect).

 

[northwichcat]

Hint: read my post again. Particularly the bit that says "One more Pendolino rant". Voyagers are fine (in that respect).

Yes but considering Voyagers and Pendolinos were both ordered by Virgin around the same time and presumably they didn't have two different kinds of booking systems in operation, I would have thought they'd have the same functionality.

I think Virgin's original intention was to put the name of the passenger on the LED display but that idea got dropped, probably due to data protection and possibly partly due to seats getting doubled booked. If Mr Jones turns up and the seat identified by his reservation coupon says "Reserved for Mrs Kelly" but Mrs Kelly doesn't show up then Mr Jones would still be aware of a problem with the booking system.

 

[lyesbkz]

Why can't we just have the 'Advanced' option to enter a coach letter and seat number and then, if it is available we get it, if not, 'try again or have this default seat instead'?

It would appear nothing in terms of booking tickets online allows for much flexibility for 'advanced' users (routeing, seating, ..)

 

[snail]

Yes but considering Voyagers and Pendolinos were both ordered by Virgin around the same time and presumably they didn't have two different kinds of booking systems in operation, I would have thought they'd have the same functionality.

They may have been ordered around the same time, but from different manufacturers.

I, too, think the functionality should be the same, but it isn't. Haven't the Voyager displays been truncated to prevent some of the scrolling? One of the difficulties on Voyagers is that you can't see the display from your seat so it's too easy to sit in an empty seat without checking the reservation status.

And now you mention it, I think you are right that Pendolino displays included a name after the RESERVED tag. Would it be so hard to include the origin station instead?

 

[voyagerdude220]

I can see why Virgin changed their Super Voyager electronic displays, from the old "this seat is reserved from x to x" format, to simply "Available" or "Reserved".

When looking at the XC Voyager displays, it takes a little time for it to tell you which two stations the seat has been reserved between, although I think it's essential to allow passengers to know that.

My solution, instead of full station names, use three letter codes.

e.g. If unreserved- "Available"/ If reserved- "YRK BHM"- note I wouldn't bother with saying "reserved from" etc, using the logic that if the seat isn't available, the display must be telling me it's reserved.

Admittedly the general public may not know what the codes stand for, but maybe a solution to this could be printing them next to station names in timetables, and/or information screens (Both on train and station)?