Unable to book for entire group if one person has an SNCF Carte Advantage card discount

[yorkie]

I am trying to book tickets for 3 passengers on a direct train from Paris to Barcelona.

When I looked at the price for 2 people, without me specifying any discount, I was offered the opportunity to buy a "Carte Avantage Adulte" discount card which would pay for itself with just the first trip.

When I did a search for 3 people this did not come up. So I bought the card separately. I then went to make a booking for 3 people, added the discount, the expected price appears, it asks me for seating preferences, but then says "An unidentified error has occurred. Please try again later." I tried Trainline which also gives an error " Uh oh. The reservation was not successful and we’re unfortunately not exactly sure why. Please try again. If you’re booking a journey with several trains or if it’s a round trip, please try to reserve them separately. "

Trainline is right in that if I add 2 x adults with discount as one booking and the remaining adult as another booking, it does work. But then how would we get seats together? I can't see an option to select seats.

Does anyone know how I can get round this please?

 

[superalbs]

Is it in First Class? Last I checked, SNCF lets you choose seats in First Class on TGV before you book.

 

[yorkie]

Is it in First Class? Last I checked, SNCF lets you choose seats in First Class on TGV before you book.

Yes it is I couldn't see the option; I will look again...

Edit: I can't see where to change the seat; all I can choose is upper or lower deck (when booking for 2+ people) and also window or aisle (when booking for 1).

And now I get an error "Unfortunately the last available tickets have been sold. Please select another train" even when choosing a higher price tier!

 

[Feuillesmortes]

Worth noting that that Carte Advantage Adulte is only for the weekend, unless you take a child.

 

[yorkie]

Worth noting that that Carte Advantage Adulte is only for the weekend, unless you take a child.

But if that is true why does the website say it applies to France to Spain TGV services without mentioning the weekend?

And why was I offered the discount card when I searched for my journey?

And why does it offer a discount when I search for 2 people but not when I add a 3rd person?

Sorry for all the questions but this makes no sense to me. I think SNCF are incompetent.

 

[Mainline421]

SNCF Connect will make the booking for 2 people with the Carte Advantage, even though it's supposed to only be valid if at least one leg falls on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

And why does it offer a discount when I search for 2 people but not when I add a 3rd person?

It applies the discount for the first two passengers when I tested but won't allow the booking to be completed. May be worth trying to call SNCF, they're usually able to do more complicated transactions by phone. Otherwise you'd probably be able to sit together on the day anyway, as with the UK they don't tend to enforce where you sit. This particular service is an unusual one for ticketing, Interrail reservations still have to be sent by post unless made at a station.

 

[Feuillesmortes]

Carte Advantage Week-end was the previous incarnation of this card. I believe they added a bit more validity in making it a Carte Advantage Adulte but without wanting it to detract from their weekday business revenue.

These were the previous conditions, which I post here to show their thinking and in case it disappears from the website:

"Les remises liées à votre carte Week-end sont valables pour tout aller-retour de plus de 200 km incluant au moins la nuit du vendredi ou du samedi ou du dimanche sur place, ou pour un voyage effectué sur la journée du samedi ou du dimanche"

 

[yorkie]

Carte Advantage Week-end was the previous incarnation of this card. I believe they added a bit more validity in making it a Carte Advantage Adulte but without wanting it to detract from their weekday business revenue.

Yes that's my interpretation too.

So if sounds like I should call their "calling from outside France" number 00 33 1 84 94 3635 and presumably I can speak in English ?

I will report back once I've called them.

Update (11-Feb-22): I tried to call them but it was all in French so I will leave it for now.

I tried to access help online and filled in a form, but no-one has emailed me back and it's been days since I completed the form.

I have tried the booking again and the error occurs even earlier in the booking process, it says "Sorry, your search criteria does not match any train journey open for bookings."

My opinion of SNCF is that they are absolutely useless and incompetent.


Edit: in the end I found how to call them in English and they admitted that their website is full of bugs and is not fit for purpose. The price had gone up to become unaffordable so we decided to fly instead. I consider SNCF to be an absolutely rubbish company as a result of this fiasco.