Unable to select seat on East Coast

[Squaddie]

I've been trying to book a return journey from London to Edinburgh (in first class) on East Coast. I didn't like the seats the system assigned to me and tried to change them. Most of the seats in the train are apparently unoccupied. However, no matter what seat I chose, I repeatedly got the following message:

Sorry, your seating change could not be made.
Your seat choice(s) are no longer available on this service. Please choose another seat(s).

Does anyone know why this might be? Are the "best" seats reserved for full-price ticket holders? (The Advance ticket I was trying to purchase wasn't exactly rock-bottom, at £125 return).

If I can't get a seat I'm happy with for a four-hour journey then I won't be buying the ticket.

 

[fireftrm]

Firstly £125 return first class Edinburgh to London sounds pretty 'rock bottom' to me!
Secondly this is something I come across around 10% of the time. I think the advance ticket availability is the issue, not full price ticket seating being held back. The vast majority of the time I can pick the seat I want, but sometimes I get the same message. However, unless you are choosing very busy trains, which the price suggests you aren't, then simply move to another seat that is unreserved. Again this is what I have done very time, arrive as one of the first on and choose away. I have never been challenged about not occupying my reserved seat on these occasions.

Also I also change preferences to force the system to look at alternatives, such as changing to airline to get a single seat, or quiet/not quiet depending on the original.

All said if I was getting a first class return Edinburgh to London for only £125 I would be happy with any seat! I have favourites, but one I wouldn't sit in.

 

[fireftrm]

For a FIRST class return, super off peak fare?????? The cheapest First Class Edinburgh to London, single (there are no advance returns) I have ever found is £47.50, but you need to be Wednesday or later in the week down and early to mid week before midday back, so rock bottom is at best £95. Therefore £125 is pretty damned near rock bottom.

 

[yorkie]

However, no matter what seat I chose, I repeatedly got the following message:

Sorry, your seating change could not be made.
Your seat choice(s) are no longer available on this service. Please choose another seat(s).

Does anyone know why this might be?

Yes. You have the last seat in the quota of that particular price tier.

There are some potential solutions, but none are easy.

1) Change seat preferences to something you don't want (eg change window to aisle)
2) Get a 'dummy' booking in your basket for an Anytime ticket (you can do up to 9 people) selecting seats that meet your selected criteria but that you don't want
3) Try again to see if the system gives you the seat you want

or

Go to a ticket office where the staff may helpfully change the seat reservation for you. This requires the staff to be both helpful & knowledgeable but a word of warning: some ticket office staff claim that changing a seat is a "change of travel plans" and will incur a £10 admin fee!

I know ticket office staff on this forum who WILL charge the admin fee, and I also know staff who WON'T charge the admin fee.

So allow time to 'shop around'!

Are the "best" seats reserved for full-price ticket holders?

No

 

[island]

Just to confirm, the cheapest Advance 1st tickets on East Coast between London Terminals and Edinburgh cost £53.55 single. £63.50 single so £127 return (possibly with a few percent off for buying direct) is the second lowest tier so "rock bottom" is probably an accurate description.

 

[Squaddie]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions and information.

Firstly £125 return first class Edinburgh to London sounds pretty 'rock bottom' to me!

£127 return (possibly with a few percent off for buying direct) is the second lowest tier so "rock bottom" is probably an accurate description.

£125 is a good fare, and one I was prepared to pay, but there is a lower fare (£95, as others have said) and so is not strictly "rock bottom".

All said if I was getting a first class return Edinburgh to London for only £125 I would be happy with any seat!

That's not really the way I work, especially for non-essential travel. The enjoyment of the journey is very important, and I wanted a single seat (I didn't care whether it had a table, or which way it was facing). However, the system had assigned me a window seat at a table of four, which is the worst of all options when you're travelling alone, and wouldn't let me change it.

Oh well, it was a nice idea but it was very much an impulse purchase and not a necessary journey. There was a very interesting programme about the Forth bridges on Radio 4 this morning and I thought it would be nice to go and see them.

Thanks again for all the advice.

 

[fireftrm]

Did you set airline as your preference, as this is single seat in first? Plus remember that you can move seats once on the service!

 

[Zoe]

Plus remember that you can move seats once on the service!

By the book you are required to sit in your reserved seat if it's an advance ticket. This is very rarely enforced but I have read that on East Coast people have occasionally been asked to move to their booked seat. If I wanted to be certain of not getting asked to move to a seat I didn't want to sit in, I would make sure that it was not my booked seat.

 

[Squaddie]

Did you set airline as your preference, as this is single seat in first? Plus remember that you can move seats once on the service!

That's something I must bear in mind next time: to me, "airline" specifically means the airline-style seats, facing the back of the seat in front. But I didn't give it too much thought, as I was expecting to be able to change my assigned seat before completing the transaction.

 

[HST Power]

Last week I was looking at reservations on the 1700 from KGX. Even though I do not intent to travel until October, I get the message that I cannot change seats, as the train is 'very busy.'

Now this is a different message to the one described by the OP. Nonetheless, is this a case of me having the last ticket in that price tier, or is changing seats outlawed on this train? I have heard it is one of the busiest.

 

[yorkie]

Last week I was looking at reservations on the 1700 from KGX. Even though I do not intent to travel until October, I get the message that I cannot change seats, as the train is 'very busy.'

Now this is a different message to the one described by the OP. Nonetheless, is this a case of me having the last ticket in that price tier, or is changing seats outlawed on this train? I have heard it is one of the busiest.

If it was an Advance ticket, it is highly likely that it was the last available in that price tier.

 

[wallingf]

I also have a question about reserved seating on East Coast trains. Not to hijack this thread, but while googling my concern, I came across this thread. Hope someone can advise me.

I am an American looking to book a one-way ticket on Nov 3 from Edinburgh to London. The fare is showing as a SUPER OFF PEAK SINGLE - but it is not allowing me to reserve a seat. (I swear when I looked last night, it would have allowed me to....).

Can anyone familiar with these trains advise
1) what happens if I don't reserve a seat?
2) Will I still be able to get on the train - just have to stand?
3) Will they be able to advise me and/or allow me to take a later train (there appears to be lots of them)
4) Is this normal to not be able to reserve seats?
5) Is it possible to reserve one AFTER I have booked the tickets? In other words, could this just be a glitch in their system?
6) Are the trains usually crowded on Sundays in early November?

Just a little concerned that I cant reserve a seat. I really don't care what seat I get, I would just like one.

Thanks!!

 

[bb21]

I am an American looking to book a one-way ticket on Nov 3 from Edinburgh to London. The fare is showing as a SUPER OFF PEAK SINGLE - but it is not allowing me to reserve a seat. (I swear when I looked last night, it would have allowed me to....).

3rd November? East Coast reservations are not open yet.

Can anyone familiar with these trains advise
1) what happens if I don't reserve a seat?

You are not guaranteed a seat, especially on busy services.

2) Will I still be able to get on the train - just have to stand?

Yes, you will be able to get on the train, and take any unoccupied seat, unless they are reserved by someone else, in which case you will have to give it up if the reservation holder turns up at the station the reservation starts from.

3) Will they be able to advise me and/or allow me to take a later train (there appears to be lots of them)

You are free to choose any train that is not barred. We will need to know which ticket you are buying in order to advise which ones are barred.

4) Is this normal to not be able to reserve seats?

Not all trains are reservable, however most intercity services should be reservable, provided that reservations have opened.

5) Is it possible to reserve one AFTER I have booked the tickets? In other words, could this just be a glitch in their system?

You can take the ticket to any staffed ticket office and ask for a complimentary reservation.

6) Are the trains usually crowded on Sundays in early November?

Sundays can be busy, but it depends on when you wish to travel. Afternoon could be very busy but mornings can be fairly quiet.

 

[wallingf]

THANKS so much for the quick reply. Two more questions for clarification....

When you say East Coast Reservations are not open yet - do you mean seat reservations or train reservations? Their website is allowing me to buy the ticket at reduced price now. So are you saying I can later go on and reserve the seat when those reservations open?


Also - when I use the link you included, the fare is twice what I get when I go directly to the East Coast trains website (http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/). Is that normal...because East Coast is having some special sale from their website only?


Also - thanks for the info on Sundays. We can travel any time, but knowing mornings might be better, if we cant get a reservation, we will probably book the 8am train.

3rd November? East Coast reservations are not open yet.



You are not guaranteed a seat, especially on busy services.



Yes, you will be able to get on the train, and take any unoccupied seat, unless they are reserved by someone else, in which case you will have to give it up if the reservation holder turns up at the station the reservation starts from.



You are free to choose any train that is not barred. We will need to know which ticket you are buying in order to advise which ones are barred.



Not all trains are reservable, however most intercity services should be reservable, provided that reservations have opened.



You can take the ticket to any staffed ticket office and ask for a complimentary reservation.



Sundays can be busy, but it depends on when you wish to travel. Afternoon could be very busy but mornings can be fairly quiet.

 

[causton]

For a Super Off Peak Single the ticket will not get any more expensive, that is a fixed price. So you could buy it the day before and it would still be the same price!

The seat reservations are not open yet but sometimes the websites will let you book a little further in advance, as it did for you, but obviously no reservations will be available as timetables have not been completely finalised for those dates yet.

 

[maniacmartin]

For walk-up tickets like the one you mentioned, which are also available on the day for the same price, you do not need to (and cannot) reserve a specific train. The ticket will be valid on all trains between specific times on the specified day. The seat reservations for these tickets are complimentary - you could decide not to take the train you reserved a seat on and take another if you wished. There is a seemingly unlimited supply of these tickets

This is in contrast to tickets with Advance in their name, which are valid on the booked train only and always come with a seat reservation coupon. You can only purchase an Advance Purchase ticket if seat reservations are open, and they are quota controlled, so the price of these goes up as the cheaper tiers sell out.

Unreserved seats are allocated on a 'first come first served' basis - if you see a seat that's empty then you can sit in it. However, if the seat has a reservation slip on the back, then you obviously have to give the seat up should the reservation holder board further down the line.

 

[island]

Also - when I use the link you included, the fare is twice what I get when I go directly to the East Coast trains website (http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/). Is that normal...because East Coast is having some special sale from their website only?


Also - thanks for the info on Sundays. We can travel any time, but knowing mornings might be better, if we cant get a reservation, we will probably book the 8am train.

I fear you may be misunderstanding our system. Tickets that do not require a reservation are valid on any train that day (or sometimes longer) subject to peak restrictions, and there are no peak restrictions on East Coast on Sundays. The cheapest tickets (called Advance and these are tied to one train) are not on sale yet for your date, but you can set up an email alert through East Coast's website if you like.

East Coast sells super off-peak single tickets for travel on its services at half price if bought by the previous day, before 1800 hours. But there is no advantage to booking them now.

 

[John @ home]

I am ... looking to book a one-way ticket on Nov 3 from Edinburgh to London. The fare is showing as a SUPER OFF PEAK SINGLE - but it is not allowing me to reserve a seat. ...

when I use the link you included, the fare is twice what I get when I go directly to the East Coast trains website (http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/). Is that normal...because East Coast is having some special sale from their website only?

The East Coast home page shows the latest date for which seat reservations on East Coast trains are available. At the time of writing, it says "Tickets are now available for travel up to and including Friday 01 November 2013".

It is likely that seat reservations for Sunday 3 November will become available on Thursday or Friday (15 or 16 August). But there is a possibility that the availability may be delayed by late notification of track availability by Network Rail, the infrastructure owner. Keep checking the East Coast site.

The £62.85 Super Off-Peak Single is indeed a reduced price ticket available from the East Coast site only. It is half the price of the Super Off-Peak Single available from other web sites and station ticket offices. That £125.70 ticket is poor value because it is only £1 less than the Super Off-Peak Return. See Flexible off-peak travel for less and the special offer's terms & conditions. Note that "Bookings for any given date must be made by 23.59 the previous day to benefit from the reduced fare". This fare is not available on the day of travel.

For a Super Off Peak Single the ticket will not get any more expensive, that is a fixed price. So you could buy it the day before and it would still be the same price!

Agreed. The £62.85 price is available until 23:59 the day before travel.

For walk-up tickets like the one you mentioned, which are also available on the day for the same price

No. This is incorrect advice. The £125.70 Super Off-Peak Single is available on the date of travel. The half price £62.85 Super Off-Peak Single is not.

Two other matters may be of interest:

• If you are making more than one journey by rail in Britain, check out Railcards. You can save 1/3rd if you're under 26, over 60, travelling in a family or friends' group with at least one under 16, or have certain disabilities.
• For a journey of this length, consider First Class. Weekend First supplement costs £25 from Edinburgh to London. See Weekend First and First Class - Weekend and Bank Holiday service.

 

[yorkie]

When you say East Coast Reservations are not open yet - do you mean seat reservations or train reservations?

Seat reservations are not open. A super off peak ticket has time restrictions on weekdays but is valid on any train on Sundays.

Their website is allowing me to buy the ticket at reduced price now. So are you saying I can later go on and reserve the seat when those reservations open?

Also - when I use the link you included, the fare is twice what I get when I go directly to the East Coast trains website (http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/). Is that normal...because East Coast is having some special sale from their website only?

It's an East Coast website deal, yes.

Normally a Super Off Peak Single is the same price online as it would be when bought at the station, immediately before travel (or, for unstaffed minor stations, onboard the train), as described by maniacmartin. However in this case, East Coast offer them cheaper online, when bought through the East Coast website (up to 23:59 the day before travel), see post above by John @ Home.

 

[CallySleeper]

Yes. You have the last seat in the quota of that particular price tier.

There are some potential solutions, but none are easy.

1) Change seat preferences to something you don't want (eg change window to aisle)
2) Get a 'dummy' booking in your basket for an Anytime ticket (you can do up to 9 people) selecting seats that meet your selected criteria but that you don't want
3) Try again to see if the system gives you the seat you want

Thanks for this explanation yorkie.

 

[Urban Gateline]

Interesting, I have also had times when the EC site would not let me change the booked seat using the seat view screen rather than by changing preferences.

One time I was able to redeem an EC rewards free ticket and choose the exact seat I wanted, but for the return journey which was just a normal EC 1st advance it would not let me change the seat on the seat view!

 

[mikey9]

Hello forum - first post and hopefully useful to someone

With reference to the OP's problem - I book York to Inverness and Retrun for my folks - reasonably regularly on East coast as soon as the advanced have been announced.
THe last two attempts - including recently - booking for October we found that we had the same probs moving allocated seats. They like the single seats with table near the loo (all that free tea and coffee....).

I was booking the same day as they are released - and the York Inverness section rarely sells out quickly for the first or second tier pricing - the carriage indicators were showing only a couple fo First class seats occupied - however I couldn't move their seats to ANY other location.

I went back through all the possible variations (Aisle, Airline etc.) with no success.
Suspecting that there actually was no reason we shouldn't be able to move them I chased up through the web site contact number - and spoke to someone at [email protected]. Thye confirmed a known issue with the website (I reckon it has been like this for a few months now)

I just gave them the booking ref and the seats we wanted moving to.
Confirmation of this came through a couple of days later by e-mail - I have to pick up the changed reservations from the station for them - no biggie there.

(sorry for the long first post!)

 

[island]

Welcome to the forum. This is indeed a known issue when you are purchasing the last seat(s) at a given price level.