Virgin season ticket seat booking

[boxy321]

Virgin WC Twitter are current going on about how their trains are less stressful (percentages etc.) than driving, as you may have seen.

Needless to say this has created some funny responses, like '100% of people would not like to be on a bus replacement', '2/3rds would rather drive when the train is cancelled.' and on and on.

Last night people were stood in 1st on the 16:30 Voyager from Brum to Euston, once they finally managed to join the trains up. I volunteered my seat to some foreigners who weren't expected to be doing a Corbyn to London in 1st!

I mentioned that £119 would be a bit steep for hanging on to hand rails for an hour and a half, and they said 'did you book a seat?'. I mentioned having a season ticket, so responded no (but got on in good time, knowing what these rattlers are like for space).

The answer came back, 'With a season ticket you can make block reservations at station booking offices.'

This is why I've posted here: I believe VEC allow this, but not West Coast surely? Is this a new feature? I'd feel guilty booking seats on a train I might not use and prefer flexibility anyway but even so?

 

[AlterEgo]

The answer came back, 'With a season ticket you can make block reservations at station booking offices.'

This is why I've posted here: I believe VEC allow this, but not West Coast surely? Is this a new feature? I'd feel guilty booking seats on a train I might not use and prefer flexibility anyway but even so?

You can at VTWC ticket offices, yes - this has been a feature for years. They will usually do a week or two's worth at a time.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You can at VTWC ticket offices, yes - this has been a feature for years. They will usually do a week or two's worth at a time.

Are there any restrictions on journeys this can be done for? I can see MKC commuters liking this option.

 

[86211]

Quite a few commuters from MKC already do block seat reservations.

 

[Aldaniti]

I'd say both forms of transport have the potential to be stressful these days. Rail travel is certainly far from the relaxing experience it used to be, certainly if you're travelling with the IC and longer distance regional operators, such as TPE, in my neck of the woods.

As a semi-relevant aside, not being a fan of social media I had occasion to look at the Virgin Trains (West Coast) Twitter site a couple of weekends ago whilst waiting to collect someone arriving on a delayed service. There seemed to be four typical responses:

1. Did you book a seat...
2. Oh no...
3. We'll be sure to pass this on....
4. This one seems to be for Virgin Trains EC.....

And on the other side of the fence I had a brief insight into some - not all, I'm sure - of the rather unpleasant individuals who seems to use Twitter.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Quite a few commuters from MKC already do block seat reservations.

Interesting, I'm slightly surprised as it would result in people from further north being unable to reserve if too many do. Or are there separate quotas by origin?

 

[boxy321]

I'd say both forms of transport have the potential to be stressful these days. Rail travel is certainly far from the relaxing experience it used to be, certainly if you're travelling with the IC and longer distance regional operators, such as TPE, in my neck of the woods.

As a semi-relevant aside, not being a fan of social media I had occasion to look at the Virgin Trains (West Coast) Twitter site a couple of weekends ago whilst waiting to collect someone arriving on a delayed service. There seemed to be four typical responses:

1. Did you book a seat...
2. Oh no...
3. We'll be sure to pass this on....
4. This one seems to be for Virgin Trains EC.....

And on the other side of the fence I had a brief insight into some - not all, I'm sure - of the rather unpleasant individuals who seems to use Twitter.

That's why it's called Twitter

Useful for delay info though.