Virgin Trains & Changing Seats

[baabaa]

Hi guys,

So I have booked myself (Advance) on a train in June to visit Glasgow University. Having been drawn in by the voucher packs the company allow you to buy for refreshments and such, I completely missed the options with regards to seating. I only realised this when I booked another set of tickets to Manchester, and managed to get a quiet seat with a table and socket.

Personally, I don't particularly mind where I sit, so long as there's a plug socket. I work online, and for a 5+ hour train ride, my laptop simply won't go the distance. So my question is, would calling up and politely requesting to be moved just be a waste of time?

Having done some reading on these forums, I believe there are no reservations on one carriage (number six I believe?), which is fine since I will be travelling in the middle of a weekday and getting on at the first stop each time. But obviously, it's better to have that peace of mind in knowing you've got a seat which, if nothing else, helps you get a solid day's work done.

Thanks in advance.

 

[calc7]

In practice, you may sit in any vacant seat in the correct class of your reserved train.

 

[baabaa]

calc7,

Thanks very much for your response. So long as I am prompt in arriving, I shouldn't have much problem securing a seat with a plug socket.

 

[calc7]

calc7,

Thanks very much for your response. So long as I am prompt in arriving, I shouldn't have much problem securing a seat with a plug socket.

Absolutely.
The train you will be getting (a Virgin Pendolino) has LCD displays above each seat so you will know for sure that it is unreserved for the duration of your journey.
In any event, coaches F and U (or coach E if it is a shorter train without an F and U) are completely unreserved.

 

[Bullfield WEst]

I thought that if you had booked an "Advance" cheaper ticket then you MUST use the seats allocated or you would be considered to be traveling without a ticket.
I once caught a train from Euston to Manchester and found someone else in my booked seat. The lady then showed me here booking for the same seat .
I sat at the nearest position and when the TM came around he said I must be in the wrong seat until he agreed that a mistake had been made by Virgin after comparing the 2 reservations.
I would have thought the chance of changing seats "on the day" was to hope the on-board computer was up the shoot, otherwise try to do it before travel.

 

[317666]

I thought that if you had booked an "Advance" cheaper ticket then you MUST use the seats allocated or you would be considered to be traveling without a ticket.

Without wishing to open a can of worms, I have often sat in a different seat to my reserved one on an advance and never had problems.

 

[Darandio]

I thought that if you had booked an "Advance" cheaper ticket then you MUST use the seats allocated or you would be considered to be traveling without a ticket.

I think that in practice, should there be plenty of empty seats available then it wouldn't be an issue.

That said, there was a near identical discussion here the other day to which I was told that if I did that, then "prepare for a shock" or words to that effect.

By that token, the advice from calc7 would actually be wrong, as you are actually taking a chance by doing it.

 

[snail]

I once caught a train from Euston to Manchester and found someone else in my booked seat. The lady then showed me here booking for the same seat

But was it the same train? I've been caught out by reserving seats then discovering I'm on a relief train running to almost the same timings.

 

[telstarbox]

As long as you don't sit in someone else's reserved seat you should have no trouble.

 

[Bullfield WEst]

But was it the same train? I've been caught out by reserving seats then discovering I'm on a relief train running to almost the same timings.

Yes the correct train just the same seat booked twice by Virgin even though the TM said it could not happen while holding both reservation tickets in his hand.
I am always very wary about "trying it on" with TPE and Virgin, others seem to be more flexible.

 

[baabaa]

Many thanks to everyone here for your thoughts and opinions. Going to give Virgin a call in the morning and try and rearrange my seat. Otherwise, I will, as many have suggested, find another unreserved seat on the day.

I'll report back tomorrow regarding whether I have been successful or not!

 

[jb]

I think that in practice, should there be plenty of empty seats available then it wouldn't be an issue.

It probably wouldn't, as you've been told before.

That said, there was a near identical discussion here the other day to which I was told that if I did that, then "prepare for a shock" or words to that effect.

You still seem to be finding rather simple things quite difficult, so I will try again. In this situation things are likely to be fine, but technically you are breaching the terms of an Advance, and sooner or later an over-officious TM may call you out on it. This is more likely if the train is busy but not impossible even if it isn't.

By that token, the advice from calc7 would actually be wrong, as you are actually taking a chance by doing it.

Poor reading comprehension for yourself is fine, less so as the basis of advice to others.

 

[gooses]

I can't remember the last time I sat in my reserved seat using an advance ticket in the UK. Never even had it commented on.

 

[jon0844]

What happens to the reserved seat? Does it stay empty?

 

[Darandio]

You still seem to be finding rather simple things quite difficult, so I will try again. In this situation things are likely to be fine, but technically you are breaching the terms of an Advance, and sooner or later an over-officious TM may call you out on it. This is more likely if the train is busy but not impossible even if it isn't.

Take it up with those who say it is fine then, I am firmly on the fence with it.

As with in the other thread, you seem very interested in only quoting directly at me, ignoring others.

 

[Birdbrain]

Best way i've found is just to ask the TM. If you've taken the trouble to find them they have alway told me that I can sit wherever I want

 

[Drsatan]

To concur with some of the other posters on this thread, on several occasions when holding a seat reservation for travel on an XC or FGW service, I have been able to move seat, if I've found a vacant seat (with no seat reservation) with more legroom or a window view. On the occasions I've done this I haven't had any problems with the TM.

If the TM objects to you moving seat, just say x seat you're sitting in has more legroom or a window view.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Officially changing seats is a change of travel plans and incurs a £10 admin fee, however, the Advance FAQs make it clear that the Train Manager can permit you to sit in another unreserved seat on that train at no charge if (s)he believes that there is enough spare capacity onboard.

 

[londonbridge]

I've never had any problem on any TOC when sitting in a different seat to the one on my reservation, but have had a few experiences when sitting in the correct one.

On one occasion I had someone demanding I move because he had a reservation for the same seat. I politely asked him to check his ticket and he kicked off even more, until I eventually persuaded him to allow me to look at his ticket and pointed out that he was on the wrong train.

The other was on a football trip where I found my seat and found myself in a coach packed with opposition supporters, some of whom thought I must be in the wrong seat or coach because they couldn't understand why Virgin would put me in "their" coach! Fortunately there wasn't any known rivalry between the two sides so I just sat there quietly and the journey passed without incident.

 

[Aldaniti]

Both nationalised East Coast and Irish rail allow passengers to choose their own individual seats. Sadly the dynamic, pioneering, swashbuckling Virgin Trains don't. They don't even offer the option to choose facing direction of travel for gods sake! Given that many seats in standard class on Voyagers and Pendolinos are not the type you would immediately choose to sit in there's all the more reason for them to offer such a facility. No doubt their PR people would come up with all sorts of nonsense about why they can't!

 

[ainsworth74]

Both nationalised East Coast and Irish rail allow passengers to choose their own individual seats. Sadly the dynamic, pioneering, swashbuckling Virgin Trains don't.

Actually it's better than that as their former franchise, CrossCountry, also have a seat selector! It really is before time that more TOCs offered seat selectors...

 

[snail]

What happens to the reserved seat? Does it stay empty?

Only if other passengers bother to take notice of the display. In my experience unless it's one of the windowless seats they will sit there anyway.

I had a reserved seat today from Bolton (don't ask) on a lunchtime TPE train to Edinburgh. Not surprisingly someone was sat in it and seemed very surprised when I suggested I sit there. What made it worse was that there were other seats available either without reservations or from Preston and beyond.

 

[calc7]

Virgin do have a seat selector - you can book at any railway station with access to the reservations system, or telesales.

In any instance, the lack of seat selector is sadly to do with their shoddy thetrainline booking engine.

 

[noblergt]

Virgin do have a seat selector - you can book at any railway station with access to the reservations system, or telesales.

In any instance, the lack of seat selector is sadly to do with their shoddy thetrainline booking engine.

I'm not sure if thetrainline has anything to do with it. CrossCountry uses thetrainline, and you can pick your seat on their site.