Booking train seats

[martint235]

So I'm off up north a couple of times over the next few weeks. Once for business and once for leisure. For business we use a company called Redfern, for leisure I would normally use Trainline.

However, has anyone else noticed that these two services have questions about your proposed seating? Facing, backwards, aisle, window, near to shop etc. Whatever I put in which is usually facing, window, near to shop, I end up in coach E, going backwards in an aisle seat. What's the point?

I'm now either going to go First for leisure or go to a station to book for the same price but where the nice lady books the seat I want.

 

[Big Andy]

Always use Trainline and usually get the seat I ask for. Probably just a case of how far in advance you book.

 

[Flying Dodo]

It could be that when you've booked previously, your requested seat direction has already gone. This is quite likely if you're trying to buy a ticket less than 6-8 weeks before travel on the popular routes.

 

[snorri]

The seat booking system works for me, I get what I ask for.


Edi. t I should say I've just taken what I get with Virgin, perhaps I should be more assertive, look what they did to Mr Corbyn.

 

[Joffey]

When I book I have used East Coast and they give you your seat numbers so you get what you ask for.

 

[nickyboy]

It depends on which route you're going. I travel often Manchester - London on Virgin. Their seat booking system is very good since they upgraded it.

It used to be as you described; you state your parameters and they try to accommodate them but maybe can't.

Now it tells you which seat has been assigned to you and then gives a fully bookable seatmap of all the carriages so you can change your assigned seat to another. Doesn't necessarily mean you get the window table seat or whatever, but at least now you can see exactly what's available

 

[swee'pea99]

I almost bought a ticket recently through a site called raileasy after mini-munchkin sent me a link. Munchkin major overheard me grumbling about the £2.50 booking fee (booking fees always piss me off - it's like people saying 'that costs £10, but if you want to buy it you'll have to pay a £2.50 buying fee as well.'), which brought the total (with £1 delivery) up to £23.50. She redirected me to trainline, where I bought the exact same ticket for £12.50 all in.

 

[booze and cake]

What gets my goat is the amount of tickets you get when travelling with a bike. I recently got a return from London to Welshpool which involves a change at Birmingham, and for me and my bike was given 16 tickets! What a complete waste of card, there must be a better way.

 

[User33236]

I traveled from just outside Manchester to Glasgow then Edinburgh before heading back home. All booked via Trainline and no wasted cardboard as all were virtual tickets on my iPhone and all seats were as requested.

 

[mjr]

Doesn't trainline have booking fees? Use southern's website instead. (I used to use East Coast but I don't think any ticket seller is still publicly owned.)

 

[booze and cake]

I traveled from just outside Manchester to Glasgow then Edinburgh before heading back home. All booked via Trainline and no wasted cardboard as all were virtual tickets on my iPhone and all seats were as requested.

Sounds great, can you do this with a bike though? I was under the impression a ticket had to be attached to the bicycle, which I always felt was pointless as on the big trains with a cycle section behind the driver, the guard has to unlock the door to let you on/off anyway, and has always asked where I'm going anyway.....And it can't be that challenging for the staff to remember, as even the big Virgin intercity jobs only have space for about 3 bikes.

 

[Paulus]

The guard on the train will know how many bikes are booked on to the train, they may not know the station you want to get off at until they ask you.

As for booking seats, I've had no problems at all. Occasionally for some reason or other the train has turned up the wrong way round, ie turned so my facing seat E24 is now facing the wrong way.

 

[vickster]

I got a far better dealing booking direct through Virgin for a recent visit to Macclesfield than via the trainline (£20 return vs £42 iirc)

Got the seats I wanted, forward facing with table. Collected from machine at local station

 

[User33236]

Sounds great, can you do this with a bike though? I was under the impression a ticket had to be attached to the bicycle, which I always felt was pointless as on the big trains with a cycle section behind the driver, the guard has to unlock the door to let you on/off anyway, and has always asked where I'm going anyway.....And it can't be that challenging for the staff to remember, as even the big Virgin intercity jobs only have space for about 3 bikes.

Was traveling on foot so do not know how it would work with a bike.

I dont think you can book bikes spaces via the Trainline app anyway on most networks.

 

[Paulus]

I have just been looking at the Virgin East Coast website and there is in very small print, a bike booking section below the seat booking page.