Great Western Coffee Shop

Been trying to book tickets via FGW and it just hangs

After inserting a travel query, I get a screen that says


Go book with a non-trainline TOC - Chiltern or East Coast or Southern

thetrainline.com itself seems to be working, but some TOCs who use their back end are offline for 'maintenance'. My new favourite TOC for buying tickets from, SWT (2.62% cashback), is one that is also offline.

Earlier today FGW had a message on their homepage, warning that ticket sales were unavailable. Now they'll have you waste time putting in your journey criteria before telling you you can't purchase at the moment.

I used east coast - and can at least print one of my tickets

PLease explain - is this a credit card deal, or something SWT are offering?

Click through from a cashback website. In my case I use topcashback.co.uk

Still offline. I've been 'checking back in about an hour' (as the 'site maintenance' message says to do) for the last four hours. Come on FGW, put a notice back up on your home page. And kick some butts over at thetrainline.....

There are also higher cashback rates if you are booking with a specific TOC:

First TransPennine Express (http://www.imutual.co.uk/rail-travel/first-transpennine-express)
4.5% for advance tickets

Gatwick Express (http://www.imutual.co.uk/travel-services/gatwick-express)
^3

For anyone else, SWT is the best option to use at 2.6%.

imutual is the cashback site I currently use as I've been happy with their customer service, although Top Cashback (as mentioned by BNM) offers a 1% "top-up" for everyone.

Trainline did an upgrade on Monday night...





..as you have all noticed it went rather well!

FGW must have heard you BMN as they have put a larger than usual banner on the top part of the front page saying there are problems. Judging by this it could be sometime.  :( Glad I booked all my tickets for upcoming journeys over the weekend.  :)

Wow! People power.

I called FGW Customer Services about an hour ago, suggesting they put a notice on their home page. Received a call back from the advisor 10 mins ago, saying he'd spoken with the communications team, and they'd agreed to put a message on the homepage. During the call back I suggested that someone should pop round to thetrainline and prod buttock. The advisor assured me that something similar was being done!

Should've asked them to update the 'Meet the Manager' diary and 'News' items as well!  ;) ;D

I've already got that MtM request in. Staff availabilities need checking before dates can be set.

I think Graham would agree with me, but before doing upgrade maybe they should have made a backup to fall back on in the event something went wrong...

Even thetrainline itself is down now.

I am actually waiting to buy some tickets through SWT and would like the 2.6p in the pound cashback I could get. Thing is, if I leave the purchase too much longer I may not bag the APs I want at the pricepoint that is currently available. So, do I go off to an ATOS Origin (Mixing Deck) powered website and lose my cashback, or sweat it out?

Regardless of FGW prodding thetrainline, thetrainline itself has an extremely strong commercial incentive to get the site back up and running again since at the moment they'll be haeomorrhaging possible sales.

Meanwhile the huge number of people who don't realize that it's not the only way to purchase rail tickets online are probably wondering what on earth to do.

thetrainline's current message is:


 ::)

So maybe, "Our engineers have tried everything and given up for the day."  ;D

Oh, and should it really be 'engineers' when dealing with an IT problem?

YES!!!!!!!

There is such a thing as a *Computer Engineer* , a *Software Engineer* (the ex was one of these) and a *Network Engineer*

They're not real engineers though, are they.   ;)

Thank-you II. Couldn't agree more!

Ooh I feel a new job title coming on.. I sort out computer problems as part of my job... ::) :P Seriously though.. Engineers do Engineering.. IT people sort out problems with computers and software..? ;D ;D

So you are - as part of your job - a computer engineer

I always enjoy listening to people talking about buying train tickets. The fact that so many of them are completely clueless with regards to getting a decent price just shows how complicated the system is. On the bus earlier, I overheard somebody quoting a return from Southampton to London for ^76. Barmy!

At one point the FGW website message referred to the "fares search engine" - which in the context of train travel could probably have been better phrased when aimed at the general public!