Seat Reservations on FGW

[whole diary]

[johoare]

Did somebody not mention further up that they can book seats on one set train per journey for the duration of the season?

Yep, I managed to miss that one.. sorry!..

It would be interesting to know if anyone on here with a season ticket has reserved a seat, and how easy it is to do, as well as if there are any other limitations..

[BBM]

Did somebody not mention further up that they can book seats on one set train per journey for the duration of the season?

Yep, I managed to miss that one.. sorry!..

It would be interesting to know if anyone on here with a season ticket has reserved a seat, and how easy it is to do, as well as if there are any other limitations..

Helen from the "I Hate FGW^▸ (First Great Western)" blog managed to do it:

http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/06/bum-on-seat-part-1-e27a.html

[johoare]

Did somebody not mention further up that they can book seats on one set train per journey for the duration of the season?

Yep, I managed to miss that one.. sorry!..

It would be interesting to know if anyone on here with a season ticket has reserved a seat, and how easy it is to do, as well as if there are any other limitations..

Helen from the "I Hate FGW^▸ (First Great Western)" blog managed to do it:

http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/06/bum-on-seat-part-1-e27a.html

Aah... I knew I'd read it somewhere in the past.. Thank you...

Her post does give what appears to be an individuals e-mail address at FGW though which I guess may not be the best way of reserving seats, and indeed nearly two years on, that person may no longer work for FGW...

[Ollie]

Did somebody not mention further up that they can book seats on one set train per journey for the duration of the season?

Yep, I managed to miss that one.. sorry!..

It would be interesting to know if anyone on here with a season ticket has reserved a seat, and how easy it is to do, as well as if there are any other limitations..

Helen from the "I Hate FGW^▸ (First Great Western)" blog managed to do it:

http://ihatefirstgreatwestern.blogspot.com/2007/06/bum-on-seat-part-1-e27a.html

Aah... I knew I'd read it somewhere in the past.. Thank you...

Her post does give what appears to be an individuals e-mail address at FGW though which I guess may not be the best way of reserving seats, and indeed nearly two years on, that person may no longer work for FGW...

The person doesn't work for FGW as such, works for FirstInfo so is customer services.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Thanks, as ever, Ollie, for your clarification! 

[GaryM]

The "official" FGW^▸ (First Great Western) policy appears to be that you CANNOT book reserved seats as a season ticket holder. The person on that blog appears to have been lucky and only managed to get 9 seat bookings anyway through a "goodwill gesture". I'm sure FGW customer service wouldn't be too happy if both my wife and myself rang up and each tried to book a years worth of seat reservations. And if other commuters start trying to do the same then I can see FGW putting a stop to it very quickly so not really a solution to the problem in hand. Also, if I was actually successful in booking seats as a commuter and then ended up getting another train (like flexible ticket passengers do) then I would just be a hypocrite and be adding to the problem that already exists so it would solve nothing at all.

During this debate, some people seem to have lost sight about what this thread was actually intended to provoke discussion for. It was NOT about commuters being able to book seat reservations, but was about getting rid of reservations to create a "first come, first served" system which I believe would be the fairest system for everyone who travels on these trains.

Anyway, I agree with grahame that we could really do with some hard facts and figures from someone in the know who has the relevant inside information.

[Super Guard]

I know I asked earlier and got no response so I'll try again does anyone who reads or posts here and is in the industry know of (or, better, have access to) any stats about seat reservations - proportion of seats reserved on a train, proportions correctly taken up, incorrectly occupied, etc, etc? or is the whole system "top secret" or simply left to get on with itself.

I'm not going to be much use here, I don't think there is anyone within FGW^▸ (First Great Western) who can tell you what % of reservations are correctly taken up or incorrectly occupied, unless it was strictly surveyed.

As far as proportion of seats reserved, I believe that every coach is reservable with the exception of coach C - however, I am no way 'in-the-know'!

[grahame]

I'm not going to be much use here, I don't think there is anyone within FGW^▸ (First Great Western) who can tell you what % of reservations are correctly taken up or incorrectly occupied, unless it was strictly surveyed.

As far as I'm concerned, that's actually very useful ... it tells the folks who are asking questions on this thread and wondering about practical ways to deal with their frustration what the situation is concerning data on which to base any suggestions of change (basically, there probably isn't any available - but at least they know that now).

[thetrout]

What does slightly "get on my goat" in First Class is when there are lots of empty tables, I'm sat at a table, yet the plank who just got on insists on sitting opposite me, stealing my legroom and then spreading themselves across the table, just because their reservation is opposite me

Why couldn't they have taken a table to themselves...? I know i'm going to be shot down for this, but I think it's slightly rude to sit opposite someone when there are clearly plenty of tables available!

If there weren't any spare tables then I would have absolutely no exception to somebody joining my table

[super tm]

conversely why dont you take one of the empty tables yourself in the first place

[Btline]

conversely why dont you take one of the empty tables yourself in the first place

Because it is rude and un-British to get up and move seats once a fellow passenger has sat down beside you. (unless they start acting in a violent/ disgusting way)

Of course, the other view is that the passenger should not take up another table lest a group of 4 come in, who would value sitting together.

[Zoe]

Why couldn't they have taken a table to themselves...? lutely no exception to somebody joining my table

If they had an Advance ticket then the terms and conditions require them to sit in their reserved seat.

[GaryM]

Of course, the other view is that the passenger should not take up another table lest a group of 4 come in, who would value sitting together.

I completely agree...which actually brings me to another gripe I have with seat reservations (don the Victor Meldrew hat again ). When carriages are only half reserved, you seem to get many single seat reservations for each bank of two seats. This means if you want to sit with someone else you can't because there are only single unreserved seats available in each set of two

I know the most likely reason is probably that people travelling on their own probably want a window seat but it again makes the whole system very unfriendly for people travelling together who don't have reservations.

[plejaren]

conversely why dont you take one of the empty tables yourself in the first place

lol

[thetrout]

conversely why dont you take one of the empty tables yourself in the first place

Sorry, I didn't make my previous post very clear...

I was referring to myself already being on the train, then somebody taking a seat opposite me at a station further along my journey!

I generally don't have a problem with it. It's the ones that spread themselves out over the table and steal my leg room, when it's unnecessary because other tables are available. I feel really awkward getting up and moving because that to me seems rather rude...!

I suppose the other explanation is that I just like my personal space