Seat Reservations on FGW

[whole diary]

[Btline]

Is there a seating plan for FGW^▸ (First Great Western) HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) so people can see which seats they have got.

For example, I want to know whether seats 29 and 25 are forwards/backwards, table/airline and window/aisle. I used NXEC^▸ (National Express East Coast) and specified window, table and forward facing. Have I been given what I requested?

Thanks,

Btline

[basset44]

I doubt it just came back from Reading last Friday seat was table backwards but with someone sitting in it.

The seat reservation was not working at London. Yes it was a afternoon train packed solid. I asked the conductor where I could sit and ended up just inside FC^‡(resolve) by buffet car. I wold like to thank the conductor but after reading other post about rift raft in FC perhaps I should not say has I had the can of Strongbow on my table facing forward.

[Btline]

What is the view from the table seat? Is it like the LD HST^▸ (High Speed Train)?

[devon_metro]

all of them have pillars I believe.

[Btline]

  

Should have picked airline as normal! Then again, I expect it is pot luck with their view as well!

[Zoe]

Hi, if I get an advance fare and travel on the correct train but sit in a seat other than the seat on my reservation card could I be excessed to a standard open fare or even get a penalty fare?  I don't like sitting opposite to the direction of travel and as most seats are airline now even if I request a specific seat the train could be in reverse.

[devon_metro]

Technically you could be, but most guards aren't mean enough to enforce it, unless the train is really busy for example.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hi, Zoe, and welcome to the Coffee Shop forum!

In my experience, nobody seems to worry about which seat you use, provided you travel on the specified train.  For example, yesterday I sat in a seat that was marked as 'reserved' for someone from Newton Abbot to Bath Spa.  There was no sign of them, so I used it, from Nailsea & Backwell to Bristol Temple Meads!

 

[John R]

There's another reason why lots of seats are reserved but nobody sits in them. When you buy a ticket online you have to choose a train, even if you're on a flexible ticket, and the system then automatically reserves a seat for you. As more and more people are buying online, this problem will become greater.

I've also never had a problem sitting in a different seat.

[Graz]

Welcome to the forum Zoe!

I seriously doubt you would be charged the excess or penalty fare, as long as you're on the right train. I would have thought the conductor could ask you to sit in the right place- and even then that's mean if the train's not busy!

And I sympathise with you because I too hate going backwards on long journeys.

[Super Guard]

The worst that could happen is that you are moved to your correct seat, however I have never ever heard of this happening or would have thought even the most miserable of train managers would enforce that.

[Karl]

Morning

One or two Guards (I don't like the term Train Manager), in
the far SW I noticed are removing reserved seat labels from
seats in quite periods, they know that people (after a while),
haven't turned up to claim, which I find very helpful.  I
always have it in the back of my mind when looking for a seat,
with reserved labels, they gone to the loo or buffet coach so
don't usually risk it.  If people book seats but can't gurrantee
getting themselves there for the train they booked for, just
don't bother with the reservation of the seat and buy a normal
Day Return e.t.c?!  Make it a bit easier for everyone else!

I wonder how many of them have a good reason over how many
couldn't be bothered to say i.e get out of bed in time?

Regards

Karl.

Hi, Zoe, and welcome to the Coffee Shop forum!

In my experience, nobody seems to worry about which seat you
use, provided you travel on the specified train.  For example,
yesterday I sat in a seat that was marked as 'reserved' for
someone from Newton Abbot to Bath Spa.  There was no sign of
them, so I used it, from Nailsea & Backwell to Bristol Temple
Meads!

[swlines]

NR^» (Network Rail - home page) say you should sit in your reserved seat but if there is a better one then most guards don't care.

You have 8 minutes from train departure to claim your reserved seat anyway, after which time it becomes a free for all.

[Zoe]

Thanks for the replies, the easiest option may be to get a ticket that allows travel on any off peak train but since the scrapping of the Super Saver in 2006 this is getting to be quite an expensive option.  If I go backwards on long journeys it can make me feel sick and I think this is only going to be worse now with the high backs of the seats as my view will be restricted.

[Btline]

On NXEC^▸ (National Express East Coast)'s website, you only have to select a train if you wish to reserve a seat.

Perhaps if FGW^▸ (First Great Western) did this, these rogue reservations would go away.

While I am on the subject - I fully recommend the NXEC booking website. It is far superior than any other one I have seen. Very easy to switch your timings until you get the cheapest deal.

But they don't do group saves.

Sorry, back to the subject.......