What would happen if:

[whole diary]

[Mookiemoo]

One was to do the following (not that I would anyway but I'm bored and feeling devious)

You want to go on a journey - say a long one such as Cardiff to holyhead or Manchester to Milford Haven.  you need to get some work done but cannot guarantee a table as a lone passenger.

Money is not that much of an obstacle if you get an advance fare at 15.00.

To ensure you get a table you book four tickets and ask for reservations - total cost 60.00 and therefore still good value for the journey.

Technically you have the tickets, you've paid for them, you have the reservations with you to prove it. 

could you actually stop someone sitting in them even if the train was full?

I know one person who was mad and when they could got get a seat on a transatlantic business class flight, booked two standard ones next to each other for the extra space.

[Tim]

One was to do the following (not that I would anyway but I'm bored and feeling devious)

You want to go on a journey - say a long one such as Cardiff to holyhead or Manchester to Milford Haven.  you need to get some work done but cannot guarantee a table as a lone passenger.

Money is not that much of an obstacle if you get an advance fare at 15.00.

To ensure you get a table you book four tickets and ask for reservations - total cost 60.00 and therefore still good value for the journey.

Technically you have the tickets, you've paid for them, you have the reservations with you to prove it. 

could you actually stop someone sitting in them even if the train was full?

I know one person who was mad and when they could got get a seat on a transatlantic business class flight, booked two standard ones next to each other for the extra space.

Good idead but don't think it would work.  Your ticket gives you the right to travel, not a right to a seat and the reservation allows you to occupy the seat not prevent others from occupying it?

On a variation.  Supposing you are travelling with a four year old (I know you wouldn't be FA, but bear with me).  They don't need a ticket and on lightly used trains they can sit on a spare seat, but on busy trains they are meant to sit on your knee.  Supoose you don't want to have to do that (only Santa would willingly allow a four year old on his knee, right), can you buy them a ticket even though they don't need one in order to guarentee them a seat?  If the answer to this second question is yes, then maybe FA's scam might work.  If not why not?

Thinking further and leaving aside AP tickets for a moment.  If FA can keep seats free by buying tickets for phantom travellers, why can't they be phantom half-price child travellers?  (or group save passengers)

[Mookiemoo]

On a variation.  Supposing you are travelling with a four year old (I know you wouldn't be FA, but bear with me).  They don't need a ticket and on lightly used trains they can sit on a spare seat, but on busy trains they are meant to sit on your knee.  Supoose you don't want to have to do that (only Santa would willingly allow a four year old on his knee, right), can you buy them a ticket even though they don't need one in order to guarentee them a seat?  If the answer to this second question is yes, then maybe FA's scam might work.  If not why not?

I actually know of one instance where a friend of mine was given the option of holding her 4y.o or buying a ticket - she bought the ticket.

Thinking further and leaving aside AP tickets for a moment.  If FA can keep seats free by buying tickets for phantom travellers, why can't they be phantom half-price child travellers?  (or group save passengers)

Because in this instance, you are trying to get a discount.......I would guess

[JayMac]

One was to do the following (not that I would anyway but I'm bored and feeling devious)

You want to go on a journey - say a long one such as Cardiff to holyhead or Manchester to Milford Haven.  you need to get some work done but cannot guarantee a table as a lone passenger.

Money is not that much of an obstacle if you get an advance fare at 15.00.

To ensure you get a table you book four tickets and ask for reservations - total cost 60.00 and therefore still good value for the journey.

Technically you have the tickets, you've paid for them, you have the reservations with you to prove it. 

could you actually stop someone sitting in them even if the train was full?

I know one person who was mad and when they could got get a seat on a transatlantic business class flight, booked two standard ones next to each other for the extra space.

You're right you are being devious. And 'not that you would'? Then why bother asking the question?

[matt473]

If a reserved seat is not occupied, then if I remember rghtly a person can rightly sit in that seat unless the person with the reservation wishes to use the seat for the use in which it is intended.

[Mookiemoo]

One was to do the following (not that I would anyway but I'm bored and feeling devious)

You want to go on a journey - say a long one such as Cardiff to holyhead or Manchester to Milford Haven.  you need to get some work done but cannot guarantee a table as a lone passenger.

Money is not that much of an obstacle if you get an advance fare at 15.00.

To ensure you get a table you book four tickets and ask for reservations - total cost 60.00 and therefore still good value for the journey.

Technically you have the tickets, you've paid for them, you have the reservations with you to prove it. 

could you actually stop someone sitting in them even if the train was full?

I know one person who was mad and when they could got get a seat on a transatlantic business class flight, booked two standard ones next to each other for the extra space.

You're right you are being devious. And 'not that you would'? Then why bother asking the question?

Because the journey in question is only 1 hour 40 minutes and whilst I would be bored rigid unable to do anything I could just about cope in the rare event that I did not get a table - now that I know it is a busy train, I wont be patiently waiting in the crowd like the lemming but employing the "I'm at Paddington and the 1751 has been subbed with a two car 165 and I want one of the 16 decent seats" method. 

however, as I will have a few piecec of Denby crockery on me I would prefer not to have to rugby tackle the people in front of me however I am prepared to do it. 

And as there are no advance fares for the train I want, spending 60 rather than 15 in this case is a waste of 45 quid that can add to my Denby set

However, whilst sitting here trying to stay awake on a net meeting I was thinking, what if I were to do a long journey with Arriva and had a similar dilemma.  IF I  could get advance fares and that enabled me to guarantee a table for a 5 hour plus journey than I probably would do it. 

Of course, i'd let people sit at the table so long as I got to be left in piece to work.

[inspector_blakey]

From experience on a 175 you'll almost invariably be reserved a table seat. To make absolutely sure, just specify a forward or backward-facing seat (as opposed to airline) since the 175s are some of the few units left where facing seats across a table have the same number and are reserved as F or B.

[super tm]

One was to do the following (not that I would anyway but I'm bored and feeling devious)

You want to go on a journey - say a long one such as Cardiff to holyhead or Manchester to Milford Haven.  you need to get some work done but cannot guarantee a table as a lone passenger.

Money is not that much of an obstacle if you get an advance fare at 15.00.

To ensure you get a table you book four tickets and ask for reservations - total cost 60.00 and therefore still good value for the journey.

Technically you have the tickets, you've paid for them, you have the reservations with you to prove it. 

could you actually stop someone sitting in them even if the train was full?

I know one person who was mad and when they could got get a seat on a transatlantic business class flight, booked two standard ones next to each other for the extra space.

No

[Mookiemoo]

One was to do the following (not that I would anyway but I'm bored and feeling devious)

You want to go on a journey - say a long one such as Cardiff to holyhead or Manchester to Milford Haven.  you need to get some work done but cannot guarantee a table as a lone passenger.

Money is not that much of an obstacle if you get an advance fare at 15.00.

To ensure you get a table you book four tickets and ask for reservations - total cost 60.00 and therefore still good value for the journey.

Technically you have the tickets, you've paid for them, you have the reservations with you to prove it. 

could you actually stop someone sitting in them even if the train was full?

I know one person who was mad and when they could got get a seat on a transatlantic business class flight, booked two standard ones next to each other for the extra space.

No

No what?

No you could not book four tickets?  No your couldnt stop people sitting there (of course you couldnt) but you COULD leverage it to your advantage

[devon_metro]

Why not just offer any prospective sitees a settling fee? Everybody is happy

[Mookiemoo]

Why not just offer any prospective sitees a settling fee? Everybody is happy

See a post about to go in frequent posters club