Cross Country Advances and seat selection

[David Goddard]

Just tried to book a couple of First Advances on the Cross Country website, which is good because you can choose your seats on their trains. We like to use the tables for two in First Class so having the choice is great.

A problem I discovered is that if you have selected an Advance ticket it does not ley you choose your own seat, and have to stick to that which it has allocated (in this case a pair of airlines next to a pillar).

Has anyone else come across this, or know why? I suppose its something along the lines of XC sticking cheap ticket holders in cheap seats and saving the better positions for those on dearer tickets.

 

[yorkie]

Was it the last 2 tickets at that tier?

Have you made the booking yet?

A station ticket office or telesales can reserve seats you want.

 

[StarCrossing]

I've never had this problem and I last bought an Advance ticket off them two days ago. Funnily enough, it always puts me in the seats you appear to want, and then I use the seat selector to select a single seat instead.

Just tested it again, and still working fine for me.

 

[David Goddard]

Was it the last 2 tickets at that tier?

Have you made the booking yet?

A station ticket office or telesales can reserve seats you want.

I believe it was come to think of it.
I didn't make the booking in the end, as I wanted specific seats, and ended up buying a more expensive ticket for the journey as I was short on time and needed to get booked.
Plus they seem to charge a £1 fee for TOD on singles but not returns

 

[Bletchleyite]

They charge a fee for TOD on Advances. It's not about single vs. return, it's about whether print at home is available or not.

 

[David Goddard]

How to they determine whether print at home is available? Can they see into my study?

 

[yorkie]

How to they determine whether print at home is available? Can they see into my study?

It is available if all legs of the journey are on XC, and if the fare type is Advance.