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New Virgin East Coast Website
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20 minutes is rather a lot.
Harbouring
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Considering the grumbles about catering maybe it's so you can avail yourself of the food stalls. If it's Kings X it's fair enough, it can be intimidating if you've never travelled through there before and then you have to navigate around the children up by that potter thing
Really? If I am arriving at a station where I know the layout, I already have a ticket, and it isn't an Advance I would generally aim to arrive at most 5 minutes before the train. Why would I need any longer?
Some people might want longer if they have poor mobility issues but this doesn't explain why anyone would think it's appropriate to send an email commanding the customer to be at a station a full 20 minutes before departure. At the very most what you say might justify some politely worded advice to arrive at the station with enough time to catch your train.
91109
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- 21 Jul 2017
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There is no "normal" at the moment. Until the changes on the website and to the IVR were made, we had up to 70 people in the queue, who would then call Customer Solutions, and the same is still happening, likewise people will contact Web Support when they can't get through to CS.
I'm one of the few on Web who is also CS trained, so I can deal with both without having to pass people to different departments. We have more people starting Web training either this week or next which will hopefully bring the queues down further.
The sooner booking amendments can be made online, the better for everyone.
Haywain
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How much time is "enough"? After all, people arrive by various means and it is reasonable to suggest they allow some contingency time.
Well exactly so how can VTEC decide an arbitrary figure? Twenty minutes for a first time rail user or someone who is bringing granny, four kids, a couple of dogs and half their worldly possessions might need twenty minutes. But an experienced solo traveller could easily arrive a few minutes before their train.
It seems far more sensible for for VTEC to simply politely encourage their passengers to arrive with enough time to catch their train. Perhaps with a reminder that train doors may be closed up to two minutes prior to departure.
It's a shambles that this was not available from the beginning
SaveECRewards
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In theory 20 mins is the check-in deadline at London City Airport too, so they should be careful trying to make the train sound like the plane when elsewhere VTEC like to indicate how there's no need to wait about when getting the train.
https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.c...el/benefits-of-train-travel/train-vs-plane11/
This suggests that 5 minutes from station door to train is enough, but also suggests that you need to allow 90 minutes for a flight!
They need to send a consistent message!
I think the best approach is a message along the lines of:
Advance tickets:
- Remember your ticket is only valid on the specified train so please make sure you arrive at the station with enough time to comfortably catch your train. Remember that doors may close 2 minutes before departure. If you're unfamiliar with the station then we recommend arriving 20 minutes before departure. [1st only] If you have time to spare you are welcome to wait in our first class lounge.
Anytime tickets:
- Your ticket is valid on any of our services from [x] to [y] on the day but you'll only have a reserved seat if you travel on your booked service. Remember that doors may close up to 2 minutes before departure. If you arrive at the station early you can take an earlier train [1st only] or take advantage of our first class lounge.
Off-peak tickets:
- Your ticket is valid on other services from [x] to [y] on the day but you'll only have a reserved seat on your booked service. [weekdays]Please note that there's peak time restrictions on these tickets so please check (link) if you want to travel at a different time. [weekends] These tickets are valid on any service on a weekend, but if your ticket is valid on a weekday please note the restrictions (link). [add bit about doors and lounge]
If that were what the email said, I would agree with you. Clearly in this case it did not.
Martin66
Member
This has just happened to me today. Also both print at home tickets (for myself & wife)have my name on them. Have contacted VTEC & await a reply.
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For Print@Home tickets, is it the name that of the "Lead Passenger"? I'm sure that used to be the case, at least.,,,Also both print at home tickets (for myself & wife)have my name on them. Have contacted VTEC & await a reply.
There certainly won't be any issues using them providing the person named is travelling.
I refuse to buy P@H tickets because of the loss of rights that many train companies impose (Chiltern excepted)
SaveECRewards
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I refuse to buy them as I don't want a folded up piece of A4 paper in my pocket when regular tickets are credit card sized.
As for m-tickets, I'm very disappointed VTEC decided to go for them over the more flexible e-tickets that VTWC, Abellio, GC and others are rolling out.
I refuse to buy regular tickets as they can't be reprinted if lost and I need to go to a machine to get them.
I'd rather have a folded piece of A4 paper in my pocket.
What TOCs still offer feee postage ?
Thats my prefered option
First Transpennine Express does.
WiFi codes have reappeared on email confirmations for Standard Class bookings.
Collection references have reappeared in email subject headers.
Of course, in the latter case, the reference has been placed after the Virgin verbiage and party popper emoticon, such that it's not immediately visible when viewed on smartphone screens in standard user portrait orientation......
Collection references have reappeared in email subject headers.
Of course, in the latter case, the reference has been placed after the Virgin verbiage and party popper emoticon, such that it's not immediately visible when viewed on smartphone screens in standard user portrait orientation......
Which is yet another reason to defect to TPE's website!
Other than WiFi codes in Standard, one of the few remaining reasons to use the new VTEC site is the ability to select seats on their own services.
If anyone is attempting to split on VTEC services, you may find that the seat selector 'jams,' for want of a better word, for the service that's being split.
I have found that setting up the bookings in the reverse order, ie York to London King's Cross split at Doncaster and Retford should be set up as:
Retford to King's Cross | Select Seat
-then-
Doncaster to Retford | Select Seat
-then-
York to Doncaster | Select Seat
Obviously, it also make sense to run a dummy booking York > London first, then delete it, to find a preferred seat that's available throughout.
Hope this helps someone.
If anyone is attempting to split on VTEC services, you may find that the seat selector 'jams,' for want of a better word, for the service that's being split.
I have found that setting up the bookings in the reverse order, ie York to London King's Cross split at Doncaster and Retford should be set up as:
Retford to King's Cross | Select Seat
-then-
Doncaster to Retford | Select Seat
-then-
York to Doncaster | Select Seat
Obviously, it also make sense to run a dummy booking York > London first, then delete it, to find a preferred seat that's available throughout.
Hope this helps someone.
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Gerald Fiennes
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Still hoping that VTEC will at some point help me understand what the "improvements" from this new site actually are...just booked a STD SSR fare on an EC train at non-inconsiderable expense but no seat selection seems to be available. Indeed, the booking was issued with no reservation at all...:cry: The train can't be full because I checked through the TPE booking systems and it offered me a reservation (OK, so I got lured by the Free WiFi thing). And the system won't let me add a reservation by amending the booking. Meantime, the agony over changing old bookings continues.
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Obviously VTEC are hoping that you'll choose to support booking offices by taking your ticket there to get reservations issued.
91109
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- 21 Jul 2017
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Booking open returns such as an SSR will not automatically select a seat for you, you have to check the box to specify seat reservations.
Yes that's true something which hasn't changed. I had assumed that the honourable member had selected the appropriate boxes and the website still failed to generate reservations.
This is one area where the website isn't very clear. I bought a flexible ticket the other week and having specified that I would like an aisle seat in the quiet coach got to the confirmation page and found that it hadn't applied my requests, because I had not ticked the box. Fortunately I checked before paying, so I could go back (but had to enter ALL my details again). Might be clearer if the options didn't appear until you select that you want a seat reservation.
91109
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I think this needs to be addressed. If you book a date and time for the outward journey, then the box should be automatically ticked. I've had quite a few people call up asking to reserve seats after finding out they didn't have any reservations after all.
Gerald Fiennes
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I'm pretty sure I did check the box, but am not sure. But I also followed the procedure to add a reservation onto the booking reference that the VTEC website suggests and that didn't work. So I visited a Southern station and did manage to get a reservation after a small argument with them (but you all know that story....). I will particularly treasure my frisson of horror as the price of £272 (it was 2 seats) momentarily flashed by before they pressed the button for 'reservation only' (or whatever it is) and £0.00 appeared...
But my real question remains, can someone help me with what the 'improvements' are.
But my real question remains, can someone help me with what the 'improvements' are.
SaveECRewards
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There's only really one improvement and for some reason they're not shouting about it.
You can buy season tickets online - yes WebTIS supported this, but East Coast never offered it on the old site.
https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/rail-travel/your-ticket/train-ticket-options/season-tickets/
SaveECRewards
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Is this another case of the Twitter team making things up:
https://twitter.com/Virgin_TrainsEC/status/914029595963351040
Referring to the names printed on the reservation labels.
Has the VTEC website really removed the ability to print the names on the reservation labels? I know some people didn't like it, so I can see why it may have been temporarily removed. But I'd think the more likely reason others weren't seeing their names on the reservation was because they booked elsewhere.
If it has been removed due to complaints about privacy, etc. I'd like to see it come back but as an option. Also make it possible to edit the name displayed as the person booking may not be the person travelling, it also means those who were upset that their name was displayed could change it to some random message so they'd still instantly recognise their seat.
https://twitter.com/Virgin_TrainsEC/status/914029595963351040
Referring to the names printed on the reservation labels.
Has the VTEC website really removed the ability to print the names on the reservation labels? I know some people didn't like it, so I can see why it may have been temporarily removed. But I'd think the more likely reason others weren't seeing their names on the reservation was because they booked elsewhere.
If it has been removed due to complaints about privacy, etc. I'd like to see it come back but as an option. Also make it possible to edit the name displayed as the person booking may not be the person travelling, it also means those who were upset that their name was displayed could change it to some random message so they'd still instantly recognise their seat.
Wallsendmag
Established Member
It was in response to complaints
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SaveECRewards
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I understand that. Some people weren't comfortable with it, I'm hoping that it'll reappear as an option as many found it handy.
A few questions about season ticket online purchase:
- Why is the ability to book season tickets online hidden away when Virgin like to make a big deal out of the smallest change. Are there still issues with season ticket booking to such an extent they want to keep it hidden?
- Why do Grantham to London season tickets not earn points (an issue some of us raised during beta)?
- As I don't need to buy season tickets can you confirm whether they earn points at the same rate as tickets or at a reduced rate?
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