Pendolino unreserved coach

[SWT_USER]

Is there one? If so is it always the same coach? I am particularly interested in Saturday morning Euston - Manchester services as my friends and I have all booked advances on the same train but we booked them at different times and ideally would like to sit together.

 

[northwichcat]

Technically with an Advance ticket you have to sit in the seats that you've been allocated. Some rail staff may not enforce this but others will.

What time service are you travelling on? Some can be quite busy while others can be 75% empty.

 

[SWT_USER]

Technically with an Advance ticket you have to sit in the seats that you've been allocated. Some rail staff may not enforce this but others will.

What time service are you travelling on? Some can be quite busy while others can be 75% empty.

Really? I have been travelling on advances up and down the country for years and have never been asked to move in to my allocated seat! On the 09:20 from Euston.

 

[northwichcat]

Really? I have been travelling on advances up and down the country for years and have never been asked to move in to my allocated seat!

Just because you've not been asked to move doesn't mean you're allowed to do it. Likewise, if you show an invalid ticket and the guard doesn't notice that it's invalid then it doesn't mean you are travelling on a valid ticket.

 

[SWT_USER]

Not really the same thing as travelling without a valid ticket though is it..

 

[AlterEgo]

Is there one? If so is it always the same coach?

Yes. Coach E.

 

[SWT_USER]

Yes. Coach E.

Excellent, thank you.

 

[RAPC]

Just because you've not been asked to move doesn't mean you're allowed to do it. Likewise, if you show an invalid ticket and the guard doesn't notice that it's invalid then it doesn't mean you are travelling on a valid ticket.

You are allowed to sit in an alternative seat, but the staff do sometimes request on busy trains that those with reservations sit in those seats as it helps to manage the seating.

I was on a peak service from Glasgow to Euston and boarded at Preston. The train manager asked a gentleman if he wouldn't mind moving back to his reserved seat as there would be a lot of people boarding at Wigan and Warrington. He said at the time that it would be greatly appreciated, but that he couldn't make him move if he didn't want to. All delivered very cheerfully and the passenger moved without issue.

 

[snail]

You are allowed to sit in an alternative seat, but the staff do sometimes request on busy trains that those with reservations sit in those seats as it helps to manage the seating.

It would help greatly if Virgin would allow you to choose a seat when booking, like XC and EC. I have two trips coming up (combining AP and SVH tickets) where me and my travelling companion have booked separately and been given seats that are in different parts of the same coach. The booking office at the station say they can't reallocate the seats after picking up from the TVM.

 

[mallard]

Technically, the advance terms and conditions do say:

Where applicable, you must travel in the Class and reserved seat(s) shown on the ticket(s).

In real life, I have also never been asked to move and it seems rather unfair, particularly when certain TOCs bookings seem to show a bias against "good seats". The amount of times I've asked for a forward-facing table seat by the window and been given something else only to find unreserved seats of the kind I asked for in the same carriage...

 

[dave87016]

IF you have booked via the virgin trains website then providing the service isnt busy you could facebook them and they would then ask for your booking ref numbers and seat you all together I have done this in the past

 

[lookingforit35]

IF you have booked via the virgin trains website then providing the service isnt busy you could facebook them and they would then ask for your booking ref numbers and seat you all together I have done this in the past

Virgin do seem to undo much of the good things they have acheived on the WCML by their odd seating system. Given that the choice of "good" seats is limited on the Pendolinos, it makes selecting a seat at booking all the more important. I dont do facebook and if I did, what a faf to simply get seats allocated together. Airlines achive this without difficulty.

A shame really as the service I generally use from London to Manchester is fast and frequent and has an huge amount to recommend. For example, I let a very busy train go this afternoon, knowing the next departure was a mere 20 minutes away. But seldom have I sat in the seat allocated by Virgin (usually near the toilet/looking at a pillar rather than a window/squeezed in with others when half the carriage is empty etc)!!