another Caley question or two

[dcd]

What is the latest I could book a 1st Class Cabin Euston-Fort William for 11 July? This is to be used with a 1st class ALR which I do not want to buy too early. Can I book the cabin without having yet bought the ALR?

 

[junglejames]

Nope. You have to have the ALR first. You may get away with it sometimes if booking the cabin by phone, but you should have the ALR first.
Beware FW portion only has 2 sleeping berth coaches. They are usually quite busy as well. I wont want to wait too late.

 

[Sapphire Blue]

Having just gone through this process I shall relate my experience.

I bought my ALR (1st class) at Huddersfield station.
I booked seats reservation for several journeys I plan to make on the ALR at the same time.
I was told that the at station staff could not book me the sleeper berths and I would have to phone up Scotrail and FGW. (Don't know if this is true but I had been at the ticket office for about 20mins and the queue was quite large behind me, so I thought I would do as was suggested.)
Went home and phoned up the two relevant TOCs and booked the berths (and here is the pertinent bit to the OP)
I told both the telesales people I had a ALR but at no time was I asked for any number or any other proof.

Now an additional question.

Rather annoyingly, having been assured that I would definitely NOT be working during the week beginning 19/6/11, I have now been informed that this may not be the case and I may have to work on the Monday of that week. If this is the case, what are my chances of getting a refund on the ALR or just bumping in back by 2 days? Also will I be able to get a refund for the berth upgrade on the Edinburgh sleeper on the Monday night?

 

[BRX]

What is the latest I could book a 1st Class Cabin Euston-Fort William for 11 July? This is to be used with a 1st class ALR which I do not want to buy too early. Can I book the cabin without having yet bought the ALR?

Recently I bought some cabin supplements/reservations for the FW train, by phone, prior to buying my actual travel ticket (which will be an OPR). They didn't ask for a ticket number, just what kind of ticket I had.

As mentioned above though, if you are travelling in July don't leave it too late. The train is very likely to be booked out completely.

 

[dcd]

Thanks for the replies I shall book soon.

 

[rail-britain]

Rather annoyingly, having been assured that I would definitely NOT be working during the week beginning 19/6/11, I have now been informed that this may not be the case and I may have to work on the Monday of that week

Your employer has received a holiday request and confirmed this, you have then booked a holiday
The employer cannot reverse their decision

 

[Sapphire Blue]

Your employer has received a holiday request and confirmed this, you have then booked a holiday
The employer cannot reverse their decision

Not quite as simple as that (free-lance work, self-employed, can't really afford the bad will of turning the work down etc. etc.)

Anyway the question still stands.

Can I bump the ALR backward a couple of days with just an admin fee to pay?
Can I refund one of the booked sleeper fees?

Or are they treated like advance tickets?

 

[First class]

ALR would be subjected to an admin fee, which vary by TOC, from £5 to £20 AFAIK. If it is entirely unused, (because the ticket hasn't started yet), that would be the only deduction.

If it has been used, then an admin fee would apply, and they would probably divide the cost by 7 or 14, times that amount by the number of days you have used it then subtract that from the ticket price, subtract the admin fee and whatever is left is the refund.

I very much doubt that any ticket office will simply non-issue a ticket and re-issue it with new dates. That isn't permitted under most internal cash regulations. You may have to buy a new one and send the original in BEFORE the ticket has a chance to become valid.

I would imagine an admin fee would just be subtracted from the sleeper supplement and whats left is yours. ALTHOUGH the "rules around refunding supplements etc aren't exactly clear, (if they even exist in the first place).

 

[reb0118]

AFAIK all seat & sleeper reservations are non refundable. That is definitely the case on European rail networks.

Rover tickets can be refunded (standard admin charges apply) but only before the first day of validity. After the first day no refunds allowed. TOCs may however refund at their discretion for compassionate reasons after the first day of validity.

 

[Railjet]

AFAIK all seat & sleeper reservations are non refundable. That is definitely the case on European rail networks.

On CityNightLine sleeper services, the sleeper supplement (which can be booked online on DB) is refundable (less 10% administration charge) up to the day before departure.

 

[paul1609]

Your employer has received a holiday request and confirmed this, you have then booked a holiday
The employer cannot reverse their decision

Really? I dont think thats the case!

 

[island]

Really? I dont think thats the case!

That will depend on, inter alia, one's terms and conditions of employment, which are certainly well outside the scope of this board

 

[rail-britain]

Really? I dont think thats the case!

It is, and can easily be argued at an industrial tribunal, but you need to refer to Conditions of Employment Contract
Providing the holiday has been authorised, the decision cannot be reversed
For this reason our company keeps these records in writing, once approved the copy is retained

 

[dcd]

Thanks for the replies I shall book soon.

Have now booked all sleepers including FW + Edinburgh and Glasgow also FGW all by phone and no details other than type of ticket required.

 

[rail-britain]

Unusual as the ALR for travel on 11 July cannot be purchased yet

When I bought mine in 2009 I had to wait until the end of May, for it to commence on 20 June
From memory the minimum was 6 weeks, but I left it to 4 weeks due to work commitments
I made the reservations over two days, the Fort William berth one being processed the following day without any issues
On the day of travel, 30 June, there were just six of us travelling

 

[Sapphire Blue]

Unusual as the ALR for travel on 11 July cannot be purchased yet

When I bought mine in 2009 I had to wait until the end of May, for it to commence on 20 June
From memory the minimum was 6 weeks, but I left it to 4 weeks due to work commitments
I made the reservations over two days, the Fort William berth one being processed the following day without any issues
On the day of travel, 30 June, there were just six of us travelling

That may have been the case for you then, but the 12 week period is used for ALRs now as for other tickets.