Avanti 2 Nov 2024

[midlandred]

Tickets booked on 1F16 Euston-Lime Street - “Reservations compulsory” - from MKC.

Board to find vestibules and carriages packed, murmurs of “double booked”.

Our seats taken by others who are not going to move as they have the correct seats per their booking.

Decide to abandon journey as standing not an option, in fact little or no room so to do.

Any reasons for such a situation arising when tickets are booked and seats allocated?

Interested to know - also, any comeback on Avanti?

 

[MerlinRail 804]

Tickets booked on 1F16 Euston-Lime Street - “Reservations compulsory” - from MKC.

Board to find vestibules and carriages packed, murmurs of “double booked”.

Our seats taken by others who are not going to move as they have the correct seats per their booking.

Decide to abandon journey as standing not an option, in fact little or no room so to do.

Any reasons for such a situation arising when tickets are booked and seats allocated?

Interested to know - also, any comeback on Avanti?

I had that a couple years ago from Glasgow - Euston.
We sent the tickets off for refund but no idea if we actually got one. Still worth a try.
Absolutely no idea why it happens though.

 

[Snow1964]

Absolutely no idea why it happens though.

It happens when a train with reservations is removed from computer system, then someone reinstates it without adding the existing reservations in, so it can book them again.

Basically it is not having, or failing to adhere to process for reinstatement (and not likely to be a rushed last minute thing, but ones put back days/weeks before travel date so still time to sell new tickets/reservations)

 

[D1537]

Happened to me on the Sunday 1A19 a few months back. Luckily only going from Stockport to Stoke and OK standing up but it was all kicking off as regards double booked seats to the extent that a BTP chap had to turn up at Stoke to calm it down. It was a 390/0 as well which didn't help.

 

[1D54]

We sent the tickets off for refund but no idea if we actually got one.

How can you not know?

 

[transportphoto]

How can you not know?

My impression from reading the post is likely forgotten due to the time which has elapsed.

 

[JamieL]

How can you not know?

As a regular long-distance user of Avanti, it can be quite difficult to remember all the Delay Repays because almost all journeys qualify for it. By the time one is approved and paid, there are normally several others underway!

 

[midlandred]

It happens when a train with reservations is removed from computer system, then someone reinstates it without adding the existing reservations in, so it can book them again.

Basically it is not having, or failing to adhere to process for reinstatement (and not likely to be a rushed last minute thing, but ones put back days/weeks before travel date so still time to sell new tickets/reservations)

Thanks for all the replies. I have contacted Avanti, and will post their response on here.

 

[DarloRich]

Any reasons for such a situation arising when tickets are booked and seats allocated?

Interested to know - also, any comeback on Avanti?

There were massive problems around Manchester on Saturday with lots of cancellations, service problems, massive delays and people diverted to other trains on the WCML.

it is hard to sort out reservations with 2 or 3 trains worth of people on board.

 

[Mainline421]

Any reasons for such a situation arising when tickets are booked and seats allocated?

Despite the flag being deliberately set incorrectly, Avanti operate a walk up service like any other train, and reservations are not required so standing happens

 

[midlandred]

Despite the flag being deliberately set incorrectly, Avanti operate a walk up service like any other train, and reservations are not required so standing happens

That doesn’t account for seats being double booked, surely?

 

[AlterEgo]

If you abandoned the journey and just went home and didn't travel the refund request goes to the retailer, not Avanti.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Nov 2024 ==

That doesn’t account for seats being double booked, surely?

They wouldn't have been double booked, loads of people got shunted off cancelled trains and probably tried to claim "their" seat on another service.

 

[Retorus]

How can you not know?

Rich people?

 

[Bletchleyite]

They wouldn't have been double booked, loads of people got shunted off cancelled trains and probably tried to claim "their" seat on another service.

Double booking definitely happens on Avanti as noted above. It happens when a train is removed from the timetable and later reinstated without correctly moving the existing reservations over or making it counted place only for new bookings.

 

[midlandred]

I’ve received a response from Avanti, which looks like a fairly standard reply, but it includes the following…
”In your occasion it seems that the previous train was cancelled and the passengers of the cancelled service boarded yours.”
I cannot find any indication that this did, in fact, occur - would be interested to know if it did.
Of course, it was suggested on board that double booking had taken place.
At least I have had full refund.

 

[Segedunum]

The previous Euston to Liverpool ran as normal (1F14, 0843 departure).

The 0916 Euston to Birmingham (9G11) was cancelled, which was the previous Avanti service which would have called, but has little relevance to a Milton Keynes-Liverpool journey.