Avanti - Mandatory Reservations?

[eroded]

Hi,

I was due to travel today on the (now cancelled) 16:20 EUS-MAC. I hold a seat reservation for this service and an off-peak return.

I would now like to travel on an earlier service, do I need a seat reservation in order to board?

Avanti do not appear to let you reserve seats online like LNER do. I have emailed them but do not expect a response in time.

Thanks,

 

[roversfan2001]

Services are in the system as 'reservations compulsory' but I've travelled on a few Avanti services over the past few weeks without a reservation and had no trouble whatsoever.

 

[jfollows]

The Avanti Web site (https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/help-and-support/coronavirus-travel-information) states

"In the unlikely event your train is cancelled, you can travel on an Avanti West Coast service either side of your booked train where capacity allows. Your seat reservation will no longer apply so please speak to our station teams to find out where is best to board the train."

 

[seagull]

You say "now cancelled", but Realtimetrains shows it as running and even which train (390124)?

RTT Link

 

[jfollows]

However, https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/travel-information/live-journey-tracker:

16:20 London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly due 18:28

16:20 London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly due 18:28 will be cancelled.
This is due to a member of train crew being unavailable.
Additional Information:
You can travel on the Avanti West Coast service immediately before or after this train with your orginal ticket. Unfortunately, any seat reservations will not be carried over, please speak to a member of our team to find out wheres best to sit.
Were sorry for the delay to your journey, you might be entitled to some compensation. Head to avantiwestcoast.co.uk/delayrepay for more information.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You say "now cancelled", but Realtimetrains shows it as running and even which train (390124)?

RTT Link

RTT is now showing it as cancelled.

 

[eroded]

Thanks, ideally I’d like to take the 14:20 (so not relying on the +/- service cancellation allowance).

Mostly wanted to check I wouldn’t be turned back at the EUS platform without a reservation by the Avanti gateline dragons.

If I try to book a new ticket (any ticket, even an anytime return) online (across all of the TOC websites), it won’t let me, which made me think no more reservations were available.

 

[jfollows]

Also stated at https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/help-and-support/coronavirus-travel-information:

We have reduced the seating capacity on our trains. Therefore, we strongly recommend you book your place on your preferred train by using our website or app. Once a train reaches the social distance seat capacity set, we remove it from our booking platforms.

If you have not booked a place, we’ll do our best to help at the station, but we can’t guarantee you’ll be able to board your preferred train. In this instance, we’ll do our best to get you on the service immediately before or after your preferred train. If you have any questions when boarding, then our station team are on hand to help.

 

[Bletchleyite]

If you're boarding at Euston or Glasgow Central you can assume you will be turned away without a reservation unless showing up for the train before/after as noted. The gateline staff at these two stations are not known for their helpfulness.

At any other station there is unlikely to be any per-train checking as they aren't really set up for that.

If you want to do something different, perhaps Tweet them and keep a screenshot of their reply authorising you to do something different.

 

[Watershed]

It is only Glasgow Central where they insist on a reservation (albeit you can get one on the spot unless the train is actually full).

 

[gnolife]

It is only Glasgow Central where they insist on a reservation (albeit you can get one on the spot unless the train is actually full).

Carlisle can also be a little bit picky about it at times

 

[Bletchleyite]

Carlisle can also be a little bit picky about it at times

Have they roped off the platforms to do entry checks? The station is not laid out for individual trains to be barrier checked. Only Euston, Glasgow Central and Manc Picc are really set up for that (and at Picc you can sneak down via the footbridge).

 

[gnolife]

Have they roped off the platforms to do entry checks? The station is not laid out for individual trains to be barrier checked. Only Euston, Glasgow Central and Manc Picc are really set up for that (and at Picc you can sneak down via the footbridge).

It's checks at the entrance to the station, if you have a ticket for an desttination which would have you board an Avanti sevice, they'll turn you back to the ticket office

 

[Watershed]

It's checks at the entrance to the station, if you have a ticket for an desttination which would have you board an Avanti sevice, they'll turn you back to the ticket office

I presume if you tell them you're getting on a TPE service you'll just be let through...?

 

[route101]

It's checks at the entrance to the station, if you have a ticket for an desttination which would have you board an Avanti sevice, they'll turn you back to the ticket office

Never had this a few weeks ago. I had no problem with no reservation on a Northbound avanti to Glasgow.

 

[eroded]

As a follow up, we boarded the 14:20 using platform 3 at Euston via an automated gateline, so no manual check after all!