Avanti should turn off seat reservations

[Bletchleyite]

Moderator note: split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/avanti-seat-reservations.236771/

If I were them I would turn them off entirely and clearly say so. They are causing all manner of issues at present.

 

[JamieL]

If I were them I would turn them off entirely and clearly say so. They are causing all manner of issues at present.

You keep saying this - but for long distance journeys seat reservations are important to give people the confidence to travel. I wouldn't want to take a gamble on whether a seat would be available for a 5+ hour journey to London. Or whether I might not be able to get a seat with the ability to charge my phone. Or be stuck in a corridor seat. Or be backwards facing etc.

Seat reservations also avoid the gladiatorial contest of fastest, quickest and pushiest getting the best seats whilst those older and slower lose out.

 

[Fyldeboy]

You keep saying this - but for long distance journeys seat reservations are important to give people the confidence to travel. I wouldn't want to take a gamble on whether a seat would be available for a 5+ hour journey to London. Or whether I might not be able to get a seat with the ability to charge my phone. Or be stuck in a corridor seat. Or be backwards facing etc.

Seat reservations also avoid the gladiatorial contest of fastest, quickest and pushiest getting the best seats whilst those older and slower lose out.

What you say is right in principle, but there is a good chance it won't turn out to be right in reality

• You might be able to reserve a nice forward facing seat with window view and charging point - or Avanti might decide to cancel your service at the last minute (far from impossible at present), leaving you to scrabble wiith the hoards on the next service. Or
• You might be able to reserve a nice forward facing seat with window view and charging point - or some oaf who hasn't bothered to reserve a seat totally disregards the system and plonks their butt in your seat. Sure, TM should sort it - but will he/she?

 

[Bletchleyite]

What you say is right in principle, but there is a good chance it won't turn out to be right in reality

• You might be able to reserve a nice forward facing seat with window view and charging point - or Avanti might decide to cancel your service at the last minute (far from impossible at present), leaving you to scrabble wiith the hoards on the next service. Or
• You might be able to reserve a nice forward facing seat with window view and charging point - or some oaf who hasn't bothered to reserve a seat totally disregards the system and plonks their butt in your seat. Sure, TM should sort it - but will he/she?

Exactly.

Reservations are valuable, but to have any value they have to be delivered consistently. Avanti cannot presently do this, so they should be suspended.

 

[Hadders]

The whole situation with Avanti is farcical at the moment.

They haven’t even confirmed their timetable for this coming Saturday, just four days away!

How on earth are passengers supposed to plan travel? And then it’ll be a lottery on the day as to what actually operates.

You’d be forgiven for thinking Avanti we’re operating some sort of rural backwater, not what should be the premier service in the UK.

 

[AlterEgo]

The whole situation with Avanti is farcical at the moment.

They haven’t even confirmed their timetable for this coming Saturday, just four days away!

How on earth are passengers supposed to plan travel? And then it’ll be a lottery on the day as to what actually operates.

You’d be forgiven for thinking Avanti we’re operating some sort of rural backwater, not what should be the premier service in the UK.

OT but Avanti have now confirmed the timetable. Finally. Pathetic.

 

[Hadders]

So I see. Must have happened around 11am this morning as it wasn’t showing when I checked at 10am.