Do East Coast blank off some seat reservations?

[38Cto15E]

I have been looking at making another trip to Inverness from Kings Cross in about 4 weeks time, on a Tuesday down and Thursday up from Aberdeen.

Whilst looking at the seat reservations on the web site, many single seats are already reserved, I know it is approaching the main summer holiday period but I wondered if East Coast deliberately blank off some seats for Premium fare passengers who buy their tickets nearer the time?
TIA

 

[thelem]

That's a long journey, I wouldn't be surprised if there were already lots of reservations on that train, even if only for some of your journey. I can't see what point there would be pre-reserving seats like that.

 

[yorkie]

No, bookings open around 12 weeks in advance and many people will have already reserved.

 

[ModernRailways]

They won't have blanked seats off, and since it's a HST even the buffet coach is reserved as it's the quiet coach.

However, since the train stops at other stations, people who have reserved for Edinburgh to Newcastle will be showing, even someone who may have reserved Edinburgh Waverley to Haymarket. If you reserve a seat now though, and then really want to move seats on the day have a quick chat with the guard and ask if you can move to a different unreserved seat. You will probably find a lot of people don't turn up. It's a bit like trains from Kings Cross in the peaks. Commuters will reserve seats en masse for a few trains, but they won't turn up for every train. Same thing will happen here. You will also get those who decide they can't be bothered to go anymore.

 

[amcluesent]

Worth paying a bit more for FC Advance for that length of journey.

 

[beeza1]

Whilst looking at the seat reservations on the web site, many single seats are already reserved, I know it is approaching the main summer holiday period but I wondered if East Coast deliberately blank off some seats for Premium fare passengers who buy their tickets nearer the time?
TIA

I was wondering the same thing a few weeks ago, I booked a journey with XC, tried to reserve a window seat but got an aisle seat, I then tried to change this but couldn't, it was showing nearly all the seats in every carriage as "unavailable", no problem, at least I had a seat, when I boarded the train though almost all the seats in my carriage, coach D, I think it was had XC's totally stupid and confusing "available but may be reserved later" notice on the screen.
I was travelling the day after I booked the tickets, using XC's website, was this a problem with the website, I have changed seats before, or is it as the OP suggests "company policy"?

 

[38Cto15E]

Thanks for the info guys, I know there are always many tourists going to York and Edinburgh on the Chieftain and also many no shows.
With a railcard my fare will be £67.90 first class, this will be covered by my £67.90 of vouchers from my last much delayed trip.
I do like the Aberdeen to Edinburgh stretch of line so I will be coming back on the 0752 from Aberdeen.

 

[YorkshireRider]

Some of the single seats, usually the priority seats are unreservable, either end of coach L.