Euston to Glasgow 16/09

[overtonchris]

Good Morning All.

I'm booked on the 13.30 train for the above trip with an Advance Single ticket. The problem I've got (assuming this service to be a Pendolino) is that I've ended up with a hideous seat (if I'm reading the Virgin "train plan correctly") i.e. Coach D Seat 33....which looks like backwards travel with no window. I'm not a fussy person normally, but 4.5 hours in that seat will deffo bring on travel sickness (had it before in similar circumstances on far shorter journeys.)

What I intend to do is be nice to the Train Manager and ask if I can sit in an unreserved seat somewhere. What does anyone rate my chances of this being OK, and am I right in assuming that it is Coach E that is the unreserved bit?

Thank you in advance for any expertise.

 

[James Wake]

A year or two ago, I went on a Virgin to Birmingham with a walk up fare and seat reservation and went and sat somewhere else, not sure if it would be OK on an Advance, don't think many TMs would have a problem. I'll let someone more experienced confirm this.

 

[glowinglight]

You can do this try and get to the station early to get the best seat in unreserved I do this many times on virgin trains

 

[sprinterguy]

The 13:30 Euston to Glasgow will not be a particularly busy train. It’s incredibly unlikely that the Train Manager would object to you sitting in a different seat. I think I’ve only occupied my reserved seats a couple of times in several years of regular train travel.

On a 9 car Pendolino, Coach E is unreserved, while on an 11 car Pendolino it is Coaches F and U, although there will probably be unreserved seats dotted throughout the train.

 

[overtonchris]

Thank you so much folks.....I hate upsetting anyone (unless they deserve it!) and I though it would probably be OK. I've got bags of time to get to Euston so will do as suggested, get there early, head for the unreserved bit and bag a nice seat with a view and hope for the best!!!! Much appreciated.

 

[Kristofferson]

I can't remember the last time I boarded a Virgin train where people paid attention to seat reservations.

 

[overtonchris]

I can't remember the last time I boarded a Virgin train where people paid attention to seat reservations.

That's even better then!!!!! Thank You

 

[Kite159]

Get there early, read up on RTT to see which platform, wait til platform announced and aim for the unreserved coach to grab a prime seat.

 

[Abpj17]

It would be nice if you sat near your reserved seat - and point someone else in the direction of sitting there (and still be close enough if the RPI comes along)

 

[Kite159]

That's the issue with electronic displays, where as with the paper reservations you can remove the slip to say it's now unreserved if you find a better seat, you can't with Virgin/XC.

(Excluding the issue of the screens not working correctly or XC's might be reserved on route)

 

[overtonchris]

Thanks for all your a advice guys - and I totally agree with Kite....if only there was some way of turning off that electronic reserved sign.....Not really practical though unfortunately....imagine the chaos if some numpty was let loose on that!!!

 

[Kite159]

You already get numpties removing the reservation card if it's a long trip and you are getting on mid way and tries to blame the guard for not putting it out or a previous passenger.

Or it could be like a XC service today from new street to Leicester, advertising the seat reservations for the service after it returns to New Street (for the airport service). A small number of confused passengers.

 

[overtonchris]

You already get numpties removing the reservation card if it's a long trip and you are getting on mid way and tries to blame the guard for not putting it out or a previous passenger.

Or it could be like a XC service today from new street to Leicester, advertising the seat reservations for the service after it returns to New Street (for the airport service). A small number of confused passengers.

Of course- you're right....been there suffered that over YEARS!!! No easy solution other that to abandon the reservation system (or shoot the numpties)......then even MORE chaos??? Don't seem to have this issue on SWT though...and Waterloo to Exeter isn't a short journey - but I guess (don't know) that loadings west of Salisbury are not too heavy?

 

[Kite159]

SWT used to do reservations, but got rid of them, no issue for me being the first station after Salisbury.

Loadings west of Salisbury are variable, my usual trick if the train splits at Salisbury is to sit in the part which terminates at Salisbury as it's normally quieter than the part which continues.