How reserved are reserved seats?

[easysteve589]

I’m planning to book a journey for 12 people from Motherwell to Birmingham (immediately when the dates open) and hoping to reserve 3 tables of 4 in the same carriage.

My first question is, apart from selecting table as a preference during booking on Trainline, are we actually likely to get tables and is there anything more we can do to secure it? Once you book on Trainline when are you seats actually confirmed to you?

Secondly, even if we’re able to reserve tables, I’m concerned that Motherwell is the second stop on the journey and that people will be sitting at the tables when the train arrives. Do people usually move out when asked?

Thirdly, I’ve heard that train companies often do away with reservations at the last minute. Is that true and is there any guidance on how likely that is to occur on an Avanti train? It’ll be an 8am train leaving midweek. Concerned they make the entire train unreserved from Glasgow and tables are taken by the times it gets to our stop.

All help appreciated as this is my first time travelling outside of Scotland on a train.

 

[A S Leib]

Use the Avanti website; no booking fees, and you can select seats on the seat map when booking tickets.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Sep 2024 ==

Secondly, even if we’re able to reserve tables, I’m concerned that Motherwell is the second stop on the journey and that people will be sitting at the tables when the train arrives. Do people usually move out when asked?

The second bit's variable; I've sometimes had people sitting in my seat reserved from Watford Junction who'd got on at Euston, but not frequently.

 

[azOOOOOma]

The only reason I’ve ever had to do away with seat reservations is due to a technical fault. I’ve never once had a company imposed cancellation of seat reservations.

 

[signed]

I’m planning to book a journey for 12 people from Motherwell to Birmingham (immediately when the dates open) and hoping to reserve 3 tables of 4 in the same carriage.

For that kind of booking (> 9), I would try to contact the Group Booking service of Avanti, you may get further bulk discounts

Group Train Tickets | Avanti West Coast

Book group train travel for school trips, events or an extra special journey.

www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk

 

[Hadders]

The forum's ticket site has a seat selector and will offer a cheaper combination of tickets for you journey, if it is available.

I do not recommend Trainline as they charge booking fees.

 

[easysteve589]

Thanks for the replies already. Super helpful. The Avanti seat booker sounds like the smartest option. However, unless I’m missing something, when I check the same journey on Avanti versus Trainline, it’s significantly cheaper on Trainline as they offer the split ticket option. Is there a way to get the same price directly via Avanti so I can reserve tables at the time of booking?

 

[The exile]

Thanks for the replies already. Super helpful. The Avanti seat booker sounds like the smartest option. However, unless I’m missing something, when I check the same journey on Avanti versus Trainline, it’s significantly cheaper on Trainline as they offer the split ticket option. Is there a way to get the same price directly via Avanti so I can reserve tables at the time of booking

I should have thought that ticket splitting and maintaining the same reservations through are as near as makes no difference mutually incompatible.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I should have thought that ticket splitting and maintaining the same reservations through are as near as makes no difference mutually incompatible.

If you use Trainsplit you can use the seat picker and it'll put you in the same one throughout if you do.

 

[WelshBluebird]

The only reason I’ve ever had to do away with seat reservations is due to a technical fault. I’ve never once had a company imposed cancellation of seat resreservations

Generally it usually happens with short formations. So it depends how common those are in the specific ToC I guess. For GWR (my local), then short forms are incredibly common so reservations being cancelled is also common. After all you can't fit 10 carriages of reservations into 5 carriages.

 

[easysteve589]

Generally it usually happens with short formations. So it depends how common those are in the specific ToC I guess. For GWR (my local), then short forms are incredibly common so reservations being cancelled is also common. After all you can't fit 10 carriages of reservations into 5 carriages.

The train I’m planning to book has 10 carriages but only 5 of those are standard class reservable. The other 5 are first or unreserved. Would you class that as a short formation? If it’s a common occurrence I may choose to travel to board at the first stop on the journey to guarantee a table.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Sep 2024 ==

If you use Trainsplit you can use the seat picker and it'll put you in the same one throughout if you do.

Great advice thanks. Does anyone know what time tickets go on sale via Avanti? I understand tickets open up 84 days (12 weeks) before the scheduled departure day. If I look now for tickets on 19th Dec, 84 days before that is today, but as a check there are still no tickets available to buy. Can the 84 days vary at times and is there a specific time of day where tickets become bookable?

 

[Adam Williams]

Great advice thanks. Does anyone know what time tickets go on sale via Avanti? I understand tickets open up 84 days (12 weeks) before the scheduled departure day. If I look now for tickets on 19th Dec, 84 days before that is today, but as a check there are still no tickets available to buy. Can the 84 days vary at times and is there a specific time of day where tickets become bookable?

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/advance-booking-dates/ is the page to keep an eye on. Time of day varies from TOC to TOC

 

[easysteve589]

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/advance-booking-dates/ is the page to keep an eye on. Time of day varies from TOC to TOC

Thanks! Not sure how reliable that page might be though. For Avanti it says weekday bookings currently available up until 13th December, but I can free book now up until 17th December via Avanti app. Might just have to keep frantically checking around the time

 

[Adam Williams]

Thanks! Not sure how reliable that page might be though. For Avanti it says weekday bookings currently available up until 13th December, but I can free book now up until 17th December via Avanti app. Might just have to keep frantically checking around the time

It's supposed to be a canonical source, but yeah.. information provisions in this area are poor.

Really it should be machine-readable data that's provided by the reservation system, rather than a page that humans edit.

 

[Falcon1200]

The train I’m planning to book has 10 carriages but only 5 of those are standard class reservable.

All Avanti services from Glasgow Central are either 9 or 11 car Pendolinos and cannot therefore be short-formed. There are the same number of reserveable coaches in either case, as it cannot be guaranteed which set will form which train.

There is however no direct Avanti train from Motherwell to Birmingham at around 0800, the 0800 Glasgow Central-Euston via Birmingham does not call at Motherwell! With Avanti it would be necessary either to travel into Glasgow first and backtrack, or take the 0736 Glasgow Central-Euston, which stops at Motherwell at 0752, and change somewhere between Carlisle and Warrington. There is however an 0804 Cross Country direct service from Motherwell to Birmingham New Street via the East Coast.

 

[easysteve589]

All Avanti services from Glasgow Central are either 9 or 11 car Pendolinos and cannot therefore be short-formed. There are the same number of reserveable coaches in either case, as it cannot be guaranteed which set will form which train.

There is however no direct Avanti train from Motherwell to Birmingham at around 0800, the 0800 Glasgow Central-Euston via Birmingham does not call at Motherwell! With Avanti it would be necessary either to travel into Glasgow first and backtrack, or take the 0736 Glasgow Central-Euston, which stops at Motherwell at 0752, and change somewhere between Carlisle and Warrington. There is however an 0804 Cross Country direct service from Motherwell to Birmingham New Street via the East Coast.

I’ll be getting the 7.52 from Motherwell and changing at Wigan. Think I’ve now figured out the best way to go about reserving tables. Only concern that remains is train arrives at Motherwell and reservations either aren’t showing on the display (which seems to happen) or all reservations are cancelled. In those circumstances I doubt we could ask people who have boarded at Glasgow to move.

 

[gray1404]

In those circumstances you cannot ask people to move. I would advise heading to one of the unreserved coaches. You might be better changing before Wigan if possible.

 

[easysteve589]

In those circumstances you cannot ask people to move. I would advise heading to one of the unreserved coaches. You might be better changing before Wigan if possible.

Good advice thanks. Can any frequent Avanti travellers speak to how often seat reservations aren’t honoured due to issues with the display or the entire train being made unreserved for operational reasons?