Just a random theory about booked tickets

[mrredrunner100]

Hi
Sorry if this is in the wrong section, if so please feel free to move it

It crossed my mind today that when people pre-book tickets you get a ticket to wherever and then the seat reservation as a separate ticket. Does this mean that if you miss the train your booked on, you can still use the main ticket but the seat reservation won't be valid anymore. Is this correct?

Just a random theory that popped into my head

 

[1E05]

It all depends on the ticket type booked. If the ticket say 'advance' then no, that ticket is valid only on the booked train. If any other ticket type is booked (super off peak, off peak and anytime) then yes, travel is allowed on the next or previous train so long as the ticket is used within its validity (for example you cannot board a peak time train with a SOP or OP ticket)

 

[transmanche]

It crossed my mind today that when people pre-book tickets you get a ticket to wherever and then the seat reservation as a separate ticket. Does this mean that if you miss the train your booked on, you can still use the main ticket but the seat reservation won't be valid anymore. Is this correct?

It depends on the ticket type.

If it's an Advance ticket, then that's only valid on the booked train. You'll see this because the ticket will say 'Only valid with reservation' (or similar wording).

If it's a flexible ticket (e.g. Anytime, Off-peak, Super Off-peak) then you're not tied to a specific train, so the ticket will be valid on another train (providing of course that you abide by all the other validity conditions of the ticket).

 

[Muzer]

Of course, when you say "if you miss your train", if it's clearly not your fault then ticket office staff might take pity on you - and if it's the railway's fault, you can certainly use it on the next available train. This only applies to advance tickets where that restriction exists, as others have said.

If you miss it just because you haven't left enough time, though, you're on your own