LNER - First Class unreserved seats

[SammyJ]

I don't know if this is the right place to post (apologies)

I have booked a group of 4 of us to go from Edinburgh to Kings Cross next month, the seat generator has given us a table in Coach M, but having looked on the website, is this an unreserved coach?

There are other tables in Coach K & L, so should I just amend the booking and move us, as I don't want us arriving and being told that our seat reservation isn't valid because its for customers who couldn't reserve a seat?

 

[Bletchleyite]

There aren't any fully unreserved coaches on LNER these days, only part of the coach is unreserved even in Standard.

 

[SammyJ]

This was is on the LNER Website Bletchleyite

Unreserved seating​

There is limited unreserved seating in coach C (Standard) and coaches E or M (First Class) available on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

[Vexed]

For a 9 car the table closest to the kitchen is unreserved (M5 to M8) and the single seat next to the kitchen (M4). The rest of the seats in coach M are reservable. I wouldn't move your seats out of M - you'll be the first to get food and drink because you're right next to the kitchen. I assume you got M11 to M14?

The reservation system shouldn't reserve you seats that are unreservable. Unless it's one of the few services starting in Aberdeen or Inverness, you'll be boarding at the origin.

 

[Warrior2852]

I don't know if this is the right place to post (apologies)

I have booked a group of 4 of us to go from Edinburgh to Kings Cross next month, the seat generator has given us a table in Coach M, but having looked on the website, is this an unreserved coach?

There are other tables in Coach K & L, so should I just amend the booking and move us, as I don't want us arriving and being told that our seat reservation isn't valid because its for customers who couldn't reserve a seat?

A small part of coach M is unreserved but the majority of it is still reserved seats. If you have been given a seat reservation, it will be valid.

 

[sh24]

Keep those seats! Nicest part of First IME.

 

[Bletchleyite]

This was is on the LNER Website Bletchleyite

Unreserved seating​

There is limited unreserved seating in coach C (Standard) and coaches E or M (First Class) available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Correct. There is limited unreserved seating in those coaches, which won't include the seats you have reserved. I believe it's about half a coach in each.

 

[SammyJ]

For a 9 car the table closest to the kitchen is unreserved (M5 to M8) and the single seat next to the kitchen (M4). The rest of the seats in coach M are reservable. I wouldn't move your seats out of M - you'll be the first to get food and drink because you're right next to the kitchen. I assume you got M11 to M14?

The reservation system shouldn't reserve you seats that are unreservable. Unless it's one of the few services starting in Aberdeen or Inverness, you'll be boarding at the origin.

That's right, seats M11 - M14, I will deffo keep them them!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Jun 2026 ==

Thanks all! I will keep the seats given then. Ill need to learn to relax as I always see something and go straight into panic mode.

 

[PZ 08895]

Travelled on the Up Highland Chieftain from Inverness on Sunday and it was as described by Vexed, M4 to M8 unreserved and everything else reserved. You have the least chance of items on the menu running out in this coach as you get served first.

 

[Ralph Ayres]

That's right, seats M11 - M14, I will deffo keep them them!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Jun 2026 ==

Thanks all! I will keep the seats given then. Ill need to learn to relax as I always see something and go straight into panic mode.

Glad I'm not the only panic mode-er! I similarly reserved in First on LNER recently, then checked later exactly where my seat was to find that the carriage I'd been put in appeared not to exist. I'd had nothing from LNER to say there'd been a change but rather than risk being seatless I reserved another seat but on the day the original carriage had mysteriously reappeared.

 

[VT 390]

you'll be the first to get food and drink because you're right next to the kitchen.

You have the least chance of items on the menu running out in this coach as you get served first.

This is usually the case but I have been on multiple services where either the food or drinks come through last in carriage M as they sometimes go to the other end of first class (K) and work backwards from there.

 

[800Travel]

This is usually the case but I have been on multiple services where either the food or drinks come through last in carriage M as they sometimes go to the other end of first class (K) and work backwards from there.

I've seen this a couple of times - also had it where food starts from K and drinks start from M. It's quite frustrating that it isn't consistently all starting from M, but most of the time it does.

 

[yorkie]

... I similarly reserved in First on LNER recently, then checked later exactly where my seat was...

I don't know if this is the right place to post (apologies)

I have booked a group of 4 of us to go from Edinburgh to Kings Cross next month, the seat generator has given us a table in Coach M, but having looked on the website, is this an unreserved coach?

The LNER website does allow you to book a specific seat at the time of booking, before you submit payment, however it only works for LNER services.

The forum's ticketing site also has a seat selector, so again you can select your seat before submitting payment, but it works for all operators who offer reservations.

For longer journeys such as Edinburgh to London, do be aware that LNER can charge premium fares over and above the cost of some of the individual segments (which our site looks to mitigate against).