Tickets bought from different locations, sitting together.

[philthetube]

I have a Retired Priv, my mother has a senior rail card and my brother nothing. We are planning a trip around Scotland early next year and would like to sit together. We will be using virgin East and West Coast and Scotrail.

Without actually getting together is there any way that we can get reservations together as we would like to buy advance tickets and cannot get together before our trip as we live in different parts of the country and are planning on meeting in Preston.

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[bb21]

"Use a station ticket office" is the only thing I can really suggest. The clerk would be able to book you seats together.

 

[philthetube]

"Use a station ticket office" is the only thing I can really suggest. The clerk would be able to book you seats together.

This is not possible because of needing to produce railcards to buy tickets, Cheers though.

Why you need a railcard to buy a ticket from and office but not online or from a machine beats me.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Or book on the EC/WC site (as relevant) and use the seat selector?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[najaB]

This is not possible because of needing to produce railcards to buy tickets, Cheers though.

Why you need a railcard to buy a ticket from and office but not online or from a machine beats me.

Strictly speaking, ticket offices can sell you a future-dated railcard discounted ticket without seeing the railcard, they just need to advise you of the requirement to hold the railcard when you travel.

 

[robbeech]

As stated above there is no rule that you have to show a railcard when purchasing a ticket but clearly you need it to travel. One would assume that it would be best for you to purchase them as you have the 'best' card. I can't see why any sensible member of staff would say no to you showing them your railcard, asking for 3 tickets one of which has a different railcard and one without. The only downside is you'd have to buy all the tickets so if you were planning on buying them separately you'd have to sort out the finances with your family. A good ticket office should reserve you 3 seats if you explain the situation thus negating the need to buy all the tickets.

I have bought tickets with two together discount without showing the card before, I did have it on me but was never asked for it.

 

[yorkie]

I have a Retired Priv, my mother has a senior rail card and my brother nothing. We are planning a trip around Scotland early next year and would like to sit together. We will be using virgin East and West Coast and Scotrail.

Without actually getting together is there any way that we can get reservations together as we would like to buy advance tickets and cannot get together before our trip as we live in different parts of the country and are planning on meeting in Preston.

Thanks in anticipation.

Virgin Trains and Virgin Trains East Coast both offer seat selectors (though the latter doesn't always work), or alternatively visit a ticket office with helpful staff who apply common sense. While not all ticket office staff would be happy to fulfil the request (and act in a way that appears to want the demise of their own jobs), I know many would, you may just have to 'shop around' a bit.

 

[AlterEgo]

Virgin Trains and Virgin Trains East Coast both offer seat selectors (though the latter doesn't always work), or alternatively visit a ticket office with helpful staff who apply common sense. While not all ticket office staff would be happy to fulfil the request (and act in a way that appears to want the demise of their own jobs), I know many would, you may just have to 'shop around' a bit.

Unfortunately the OP has a Priv, so if they are buying a Priv fare they won't be able to use the website to purchase their ticket.

 

[yorkie]

Unfortunately the OP has a Priv, so if they are buying a Priv fare they won't be able to use the website to purchase their ticket.

Yes but you can still use the websites to get around ticket office staff who are trying to do themselves and their colleagues out of a job.

Either:
1) Use the seat selector to find a spare table, book the Railcard discounted fares online, make a note of the details of the remaining seats at that table and provide that to the booking office, for the PRIV ticket to be booked into one of the remaining seats.

Or:
2) Ask at a ticket office for the PRIV ticket to be issued with a reservation at a table with at least 3 remaining seats, and then book the other two tickets into seats at that table online using the seat selector (or the other passengers can do this in person at a different booking office).

The rail industry does sometimes make things harder than they should be, but there's usually a 'workaround'!

 

[bb21]

If those seats are reserved in the interim, he'll be snookered.

I still think visiting a ticket office is the best bet, even if one has to shop around.

 

[AlterEgo]

If those seats are reserved in the interim, he'll be snookered.

I still think visiting a ticket office is the best bet, even if one has to shop around.

Another option is to purchase tickets without reservations (not possible if these are Advances though). Then, ring, Facebook, or tweet the TOCs involved and make reservations that way.

A final option is to call a TOC's Assisted Travel team, if any of you require help. They can reserve seats on any TOC and will not require proof of purchasing the tickets.

 

[najaB]

Another option is to purchase tickets without reservations (not possible if these are Advances though). Then, ring, Facebook, or tweet the TOCs involved and make reservations that way.

My experience is that this will work with Cross Country even with Advance tickets. They did it for me for a journey yesterday with five colleagues.

 

[AlterEgo]

My experience is that this will work with Cross Country even with Advance tickets. They did it for me for a journey yesterday with five colleagues.

Yes, some TOCs are nice enough to cancel the existing reservations and make new ones. However a new reservation coupon will not normally be issued (CR do not have the capability to do so).

 

[najaB]

However a new reservation coupon will not normally be issued (CR do not have the capability to do so).

Nope. But they did put my name on the display.

 

[RJ]

As stated above there is no rule that you have to show a railcard when purchasing a ticket but clearly you need it to travel.

It's certainly a published condition of railcards that it must to be shown at time of purchasing a ticket. It's shown in bold letters on the leaflets. It's also shown in bold letters online.

To be honest as a ticket office clerk, I help people where I can. In the OP's case I'd sell all the tickets and do the reservations, but I would have to see the Priv at point of sale. That's just me though, there will be others who'd insist on seeing the Senior railcard.

 

[philthetube]

It's certainly a published condition of railcards that it must to be shown at time of purchasing a ticket. It's shown in bold letters on the leaflets. It's also shown in bold letters online.

To be honest as a ticket office clerk, I help people where I can. In the OP's case I'd sell all the tickets and do the reservations, but I would have to see the Priv at point of sale. That's just me though, there will be others who'd insist on seeing the Senior railcard.

I would never expect to be sold a priv ticket without having it and I do want to buy all the tickets, I guess I will have to shop around to find a friendly ticket office,

Thanks all.

 

[bb21]

To be honest as a ticket office clerk, I help people where I can. In the OP's case I'd sell all the tickets and do the reservations, but I would have to see the Priv at point of sale. That's just me though, there will be others who'd insist on seeing the Senior railcard.

Once I acquired an over-distance excess on a Priv fare without having the priv card on me (not for myself) at an EMT ticket office, but was told it was strictly a one-off. That remained my only experience.

 

[crehld]

My experience is that this will work with Cross Country even with Advance tickets. They did it for me for a journey yesterday with five colleagues.

Virgin West Coast do this all the time via Twitter, so maybe worth a try.

But as bb21 says, visiting a friendly ticket office is likely to get you the desired result!

 

[MichaelAMW]

I should have thought the Priv card would have a fair bit of "clout" at the ticket office, i.e. you would probably be able to get the booking clerk to trust that you will ensure the railcard is held when the journey is undertaken.

 

[RJ]

I should have thought the Priv card would have a fair bit of "clout" at the ticket office, i.e. you would probably be able to get the booking clerk to trust that you will ensure the railcard is held when the journey is undertaken.

If seen at the time of booking, yes. Unfortunately I've had a few people come to me with other staff passes and IDs insisting on a Priv rate ticket, who get upset when I say no!

 

[jumble]

It's certainly a published condition of railcards that it must to be shown at time of purchasing a ticket. It's shown in bold letters on the leaflets. It's also shown in bold letters online.

To be honest as a ticket office clerk, I help people where I can. In the OP's case I'd sell all the tickets and do the reservations, but I would have to see the Priv at point of sale. That's just me though, there will be others who'd insist on seeing the Senior railcard.

In my view this condition of showing the railcard seems to be pretty asinine and not serve much useful purpose as one can order tickets on line ( and from machines?) without showing any railcard.
In fact it is detrimental to their customers as if you buy from a ticket office you may need to buy the railcard earlier than if you buy your ticket 3 months in advance on the website but you only need to buy the railcard the same day of travel so you get an extra 3 months validity

Mind you the California Railways insisted on you showing a passport at ticket office when you can buy the same ticket from a machine 10 metres away.
Why anyone but an imbecele thinks this is sensible I cannot begin to imagine.

 

[najaB]

In my view this condition of showing the railcard seems to be pretty asinine and not serve much useful purpose as one can order tickets on line ( and from machines?) without showing any railcard.

As I understand it, the rule came about since a large proportion of ticket window purchases are for immediate travel: "Well, the guy who sold me the ticket didn't say anything about needing the railcard."