Booking railway tickets - iPad Apps!!!!

[Dave2002]

I was recently recommended yet another train ticket booking service, at Red Spotted Hanky. Previously I used Cross Country Trains.

Yesterday I tried to book tickets using the site via my iPad. Mistake!

As I tried to access the site I was informed that there was an App for this service. I downloaded the app and ran it.

I was successful in booking the tickets, but was not presented with any options re carriage, seat direction etc.
I did get a seat reservation.

Today I rang up the RSH line, and was told that "it's a new app - it doesn't have the seat reservation feature - yet!".
Apparently if I'd stuck with the regular web page I'd have been given the option.

The only "helpful" advice I was given was that sometimes train operators can change the seat reservation. Maybe I'll try, but it may be more trouble than it's worth. Perhaps the men in our local station will be able to help tomorrow if I take the booking in to them.

This new fangled App stuff often seems to cause problems incommensurate with the supposed extra convenience they claim to offer.

Hopefully these, and other service operators will eventually get things like this right.

[Petrushka]

I use East Midlands Trains website to book from Derby to London (in fact I'm just about to do so for upcoming Proms) and although the site is a bit clunky it works smoothly enough. I can't see the point of choice of seat direction or reservation as there are usually so many no-shows you can most often grab a decent seat anyway. Who are all these people who purchase an advance train ticket and never turn up? Very odd.

I avoid Red Spotted Hanky and The Trainline as they offer nothing in the way of saving.

[Dave2002]

I avoid Red Spotted Hanky and The Trainline as they offer nothing in the way of saving.

Apparently they give points, but whether "points mean prizes" I can't yet say. RSH seems to be quite a useful site if you want to look for cheap deals, though requires some careful navigation. I am not convinced about the App either, and so far I might have been better without it. If you know what train you want to get then I would recommend Cross Country - though it may be similar to East Midlands. I avoid ones which charge me a booking fee if possible, unless there's some other advantage or no other way.

[Flay]

I've never had problems with the National Rail Enquiries site:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

[MrGongGong]

I avoid Red Spotted Hanky and The Trainline as they offer nothing in the way of saving.

They also have had some trains that simply don't exist on their timetables
As someone who travels up and down the east coast frequently I had a look at the hankie people who had all this puffy advertising and were more expensive than East Coasts own site

[Petrushka]

They also have had some trains that simply don't exist on their timetables
As someone who travels up and down the east coast frequently I had a look at the hankie people who had all this puffy advertising and were more expensive than East Coasts own site

It's a long time since I looked but I seem to recall something similar when I investigated. I very often find that London Midland going into Euston can offer good discounts but the journey takes twice as long, has uncomfortable seats and when I tried them there was no toilet on the train and they made a 'toilet stop' at Stafford ! Embarrassingly awful. You pay extra for East Midland Trains but they are generally fast and reliable.

[LeMartinPecheur]

Who are all these people who purchase an advance train ticket and never turn up? Very odd.

I think some people don't bother finding their reserved seat if there's one available where they board the train. Perhaps they also get off on the thought that that way they could be blocking up two seats?

[Flosshilde]

I have to confess that when I have an open return ticket & I'm not sure which train I will catch (day or time) I sometimes reserve a seat on the train I hope to catch, & one on the next train. I don't feel that it blocks the seat I end up not using, as if I find an un-occupied reserved seat which is better than the one I'm in (more leg-room; by the window rather than the wall) I move to it (once the train has left the station it's reserved from).

[Dave2002]

I have to confess that when I have an open return ticket & I'm not sure which train I will catch (day or time) I sometimes reserve a seat on the train I hope to catch, & one on the next train. I don't feel that it blocks the seat I end up not using, as if I find an un-occupied reserved seat which is better than the one I'm in (more leg-room; by the window rather than the wall) I move to it (once the train has left the station it's reserved from).

If everyone did that perhaps the train people would start overbooking like airlines. I suppose then they'd have to have check in as well, which would complicate things further, though might lead to fuller employment, and perhaps also higher prices depending on whether the staffing costs exceed any efficiency savings costs.

It's an interesting point you make though. My tickets tend to be cheap and "not valid without reservation". I have been on trains towards the west where most seats appeared to be reserved and occupied, while on others seats (e.g to Sheffield) are only occupied for part of the journey, if at all.

PS: Your logic re seat blocking is slightly flawed as there could be at least one seat on at least one train which is empty if everyone needs to reserve in order to travel.

[Dave2002]

I think some people don't bother finding their reserved seat if there's one available where they board the train. Perhaps they also get off on the thought that that way they could be blocking up two seats?

Apart from that, I have been known to spend considerable time in the Restaurant carriage, which means my reserved seat may be unoccupied. It's not a perfect world or system . Surely if others were getting off they wouldn't block any seats

Nope - now it's my logic which is flawed if there's a requirement to only sit in one's reserved seat. Couldn't resist the previous sentence, though.

[Flosshilde]

Surely if others were getting off they wouldn't block any seats

if there's a requirement to only sit in one's reserved seat. Couldn't resist the previous sentence, though.

The ticket checkers or train managers or whatever they are called never seem to be bothered if I am sitting in a different seat. Obviously, if the rightful reservee claimed their seat, having spent the first part of the journey in the restaurant carriage (restaurant carriage? are we travelling on the Orient Express?) I would relinquish it.

[MrGongGong]

The ticket checkers or train managers or whatever they are called never seem to be bothered if I am sitting in a different seat. .

They also don't seem to take any notice of whether its a "QUIET" coach either

[Resurrection Man]

They also have had some trains that simply don't exist on their timetables
...

Are you, perchance, referring to those fascinating 'ghost' trains? Radio 4 had a feature on them a while back.

[amateur51]

They also don't seem to take any notice of whether its a "QUIET" coach either

Oh I've seen them in action - they can be very effective if approached appropriately

[Dave2002]

... having spent the first part of the journey in the restaurant carriage (restaurant carriage? are we travelling on the Orient Express?) ...

What phrase would you use then?
Restaurant car
Restaurant wagon
Sandwich bar
Beer tent
Train cafe

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