Half empty train, no tickets available to buy on line......

[Manix]

I frequently travel by rail on business, and try to travel 1st class where possible as it makes it easier/possible to work during the journey.

I buy my tickets from websites, usually directly from Virgin East Coast (but it doesn't matter which website I use, I get the same results described below from all of them).

Fairly frequently there are no 1st class tickets AT ANY PRICE on the journeys that I want to book, but when I arrive to catch the train, 1st class is only 30/50% full.

Does anyone have any idea why the train companies want to run 1st class at this low rate of occupancy? I can understand them offering a limited amount of discounted tickets, but to offer no tickets at any price when the train is so under booked seems bonkers to me........

 

[Bletchleyite]

Fairly frequently there are no 1st class tickets AT ANY PRICE on the journey's that I want to book, but when I arrive to catch the train, 1st class is only 30/50% full.

I'm guessing not a Permitted Route? Because there is no restriction on the number of First Anytime Singles and Returns on sale, therefore you should be able to buy one to use on any train whether nominally "full" or not.

Do you have a screenshot of the booking engine you use showing the trains it won't sell?

 

[northwichcat]

Without details of the stations it's between it's not possible to say why you are experiencing that.

First Class tickets aren't limited as Neil Williams has said, only First Class Advance tickets that restrict you to a specific service. With First Class Advance tickets they won't sell out all the seats otherwise they'll be no First Class seats available for the people who pay full price on the day.

 

[LexyBoy]

What's the journey you are making?

Some journeys ("flows") just don't have first class tickets available - though this is usually only the case when there is no first class service on the route.

 

[Haywain]

What's the journey you are making?

Some journeys ("flows") just don't have first class tickets available - though this is usually only the case when there is no first class service on the route.

It's quite often the case on flows where there is only a limited first class service. Until recently Beverley to Hull did not have first class fares, and nor did (IIRC) Skipton to Leeds. I don't doubt there are lots of others.

 

[fireftrm]

I agree with all above and guess the poster is tryingt o book tickets from a starting station where the connecting service has no first class, or the system thinks there isn't (i.e. Malton often comes up with no 1st option despite the TOE always having 1st). Changing the search to the main VTEC station (such as York) to the other VTEC (say London) never fails to offer a 1st fare, advance and, or full rate. Of course you need to have 1st selected as a search option too.....

 

[Manix]

Thanks for all the replies!

Attached is a screenshot for a trip from Peterborough to Poulton le Fylde using the TPExpress website (I would get the same results from VirginEC and Trainline)

For many of the services/routes shown on the screenshot, 1st class tickets are not available at any price, but 1st class service is available on all legs e.g. the 11.16 service from Peterborough to Poulton .

If I were to visit the individual websites for the operating companies and book the individual legs, then 1st class would normally be available, but that means booking 3 separate tickets for each journey.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Seems, oddly, that there are no First Class fares for that route. You could I suppose split at Preston?

 

[northwichcat]

Thanks for all the replies!

Attached is a screenshot for a trip from Peterborough to Poulton le Fylde using the TPExpress website (I would get the same results from VirginEC and Trainline)

For many of the services/routes shown on the screenshot, 1st class tickets are not available at any price, but 1st class service is available on all legs e.g. the 11.16 service from Peterborough to Poulton .

If I were to visit the individual websites for the operating companies and book the individual legs, then 1st class would normally be available, but that means booking 3 separate tickets for each journey.

The 11:16 departure doesn't have FC available between Preston and Poulton. However, for the services where FC tickets are available it involves travelling on a Northern service between Leeds and Poulton, so a much longer journey without FC.

I wonder if the FC tickets have been withdrawn by accident as a result of TPE replacing 185s (with FC) with 156s (without FC.)

 

[Stats]

The fare setter for that flow is EMT who, according to journey planners, do not have 1st class on their services, hence no 1st class fare.

Perhaps you should get in touch with TPE and ask them to consider introducing an Advance or TOC/Route specific 1st class fare for this flow.

 

[Haywain]

While there are no walk-up first class fares, the only Advance first class fares are set by Virgin Trains East Coast. However, these do not seem to have any quotas on TPE services where first class is otherwise available. This is TPE's choice but it does make the Advance fares virtually impossible to obtain.

 

[Manix]

The 11:16 departure doesn't have FC available between Preston and Poulton.

Yes, you're right in the case of the 11.16. At other times this route uses VT from Preston (or from Picadilly) to Poulton, which does have FC.