I have just received this from a friend:
We enjoyed our trip north despite a few setbacks such as having to fight for our booked forward seats on the train up to inverness on which two American ladies had knowingly removed the tickets from the back of the seats.
I thought at first that it was reservations issued twice for the same train (which was mentioned on another thread recently... it may well have been that issue.) This couple have senior railcards but will be paying proper public fares, they might have split tickets but they still think they pay a lot for the benefits that first class should bring!Our journey home was a bit of a disaster . When we got to Waverley we were greeted by someone who told us that our reserved forward facing seats had been double booked as a group was taking up two entire first class carriages. After being made to hang about the platform making it look as if it was our fault they offered us a forward and backward seat in the other 1st class carriage which was next to the kitchen and quite hot and noisy. The at seat service was not brilliant because they were busy with the other two carriages.
When we got to Crewe the train failed to move off again and we waited about half an hour before we were able to move on to stafford. Literally a minute before we got in to Stafford he told us that people going to Birmingham and International had to get off and find another train.
On arrival home, the Trainline had already emailed to say that I was due a full refund on the first class journey from Edinburgh to Birmingham I claimed and that turned up within a week.
We are off to Harrogate this week (by car)