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Avanti West Coast seat selector

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alistairlees

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There is currently another reason to use the Avanti website for booking, other than a seat selector which copes with bookings of more than one passenger.

Until the end of the year, they will refund any advance tickets until 6pm the day before travel, with no fee. I took advantage of that this week, after accidentally booking 4 tickets in the wrong direction. I filled in the comment form one day, and the next day had confirmation that my fare was being refunded to my card - not in "e" credit or vouchers as the website suggested would happen.

That's superb service in my opinion
‘Book with Confidence’, as it’s called. Also available from pretty much every other retailer.
 
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mmh

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‘Book with Confidence’, as it’s called. Also available from pretty much every other retailer.
I didn't know that. Are the other retailers as prompt, though? I know ones that certainly aren't.
 

Mike395

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I didn't know that. Are the other retailers as prompt, though? I know ones that certainly aren't.

Certainly Trainsplit are pretty prompt - where a refund is due, this is typically processed Trainsplit's end within 24 hours then the refund posts to your payment method 2-3 days later.
 

XAM2175

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The book with confidence scheme doesn't allow for refunding advance tickets to a customer's card though surely? The customer should be issued a voucher.
It depends on the retailer. Trainsplit, for example, are refunding to the original payment method but only after a new journey has been booked.
 

Mcr Warrior

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It depends on the retailer. Trainsplit, for example, are refunding to the original payment method but only after a new journey has been booked.
Even if the new journey is at a lesser price than the original?
 

Mcr Warrior

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No, you forfeit the difference.
That's hardly booking with confidence then, is it? Just seems like an admin free advance ticket exchange. Are other ticket retailers retaining the difference (if any)?
 

XAM2175

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That's hardly booking with confidence then, is it? Just seems like an admin free advance ticket exchange. Are other ticket retailers retaining the difference (if any)?
In Trainsplit's implementation you have a year from the date you request the refund in which to book a new journey using the refund value. The new journey does not need to match the original journey in any way. I'd say both of these are a significant increase in flexibility compared to the standard process that 1) requires the rebooking be performed before requesting the refund, and 2) requires that the new journey be substantially similar to the original one.

The only other retailer I can speak to from my own experience is Scotrail, who refunded the entire fare to a physical RTV, which to me is less useful than Trainsplit's approach because - noting that you also forfeit the difference when using a physical RTV - I have to actually find a journey that I can use the thing on.

Either way, we're a bit off-topic now.
 

SouthernR

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I haven't been following this thread, so I apologise if this has been covered already.
Early this month I booked a return trip from Lancaster to London for 2 using Avanti.
Initially, it appeared that I couldn't buy tickets without reserving seats, although I couldn't see this stated anywhere. I got a message that no reserved seats were available for part of the outward or return journey, but no clue to which train(s) were affected. I tried a few different trains, but no change.
I tried again later and managed to book tickets without reservations.
I went to Penrith to collect the tickets but the computer said no, without giving a reason. (Do I have to go to the same station as on the ticket?)
Fortunately the ticket office cancelled the booking and sold me new tickets without reservations. The refund for the original tickets came through within a few days, but I didn't receive any message from Avanti.

I guess I'll try Trainsplit next time. It's usually not convenient to visit the station.

Can you buy any other TOC tickets from the Northern ticket machines?
 

LeylandLen

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The other Friday (15th) I caught 1M06 0800 Preston to Euston buying tickets on the day from machine at Preston. No need to reserve seats, plenty of space on train as I like a walk to see how well loaded the Pendos are . Looking at RT trains for todays 1M06 it does say '
reservations compulsory' Trying to book online with Avanti does seem to want reservations , even when routed via Manchester as an option.

Referring to last question in previous post , yes I can buy Avanti tickets from Northern machines. Assume you can for other TOCs
 

Bletchleyite

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The other Friday (15th) I caught 1M06 0800 Preston to Euston buying tickets on the day from machine at Preston. No need to reserve seats, plenty of space on train as I like a walk to see how well loaded the Pendos are . Looking at RT trains for todays 1M06 it does say '
reservations compulsory' Trying to book online with Avanti does seem to want reservations , even when routed via Manchester as an option.

Referring to last question in previous post , yes I can buy Avanti tickets from Northern machines. Assume you can for other TOCs

They are doing the same silly halfway-house dodge as LNER, involving marking it as compulsory in the timetable data so you can't buy a ticket online once the reservations run out, but nobody will stop you boarding without one on the day.

It's slightly less bad, though, as Avanti's TVMs will sell tickets without an itinerary, unlike LNER's.
 

Mcr Warrior

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It's slightly less bad, though, as Avanti's TVMs will sell tickets without an itinerary, unlike LNER's.
Found the Avanti (journey planner type) TVM at Preston (Lancs) decidedly labyrinthine and almost impossible to use when wanting tickets for a walk up day return journey to Edinburgh on the WCML yesterday. Almost no-one else using them either. Issue for me might, in part, have been all reservations gone on the next available direct service. Gave up and joined the lengthy queue to buy at the ticket office instead and plenty of room on board. :(
 
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