Virgin East Coast Line website revamp bad news

[willswitchengage]

All long distance services (those using HST/IET/Adelante) apparently now need a reservation which must be issued >2 hours prior to travel. Came into force 2016 but not really enforced on my experience.

Last time I traveled on the ECML they wouldn't even let you onto the platform without a reservation.

[mjr]

There have been loopholes in the past where one random TOC will allow you to book bike reservations on their website, i.e. I used to use East Coast to buy Virgin tickets for example, but AFAIK none of them now offer this service.

Last I checked, www.GWR.com still allows one to reserve bikes on any reservable service when buying tickets and I think there are others. However, you cannot buy Virgin web discount tickets that way, only usual Advance discount tickets, Off-peak and Anytime.

[st599_uk]

It hasn't gone well since I wrote that post earlier this morning.

I received two confirmation numbers, one by phone as my bike reservation and one on the confirmation email.

Waited two hours as the email suggested before trying to collect my tickets.

As predicted the tickets worked fine and I now have these in my wallet, but the bike reservation code was not recognised by the ticket machine. Look forward to more phone calls with LNER (outsourced call centre too).

I should reiterate that I have bought numerous bike reservations online before (not for a year or so mind), but for whatever reason this useful functionality has been removed. There have been loopholes in the past where one random TOC will allow you to book bike reservations on their website, i.e. I used to use East Coast to buy Virgin tickets for example, but AFAIK none of them now offer this service.

I use the GWR website to book bikes on the LNER (or whatever it's called now) KGX-NCL route.

[Oldjohnw]

It hasn't gone well since I wrote that post earlier this morning.

I received two confirmation numbers, one by phone as my bike reservation and one on the confirmation email.

Waited two hours as the email suggested before trying to collect my tickets.

As predicted the tickets worked fine and I now have these in my wallet, but the bike reservation code was not recognised by the ticket machine. Look forward to more phone calls with LNER (outsourced call centre too).

I should reiterate that I have bought numerous bike reservations online before (not for a year or so mind), but for whatever reason this useful functionality has been removed. There have been loopholes in the past where one random TOC will allow you to book bike reservations on their website, i.e. I used to use East Coast to buy Virgin tickets for example, but AFAIK none of them now offer this service.

I use the GWR website to book bikes on the LNER (or whatever it's called now) KGX-NCL route.

I had a major issue with LNER last year. Eventually booked in train using phone (Berwick to Pitlochry vie Edinburgh). Tickets arrived but one rage for bike missing, making the whole enterprise impossible. I had to go to station and rebook bikes,mother come home and book trains to match. Eventually, LNER gave me a refund. They also gave me £20 for use the previous day!

[willswitchengage]

Further time spent wasted today trying to sort this out: 30 minutes (detour on way home via big train station, queueing ages at the counter and liaising with the ticket lady).

Unsurprisingly my 'booking reference' remains a work of fiction and she could not locate it in their system - even saying that the 8-digit code was not what she would expect for a bike reservation. Time to start from scratch. Fortunately there was space on my outward so I've got a new bike reservation for that (and seat for some reason as they had to be booked together). On my way home however there is no space, apparently. So booked on the train half an hour later, which conveniently has no seats. So plan to just force my way onto the train I originally booked, knowing well that my space will be there.

Am sure I'll be back with more tales of woe when I actually execute this plan at the weekend.

[mr riff raff]

Just to add my LNER experience to this, I booked my seats online, then called their customer service number to book spaces for my bike.

Got a confirmation email about an hour after the conversation. Quite simple really.

I'll be back here in June having a proper rant when it's all gone belly up!!

[Sweep]

Just to add my LNER experience to this, I booked my seats online, then called their customer service number to book spaces for my bike.

Got a confirmation email about an hour after the conversation. Quite simple really.

I'll be back here in June having a proper rant when it's all gone belly up!!

You booked for you and paid without knowing if you could get the bike on with you?

Sounds risky unless the ticket you bought was a premium premium unbelievable price to foreigners ticket which allows you to travel on a range of trains.

[willswitchengage]

I (politely - being dispassionately furious never really helps) wrote to LNER the day after this debacle totting up all of the phone calls and train station visits I had to make purely to not actually be able to book a bike space and end up winging it on a service where the guard wasn't bothered.

Earlier today I received a surprisingly personal and well-articulated response, offering a refund of my fare. Every cloud and that.

I think the main learning point here is to book using an alternative TOC's web-system such as GWR who actually let you make bike reservations online.

[The utility cyclist]

Bought tickets and for the first time ever could not book the bike on a mid Thursday morning train out (from stevenage) and 1pm ish train on a Monday going back into London from Doncaster.
That was only after the system crashed three times at the train station so thought I'd take a punt phoning rather than cycling all the way to the LNER office.
A very helpful lady from Newcastle managed to sort me out and I learnt something new. You can get on a later train despite buying advance singles and it not cost you anything more IF there is no space on the train for your bike that you bought your travel tickets for and even if the following train is more expensive. So whilst it might not be ideal and maybe not workable for some it still meant I could get on a train about an hour later without additional costs.

I still think the system was faulty as it showed all spaces taken including Stevenage to Peterborough but from Peterborough to Doncaster it was empty. The return, one of the options was to get on a later train at Doncaster, go all the way into London then get back on another train to come back to Stevenage as that was the first available bike space, that train didn't stop at Stevenage but went all the way through to London but still suggested it when my end destination was Stevenage

I totally forgot the GWR website doh, why the hell LNER simply can't add the bike reservation bit back on I'll never know, just need to remember to go via GWR for next time