Anyone been on a LNER train recently? Seating question..

[WoolySock]

Posting here for traffic.

Wondering has anyone been on a LNER train recently? Looking to book for a family of 4, understand we must have seat reservations but our allocated seats are all separated. I can edit but can only put 2 on each table (which is fine) but wanted to check if the other 2 seats are greyed out because of social distancing or is it because someone is going to be seated there? There are no keys on the seating map as to what the grey seats mean.

Also this is the refund policy, does that mean £10 per ticket to transfer to another date?

Any help appreciated. Thanks

Advance tickets are not refundable. However, we understand that sometimes your plans might change. If you want to change your Advance ticket, please contact our Customer Servicee_ team or visit a Travel Centre. They'll refund your current Advance ticket and you'll have to purchase a new Advance ticket. A £10 admin fee will apply.

It is likely to do with social distancing as you say and yes it's normally £10 per ticket for any changes/refunds.

The other two table seats will be empty so you can all just sit together. Did this last week on two journeys.

The seating thing is apparently to ensure everyone sits in window seats, to get people as far as possible from anyone sitting on the other side of the aisle. And to allow space for people passing down the aisle.

As a family of 3, we were separated into 3 individual seats, each separated by another row! I rebelled, and sat DS(8) opposite me at the table that was my seat (on the (correct) assumption that they wouldn't have booked anyone else around the table), and DH sat in his reserved seat. But it turned out that other people had reserved seats in the empty rows between us! I was utterly bemused as to how lner thought that was "safer" than just seating us together in the first place, but there you go...

On the £10 thing, yes, that's standard, even pre-covid. Not sure if there is any leeway if you can't travel because of symptoms. I seem to remember there was in Aug when we travelled, but I think that exemption has been removed now.

I booked a table seat for my mum then moved my reservation to the other side of the table so we had the whole thing if that makes any sense. Your family should be able to sit at the whole table.