To think seats aren’t reserved on a train if they don’t put tickets out?

[alligatortoss]

Or are they still reserved regardless of tickets?

Some woman just asked me to move despite there being 8 rows of identical seats free behind me.

Totally different on the cinema. In trains reservations are often void because of previously cancelled trains.

"Oh my days I don’t get why some people are getting so worked up over this?"

lol you're the one who felt strongly enough to about to start a thread in the first place

If previous trains had been cancelled, wouldn’t the one OP was on have been packed? So not loads of empty seats around?

I reserve a seat because I need to sit down, I have a spinal injury that can’t be seen & is t obvious to others but I would be in agony if I had to stand for a long journey. I would expect to sit in the seat I reserved no matter what.

Shednik

I also have 4 kids, they are my responsability so I make sure I reserve seats for us. I dont expect not to bother and then for other people who have actually reserved seats to have to give them up and move to accomidate me and my children.

Ticket reservations still valid unless there’s a train announcement explicitly saying they’re not. Otherwise everyone would just yank the cards out of the seats they wanted, and travelling via TPE when it’s busy would be more hellish than it is already.

It’s reserved whether you paid for it or not. The only time I’ve been on a train and thisbignored is when a rain was cancelled beforehand and the cartridges were packed.

In those cases, the conductor usually doesn’t even come out to check tickets.

Its not a case of not bothering. I have reserved seats then missed my connection because the first train is delayed.

alligatortoss

"Yeah like I said, no one pays extra for a reserved seat on this train."

So what? If it's reserved, it's reserved just like at the cinema. Not paying extra doesn't unreserve it just because someone is annoyed they have to move.

"Oh my days I don’t get why some people are getting so worked up over this?"

Bit hypocritical considering you were worked up enough to start a thread about it, cuz if you didn't care much you wouldn't have bothered.

You don’t know why someone has deserved that specific seat. They could have a medical condition, motion sickness, need to be seated close to family members. The fact is that they’ve bothered to reserve.

Yeah like I said, no one pays extra for a reserved seat on this train.

I haven’t technically paid for the toblerone sitting in front of me as technically it’s BOGOF for its counterpart next to it. As I haven’t paid for it not is my name on it, does this mean that it’s okay for you to take it and eat it?

Just suck it up - either book a seat yourself as it’s free or move. But taking something, even if it’s free because it doesn’t show someone’s claim on it doesn’t make it right.

"Oh my days I don’t get why some people are getting so worked up over this?"

lol you're the one who felt strongly enough to about to start a thread in the first place

I’m not angry about it though. I genuinely wondered whether a reservation can still exist without a reservation showing.

It was a very boring interaction that happened, she said sorry I think these are our seats.

I said ok, got up and moved.

Not paying extra doesn't unreserve it just because someone is annoyed they have to move.

Sigh you’re missing the point.

I’m saying seat reservations are automatic and therefore less likely to have been reserved for specific reasons.

Most people would only bother to pay for a reservation if they specifically needed that seat.

Seat reservations aren't necessarily automatic. If I have the choice I sit at a table by the window near a charging point. Even if the reservation is free with an advance ticket if I chose it I expect to sit in it unless reservations are suspended.

I wouldn't embarrass MYSELF by asking someone to move if they were sitting on my seat if I didn't 110% know it WAS my seat. I would definitely move.

As others have said if the tickets are not out then how can you choose an unreserved seat? There are loads of reasons why you might be travelling without a reservation.
You get onto a train which is empty, no indication of any reserved vs free seats. The train then fills up. Last minute before the train leaves someone arrives with a reservation you had no way of knowing existed. In that case the train companies rightly suspend all reservations.
Those who have said this is poor customer service are also right. Thus should be a super rare occurrence, not a common one.

OF course they are reserved. Don’t be so ridiculous.

If someone has a ticket with a seat number on it, then they have reserved that seat. It doesn’t matter if there is a ticket on the seat or not

Not correct. If the tickets aren't on the seat or the electronic displays reservations don't apply.

Most people would only bother to pay for a reservation if they specifically needed that seat

Nobody pays for a reservation. Reservations are mandatory and free for certain cheaper travel deals- ie the ticket is an Advance ticket which is only usable on one specific train.

If you buy an open ticket, which is always more expensive than a specific advance ticket, you can ask for a reservation, which is still free, but you don't have to use the seat allocated. There is a route I use regularly with an open First class ticket but I sometimes don't take the allocated reserved seat.

You’re not to know but if it’s reserved then it’s their seat don’t be annoying

How can so many people not know how seat reservations work?

If there is no display - either electronic or paper tickets - then the seat reservations are invalid. The train companies all tell you that the reservation does not guarantee you a seat.

People who don't have a reserved seat are not meant to stand in the aisle when seats are empty. If the reservation system isn't working, it's a free for all.

I used to travel on Virgin West Coast a fair bit and they'd sometimes announce that they were having trouble downloading the seat reservations so they'd show on the screens, but that people should please sit in their reserved seats. They'd point people without reservations to coach U, which was always unreserved. So, sometimes they aren't showing, but are in force.

If someone has a ticket with the reserved seat number on it I'd move for them. They might have reserved that particular seat for a reason. If you want a guaranteed seat then you should reserve one. And I say this as someone who travels often by train with a child as I don't have a car.

I've seen people remove reserved tickets on crowded trains so they could sit down. This must happen so I'd say if you have proof or reservation the seat is yours.

Nope. London commuter here who pays an absolute fortune to get in and out. If there are no tickets out then the reservations are invalid. Then anyone can sit anywhere. Otherwise how is it fair that I can't choose a seat I know isn't reserved? I also probably pay more for my ticket than any flexible pre booked seat tickets..

YABVU if someone has a reservation it is their seat and you should move. people get worked up because if they are like me (12 hours on 7 different trains for work last week) they need a plug and seat to work in, hence reserving in advance. You know when you get on the train you don't have a seat. You should move for the person who can show you that they did make a reservation.