Virgin Trains. Pregnant. No seats.

[MindTheGap6]

Starting a whole new thread on this one!

Missed my train this morning due to delays. Got on the next train to London. Virgin train. No seats, 5 months pregnant, painful joints, very unsteady and uncomfortable. All seats booked apart from first class. Found conductor to see if he could find me a seat as I'm pregnant and unsteady. Was told no to sitting in a practically empty first class, and that I should get off the train and get a less busy one if I want a seat. Three members of staff currently on duty sat in first class (fine, but would've expected them to at least help me find a seat). Wasn't told about priority seats. Had to wait until a very kind woman spotted me and loudly said that she couldn't believe nobody allowed me to sit and that people should be ashamed (this is after I nearly fell over trying to pull my terribly uncomfortable maternity jeans up!). Originally had a seat booked but connection was delayed so missed it (whole other story!). Feeling frustrated and stupid.

AIBU to think that this is pretty poor form? Or do I need to suck it up and get on with it as 'being pregnant isn't an illness' as I've heard many times before on MN (prepared for that)

Op...i travelled virgin whilst pregnant and every time was allowed into first to sit if no seats. Never ever been refused. I just found the guard.

Talk to virgin

I see this all the time. People often just sit there and act somewhat surprised when they're either asked to leave or pay a small amount for an upgrade.

Had this a few months ago, the train was changed for a different one and thus there were no seat reservations. Couple got on talking very loudly about how disgusting it was there were no reservations and said 'Oh, we'll pop into First Class then'. Conductor politely told them there were plenty of free seats in Standard and they were turned away.

Not that the OP did any of this!

I don't think you can do the cheap upgrade on weekday trains.

The point is not that she wanted to sit in first class, just that she wanted to SIT DOWN. And it is part of the conductor's job to find her a seat. It is not 'shaming' someone out of their seat it is just consideration for other people. I think it's fair to consider other people's already spent money less important than your own lack of pain. That's ignoring the fact that it actually makes no difference to those in first class unless they can't get a seat - and it's none of their fucking business what ticket someone else has. Your money does not buy other people's discomfort.

God OP I feel for you! I've been pregnant four times and had terrible SPD with my last two-under the hospital physio, on crutches etc. There is absolutely no way I could have stood up for a 2.5 hr train journey at 5 months preg. If I had been on that train I would have given you my seat in a heartbeat! Bloody miserable of the conductor to be so unsympathetic and unhelpful. Hope your day gets better from here on in

The conductor should have absolutely found you a seat: either asking someone to move in standard, or a seat in first. It doesn't matter if you are pregnant or not, if you are struggling to stand, it is their job to offer assistance

It is rotten behaviour by virgin, but sadly not surprising. They are very poor with customer service and responding to complaints in my experience

For the last time I didn't know I could upgrade or pay for first class and didn't initially ask for a first class seat. I asked if I could sit there until people got off elsewhere. I didn't ask for free tea and biscuits. I just wanted to sit. I would've happily paid £15 I was more annoyed that they didn't even try to help me and told me to get off the train.

Hi @MindTheGap6

Don't worry, you can only pay the £15 upgrade on a weekend trip. Does not count on a weekday.

For the last time I didn't know I could upgrade or pay for first class and didn't initially ask for a first class seat. I asked if I could sit there until people got off elsewhere. I didn't ask for free tea and biscuits. I just wanted to sit. I would've happily paid £15 I was more annoyed that they didn't even try to help me and told me to get off the train.

Don't waste your breath anymore OP. People on this thread know all this, you have said it enough times. Some people just LOVE to argue.

All the best. Do complain. And do it on twitter.

Did you Tweet Virgin OP?

Train managers do have discretion to upgrade. I’ve been helped by some very kind ones in the past. I wonder what the TM or other passengers would have done if you had fainted? Just stepped over you?

I think their attitude stinks. Of course they should have helped you find a seat and / or let you sit in first class. It's safer for you and baby to be sat down, not stood.

I am surprised the Op said that there were Virgin staff sitting in first class, I am assuming they had to pay for those tickets as I beleive it is against company policy for staff to travel in first class, they are only allowed free travel to work (ie in uniform) if they travel in Standard class.

@HazelBite I was on a Stockport to London train a few weeks ago and there were four members of staff from Virgin sitting in first class, in the half carriage right at the front, chatting to the chap making the teas and coffees. They clearly aren't observing their company policy too closely!

Oh god I just reread my comment about upgrading on the way home to my grandmothers funeral and paying for an upgrade with the baby and it totally sounds like I was saying WHY DIDN'T YOU DO THAY and that wasn't my intention at all! I was trying to say it wasn't a weekend train BUT this was seven years ago. And the guard was pretty horrible, until I broke down weeping on my small baby...

I was trying to be sympathetic and I don't think that came across! I think people on this thread are being obtuse and really quite mean. You sound like you did everything right. Definitely tweet Virgin.

You dont pay for train tickets to stand or sit on the floor...

That's exactly what you do do, you pay for a journey on the train; the fare doesn't include a payment for a seat or even entitle you to have one. Booking a seat is free.

I said on the other thread, that people needing a priority seat can book one by calling the PassengerAssist line and asking for one along with any other help needed. Help can also be booked by filling in the form all ToCs have on their websites.

If you just want a reserved seat but not specifically a priority one, call Customer Services if you've already bought your ticket, or make a reservation when buy your ticket. If you need specific help do ask for it, most ToCs do their best for you. I'm railway retired staff so I've done a huge amount of rail travel for work, and a lot for leisure as well as I took early retirement back in the day when retiring staff still kept their full travel benefits having spent many years working for the national railway.

There's more help available from the train companies than you might think, it just needs you to be able to plan a bit ahead to take advantage of it. After you've booked help you'll get a detailed email from the ToC you can show to any stroppy sod sitting in your reserved seat. The station staff at your departure, interchange and destination stations should, and in my experience usually do, know about your booking and are looking out for you at each stage of your journey. I have experienced some failures but each time, all three of them at Reading, Great Western Trains sent me home after midnight, to near Bath, about 75 miles, in a taxi because the staff at Reading didn't have my booking.

Of course I know about the staff shortages, but the ToCs have a statutory duty to help rail travellers who need it so if you book it and it isn't satisfactory, do complain about it and let them know where they need to improve. Failure to give the help needed might be grounds for complaint under the Equality Act 2010 so the ToC should take notice of complaints.

But I thought we were all equal.

YANBU they should have made sure they got you a seat. Disgusting behaviour the ignorant people.

@Vicky1990

It’s been said already above, and appears to be backed up by the policy, but I have sat in first class several times when pregnant and always treated well by the train manager.

I would just send a polite email asking them to remind their staff of their policy.

You were not unreasonable at all. In fact I think anyone who can’t get a seat should have a right to sit in an empty first class seat (without the freebies) but that’s beside the point.

Just get a pregnancy pass OP. Doesn’t help you this time but at least you’ll be prepared for the next time. Upgrades are quite often at the train managers discretion and unlucky for you, you had “that guy”. He was perfectly in his right to turn you away but the least he could have done is found you another seat by asking people to move, or move their bags etc. He must have been ill the day they did the customer service course.

What a bunch of jobs worths! If they couldn’t find you a seat anywhere the. Of course hey should have let you sit in first. If some politicians or whoever it is that actually buys 1st class seats suddenly bundled on to fill every seat then they could have asked you to move. Kevin staff, in my experience, are blow hard jobs works who literally could not give a stuff about their customers

Virgin! Not bloody Kevin.

I know their crap service means their front line staff get it in a neck a lot from passengers but the passengers have it even worse ! At k st the staff are paid to go in their crappy trains...

I’d complain on Twitter - the only times companies like these seem to care is when their crappy customer service is made public.