Train ticket mayhem

N9eav

Why is getting a train ticket so complicated?

I have used the advice posted by Martin for some time, but yesterday had me pulling my hair out.

I needed tickets to Heathrow from Cornwall. I used all the tricks and found seats for £34.90 single. Ideal. I drop my son off at the airport and then I come back later in the day after mooching about London for only £20.

So I go to the rail station to buy them. Their best price is £49 single. So I said to the GWR chappy, but on your website it's £34.90... But it fell on deaf ears. So I went home and checked again and it was £34.90. So I tried to book 2 tickets. But the GWR site would only let me book 1 ticket a time as there was only one seat left at £34.90 and the other seat was £40.40. But if you book them individually you can't get the seat assignments next to each other. So I tried calling the booking line and they only had seats for £49. Despite me explaining that the web site had seats for £34.90, they said they did not exist.
So I had to book 2 seats for £40.40 just to get them next to each other. I then pick the tickets up at the rail station where I started in the first place.

Why can we not have a real person who can get you the tickets you want at the price you want in the seats where you want???

Rex_Mundi

Train companies do appear to operate under their own rules.

I've used GWR to commute since they took over the franchise from Thames Trains. TT used to be bad at times, but I've faced far more problems with GW since they took over. THEY ARE A NIGHTMARE!!! At times, they really do seem to not give a damn about the information they give out to their customers (or severe lack of as is normally the case with them)

The only thing I'm happy with is my weekly travel card cost. If I buy daily, it costs £13.80 (£69 Mon to Fri). My weekly card costs me £44.60 and covers my travel if I work a Saturday as well (not often, but every now and then). It would cost me more than this every day to take the car into London for petrol/congestion charge/parking (I've highlighted parking because this is by far the major cost in the area I'm working....Belgravia).