Booking window for advance tickets esp sleeper

[whole diary]

[Mookiemoo]

According to this

http://www.thetrainline.com/ticketalert/

FGW^▸ (First Great Western) are booking up to the 17th - which is getting preciously close to my 19th journey

But it seemed a bit too soon so I went to see if there were any sleeper tickets released for the 12th - and there aren't

hmmm - confused.com

[Brucey]

FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s own website says you can book up to 8th December
(On the FGW homepage, bottom right of the six boxes below the Flash advert)

[SDS]

And ATOCs^» (Association of Train Operating Companies See - here) own website says up to 8th December.


http://www.atoctravelagents.org/clientfiles/File/Booking%20Horizons/TOC%20Booking%20Horizons%2017092010.htm

[Mookiemoo]

Now it says 8th december but the ticket booker thing allows you to get to entering your contact details etc etc before giveing this as an error when you click on continue

We have been unable to successfully validate your journey for the following reason:
E00202
No inventory found with Retail Service ID GW1276 on 19/12/2010

Try booking the sleeper for 19th December - you get half way through before it bombs out

Use XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) and you get nada - nothing available

[JayMac]

The FGW^▸ (First Great Western) 'booking horizon' has indeed been stuck on 8th December for over a week now. As to why, who knows, but it may be related to the Reading blockade later in December.

Maybe worth giving FGW Customer Services a call regarding Sleeper bookings for the 19th to see if they can give you some idea of when Advance Purchase berths are going to become available for booking.

As to other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) websites, you won't be able to book the Sleeper at all with them. Night Riviera Sleeper reservations are only available through FGW's website.

[Mookiemoo]

I'll call them tomorrow!

[SDS]

http://www.atoctravelagents.org/ (and click on booking horizons at bottom) still says 8th December

[Mookiemoo]

http://www.atoctravelagents.org/ (and click on booking horizons at bottom) still says 8th December

YES I KNOW THAT

But since 8th hadnt changed for days I tried to book as a what if

the website - FGW^▸ (First Great Western) engine - shows the service - says there is a sleeper - lets me choose the ticket, lets me add the berth then when I have to put in contact details gets the above error

Either you can book for the 19th or not - not get half way through then have it error cos someone has not updats all the details in the system

[Mookiemoo]

Think I might find a friendly local manned station and try there

Keep trying and getting people on the other end who sound as if they are from deepest darkest bangalore and have no idea what I'm on about

[Brucey]

Keep trying and getting people on the other end who sound as if they are from deepest darkest bangalore and have no idea what I'm on about

If you need a UK^▸ (United Kingdom) based telesales service, then I would recommend South West Trains.  Their call centre is based in Southampton.  Can be contacted on 0845 600 0650 (option 2) or 023 8021 3600.  They can sell any UK rail tickets and should be able to do sleeper bookings too.

[Phil]

Two possibly opposing conflicting suggestions here... just thought I'd mention it

If you need a UK^▸ (United Kingdom) based telesales service, then I would recommend South West Trains.  Their call centre is based in Southampton.  Can be contacted on 0845 600 0650 (option 2) or 023 8021 3600.  They can sell any UK rail tickets and should be able to do sleeper bookings too.

As to other TOCs^▸ (Train Operating Company) websites, you won't be able to book the Sleeper at all with them. Night Riviera Sleeper reservations are only available through FGW^▸ (First Great Western)'s website.

Ahh.... my post was referring to online sales. Should've made that clear. I've no idea about other TOCs telesales and their ability to sell Sleeper tickets.

[Brucey]

All train stations with ticket offices can do sleeper reservations.  Southampton telesales just use Star (same as FGW^▸ (First Great Western) ticket offices) so should be able to book pretty much anything you can do at a station.

[JayMac]

Think I might find a friendly local manned station and try there

Keep trying and getting people on the other end who sound as if they are from deepest darkest bangalore and have no idea what I'm on about

Sorry, I should've suggested upthread speaking to FGW^▸ (First Great Western) Customer Service (direct 01752 675640) about the booking horizon. Telesales in India are probably worse than useless with anything more complex than a point-to-point fare.

[JayMac]

All train stations can do sleeper reservations.  Southampton telesales just use Star (same as FGW^▸ (First Great Western) ticket offices) so should be able to book pretty much anything you can do at a station.

Hmmm.....  2 clerks at Bristol Temple Meads were unable to book me a berth on the Caledonian last year using their system. They ended up phoning ScotRail and being talked through the process of booking a berth for someone who already held a ticket to travel.

[Timmer]

Hmmm.....  2 clerks at Bristol Temple Meads were unable to book me a berth on the Caledonian last year using their system. They ended up phoning ScotRail and being talked through the process of booking a berth for someone who already held a ticket to travel.

Wouldn't have happened in the days when there were sleeper services from BTM^▸ (Bristol Temple Meads (strictly, it should be BRI)) going upto Scotland as the staff would have been used to doing sleeper reservations.