Solved

How to cancel a TEST seat reservation on GWR?

  • 1 February 2023
  • 5 replies
  • 191 views

Userlevel 2
Badge +1

Hello everyone, just now I was trying to book seat reservation for a train from London to Edinburgh in July. The system didn’t show any availability because July is still too far away. So I tested with an earlier date just to see how the reservation system works. I put in a random date and followed the steps by selecting a random train and a random seat type. (I didn’t really understand the differences among all the seat types) Then I clicked continue, the next thing it shows my booking is completed, and it also says on the page “you can’t amend or refund this booking”. I couldn’t find any options to cancel or delete this order as it was only for a test. Does anyone know what I can do in this situation?

Thank you in advance.🙏

 

icon

Best answer by BrendanDB 1 February 2023, 09:30

View original

5 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +6

Well, you can write to GWR and maybe they can cancel it… 
Usually reservations can’t be cancelled (exception is Eurostar for a fee)
But during my last UK trip I also made some reservations and then couldn’t use them as my plans changed a little bit. Usually (at least in Central Europe) seat reservations are valid only until 15mins after departure and if the seat isn’t taken until then, it is free and everyone can sit there. Suppose in UK it is similar.

Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Don't worry about it, just let it be. If someone sees that nobody is sitting there for a while, someone will get the seat eventually.

PS If you book a seat reservation for this stretch @bleusquirrel ,book it directly via LNER. You can select your seats there from a little map of the train. 

Userlevel 2
Badge +1

@MartinM @BrendanDB Thanks for both of your answers, I filled up and online form requesting GWR to cancel it for me, it says I would get a reply in about 4 weeks. I guess I won’t worry about it then. 😁

I did exactly the same, emailed them, and it was cancelled within 12 hours.

Userlevel 7
Badge +10

On a recent return to the UK we arrived in good time for our reserved train (LNER) and found an earlier train with availability. The ticket office issued a new reservation but were relaxed about the existing reservation - they simply said the seat would be seen as unoccupied and taken if needed by passengers without a reservation.

Reply