https://shop.oebbtickets.at/en/

Add interrail as discount for each passenger and search for tickets NOT seat only.

Will be €3 per person on Italian IC train.

I have gone to the oeb website link and there are no seat tickets available on this service or any other on that day.  As I mentioned above I can purchase full priced tickets so it would appear that there are limited seat only tickets using the Interrail/EURAIL discount code and none available on my chosen day of travel.  Can you please advise why I can purchase full priced tickets but none using my 1st Class EURAIL Pass?

Please follow the instructions given by @Al_G 

DO NOT select "Seat reservation only”.

Thanks.  Only 2nd class tickets are available.

No 1st class tickets are available. You click on the 9€ box and select the 1st class box afterwards (they cost the same)

I did do that and then I received a message that this class of travel was no longer available and to select another.  Go to the next step and I think you will receive the same message.

You receive the above message after entering the payment details and whilst payment is being processed.

You're right so I checked availability on trenitalia.com, like if I was booking a regular ticket :

There are 12 1st class seats on the 08:33 train.

The 11:41 train is sold out in 1st class (while there are dozens of 2nd class seats so you could sit there ofc).

There are 12 1st class seats on the 13:41 train.

There are no 1st class regular tickets anymore anyway (there's no quota for passholders) so these are your only alternatives. Other options :

- IC 11:41 but only as far as Genova Piazza Principe (35 min) : 8 seats available

- make a break there

- later IC to Milan, for example : 13:19 has 8 seats in 1st class (but not 3 together) or the 14:19 train but that's the one leaving Rapallo at 13:41 anyway.

You could also take regional trains but they only have 2nd class carriages.

The other options timings are not acceptable for our plans.  We are finding that the 1st Class Pass is not worth the hassle.  We have had many issues and time wasting which we were not expecting to have to deal with.

This is not a problem of the pass frankly as there's no quota on those trains. 1st class regular tickets are sold out so I'm not sure where you've seen available regular tickets.

The option is then to travel in 2nd class on the IC leaving at 11:41 which is totally acceptable, book through ÖBB.

The main problem is the heavily increased demand in train travel during summer which railways can't cope with... + the operators requiring seat reservations : with optional reservations, a seat can be taken if the person doesn't show as opposed to a train with mandatory reservations where those seats would remain empty.

We do not agree with you.  We are seasoned travelers and next time if we use trains will book directly with the train companies and pay slightly more for each leg but be better support at rail stations by the train company staff.  Each time we mention EURAIL Pass they flog us off and do not provide any support.  A EURAIL Pass maybe acceptable form of travel if you are back packing with 2nd class tickets.

Is the staff reaction Eurail's fault ? They have to treat Interrail/Eurail passengers exactly in the same way as customers with regular tickets. The same applies for delays and compensations.

One of the reasons why staff don't behave appropriately is lack of training, this should not happen (but happens frequently...). I'm not sure supporting the company directly is any better : SNCF, RENFE are a true pain for anyone, whether for customers with passes or tickets, all that while they are big countries and major tourist destinations ! They do not care in which way they treat customers because all their trains leave full.

That's where competition is useful : prices go down and they have to offer good support in order to be competitive.

You are just being defensive now.  We have given you our feedback which we stand by.

That wouldn’t have helped in this case. 1st class is fully booked in the train you'd like to use. With or without a pass doesn’t make a difference in Italy for seat availability.

None of the people you are talking to are Eurail staff, just other travellers giving their time to help you out, not that you have shown one iota of gratitude for this.