Eurostar Seats

[kevg1889]

We picked up our Eurostar tickets today from our travel agents, and I am quite astounded that our seats are quite spread out. We let them know that my Grandson is in a wheelchair, but we are no where near the wheelchair area. We also have two toddlers, who are not allocated seats, and yet we are not placed together. We have got two pairs of two and two singles on different rows. This is very disappointing, as this has been booked since early January. I don't even think it's worth complaining, having read previous posts on here, but it is going to be a real struggle, with a wheelchair, two toddlers and having to change at Lille.

 

[britchic4]

Ugh. I would definitely complain. Can't hurt and might help.

 

[A Small World]

Yes I think you should try to complain as well. Are you saying the wheelchair is not even in the wheel chair area or is your grandson in that area and you are separated from him.

Either way I think you need to push the fact that you told them this at the time and they took your booking but you have not been accomodated satisfactorily.

Good luck

 

[Cyrano]

As you are not the first person to voice about the peculiar seating allocation of Eurostar I'd definitely complain.

 

[mulan1]

i really hope you get this sorted out, i complained to them 3 times and also complained to london travel watch, but no one could help me!!
what they have done iis unacceptable, please proceed and complain and let us know the outcome,

 

[ema74]

I think you should complain but having said that I complained that we specifically asked for a family area and didn't get one. they said they'd call me and never did

And again, I booked tickets for April before Xmas and when booking online I asked for a family area but wasn't given one. Called Eurostar and the lady said the family areas are given only to people booking over the phone (you pay £5 when booking on the on the phone). Wonder why they even bother to ask if people want the family area when you book through their website...

I'm afraid to say, but I find them really annoying and not very helpful ...

Let us know the outcome

 

[Ware Bears]

There have been a lot of complaints about the seating allocation on Eurostar lately ~ it seems to be a recent thing (I don't recall anyone having this problem in the past) so don't know whether it's just since their move to St Pancras or not

I'd definitely complain ~ this is the only way they are going to know that customers are dissatisfied with their service.

 

[jillrobinson]

I think it very sad that Eurostar has ended up like this.
We've travelled twice with no seating problems at all I should add and I thought it was the most wonderful way of getting there and recommended it to a lot of people, now I'm not so sure.
From my point of view I would rather be spilt up from my family for 30 minutes on a plane than a couple of hours on a train.
I would definatley complain it may not change anything in your case but the more complaints they get the more likely they are to do something.

 

[kevg1889]

\i have sent an e-mail to Eurostar, but is it them at fault? we booked through First Choice, who in turn informed Disney of our situation, and we still end up in this situation. At the end of the day, whether we are placed in the wheelchair area or not, the very least we should expect is for our seats to be positioned together, and it is Eurostar who issue the tickets. It will be difficult enough with a teenager in a wheelchair, two toddlers who are not allocated seats, and having to change at Lille. I am quite upset, as this is a very special holiday for my grandson, as he will soon be needing a heart lung transplant. Who is to blame? First Choice, Disney or Eurostar?

 

[mulan1]

I think Eurostar is to blame, their seat allocation is preposterous. "Seats are subject to availability-this is a busy train-talk to the train manager" is all eurostar told me, I really hope you get it sorted, tho it may take longer as there is a travel agent involved in your case, i pray your grandson s operation will be a success.

 

[jillrobinson]

I did wonder actually if Disney would be interested in hearing about this or First Choice, in some ways it also reflects badly on them. Surely it wouldn't hurt to try and get them onside too.

We booked one of our Disney holidays with First Choice and I was impressed with how efficient they were.

 

[britchic4]

I think I would complain to all 3. First Choice should be checking this kind of thing, especially since they must be aware there have been issues with Eurostar about this. Eurostar should have seated you together since you all booked together, even if they didn't know your special circumstances. I appreciate if all seats have been allocated it's very difficult now, but that's exactly why they should be sitting people together in the first place.

 

[kevg1889]

I have just been in to First Choice, and she contacted Eurostar, who told her that they could not do anything & she would have to contact Disney. She did this, and having waited over half an hour for her to get through to Disney she was told that they would get back to her, so I must just wait & see what happens. In the mean time, I have received a response to my e-mail from Eurostar, saying that they could not do anything for me, as it was booked through a third party (Disney). It does however say that if I send them a reference number, they will TRY to get our seats closer together.

I will keep you informed as and when I get any further information.

 

[britchic4]

It sounds as if Disney must be at fault then, unless they can prove they informed Eurostar of your circumstances.
Sorry you have to wait it out.

 

[Happy Tappy]

This isn't a new problem, I had the same a couple of years ago and I booked directly through Eurostar. Their allocation system is rubbish. Surely it wouldn't be too hard to have an airline style system where you can choose your specific seats at the click of a button. Or even if they told you your seat numbers before you commited to the purchase.

 

[tennisfan]

If you booked it through First Choice how can it be Disney's fault?

Its either First Choice or Eurostar fault as First choice would have purchased the Eurostar seats on your behalf.

I do think that Eurostar need to look at their seating policy and change the system.

I hope you manage to get it sorted, at least Eurostar have said they will try & re-allocate the seats closer together.

 

[mulan1]

This isn't a new problem, I had the same a couple of years ago and I booked directly through Eurostar. Their allocation system is rubbish. Surely it wouldn't be too hard to have an airline style system where you can choose your specific seats at the click of a button. Or even if they told you your seat numbers before you commited to the purchase.

I agree entirely, this isn't something difficult to implement in their system. You can do it for the theatre, airplanes, so why not Eurostar?!
I added to my old thread on the matter, and I'll suggest it here also, if everyone could contact BBC watchdog to investigate this matter, if we team up tey might look in to it, even if people have had trouble a while ago, the input would be helpful to the rest of us

http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and_radio/watchdog/contact_transport.shtml

here's the link i wrote to. let us know how you get on with your complaint

 

[kevg1889]

But First Choice did not book the Eurostar, they just made the call to Disney, who booked everything as a package, and the tickets were delivered to us from Disney. Don't get me wrong, I am not knocking Disney, there is no bigger Disney fan than me, but I have not yet had a reply from the call made to them today. I am just hoping that we get a wheelchair friendly room when we get there.

 

[britchic4]

But First Choice did not book the Eurostar, they just made the call to Disney, who booked everything as a package, and the tickets were delivered to us from Disney. Don't get me wrong, I am not knocking Disney, there is no bigger Disney fan than me, but I have not yet had a reply from the call made to them today. I am just hoping that we get a wheelchair friendly room when we get there.

When I was trying to find out about the free child AP offer I finally got through to a manager at the Call Centre called David. He was extremely helpful and efficient and he called me back with the relevant info after he'd chased it up. Why not insist on being put through to him? Unfortunately I don't have the number anymore but if you ask for him at the UK call centre it should be enough.

 

[kmikenchelle]

This is my first post so bear with me. We are going to Disney in Sept for our 3rd visit and can't wait. This is the first time we would have gone by Eurostar after converting all of our Tesco clubcard vouchers into airmiles and then using the airmiles to pay for eurostar.
after having some initial problems with not being able to book the return train we found out from eurostar that there are possible enginering works on the line on the 28th Sept which is when we due to come home, so after booking an extra night in Disney (shame) I managed to book our seats on eurostar and with the help of the very nice man at airmiles got offered a family table on the way there and back.
Just thought you guys might like to know about another use for Tesco vouchers and how nice and helpful the people at airmiles are compared to the people at Eurostar who were also very unhelpful during the constant phone calls i made trying to establish why there wasn't any trains on the 27th or 28th Sept.
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