I've making a journey on 15th June with two friends who will need
customer assistance at Gatwick Airport. I have the tickets next to me.

You would think that our joined up railway would allow me to book the
customer assistance at the same time but no. They operate with a 72 day
window. It's farcical.

In message <t21e8i$sot$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:17:38 on Wed, 30 Mar
2022, martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk remarked:
>I've making a journey on 15th June with two friends who will need
>customer assistance at Gatwick Airport. I have the tickets next to me.
>
>You would think that our joined up railway would allow me to book the
>customer assistance at the same time but no. They operate with a 72
>day window. It's farcical.

It's not as joined up as you think. Tickets are issued by any seller in
the country, AFAIK assistance is booked with the TOC who runs Gatwick,
which in the general case won't necessarily even be the TOC whose train
you are catching.

<https://www.gatwickexpress.com/travel-information/travel-
help/assisted-travel>
--
Roland Perry

On Wed, 30 Mar 2022 14:08:51 +0100, Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk>
wrote:

>In message <t21e8i$sot$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:17:38 on Wed, 30 Mar
>2022, martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk remarked:
>>I've making a journey on 15th June with two friends who will need
>>customer assistance at Gatwick Airport. I have the tickets next to me.
>>
>>You would think that our joined up railway would allow me to book the
>>customer assistance at the same time but no. They operate with a 72
>>day window. It's farcical.
>
>It's not as joined up as you think. Tickets are issued by any seller in
>the country, AFAIK assistance is booked with the TOC who runs Gatwick,
>which in the general case won't necessarily even be the TOC whose train
>you are catching.
>
> <https://www.gatwickexpress.com/travel-information/travel-
>help/assisted-travel>

I can't help thinking that's a piece of "joining up" that should have
been fixed years ago.

Yes, I know, this is the railway but really..........

In message <43h94h972smkfv8679dkfkekoctu1b27up@4ax.com>, at 21:59:09 on
Wed, 30 Mar 2022, Graham Harrison <edward.harrisom.one@btinternet.com>
remarked:
>On Wed, 30 Mar 2022 14:08:51 +0100, Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk>
>wrote:
>
>>In message <t21e8i$sot$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:17:38 on Wed, 30 Mar
>>2022, martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk remarked:
>>>I've making a journey on 15th June with two friends who will need
>>>customer assistance at Gatwick Airport. I have the tickets next to me.
>>>
>>>You would think that our joined up railway would allow me to book the
>>>customer assistance at the same time but no. They operate with a 72
>>>day window. It's farcical.
>>
>>It's not as joined up as you think. Tickets are issued by any seller in
>>the country, AFAIK assistance is booked with the TOC who runs Gatwick,
>>which in the general case won't necessarily even be the TOC whose train
>>you are catching.
>>
>> <https://www.gatwickexpress.com/travel-information/travel-
>>help/assisted-travel>
>
>I can't help thinking that's a piece of "joining up" that should have
>been fixed years ago.
>
>Yes, I know, this is the railway but really..........

Apparently this will all be under the wing of the Fat Controller in
future, unless of course you buy your tickets from an independent
retailer, when they might not have an obligation to contact the station
operator on your behalf.

But they can book seats for you, so maybe it's not that big of a stretch
to book assistance too.

Maybe the industry as a whole is worried about no-shows, and wasting
time deploying resources on the day for a passenger who isn't there, and
hence the nudge to book the assistance much closer to the actual travel
date.
--
Roland Perry

On Thu, 31 Mar 2022 06:52:07 +0100, Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk>
wrote:

>In message <43h94h972smkfv8679dkfkekoctu1b27up@4ax.com>, at 21:59:09 on
>Wed, 30 Mar 2022, Graham Harrison <edward.harrisom.one@btinternet.com>
>remarked:
>>On Wed, 30 Mar 2022 14:08:51 +0100, Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>In message <t21e8i$sot$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:17:38 on Wed, 30 Mar
>>>2022, martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk remarked:
>>>>I've making a journey on 15th June with two friends who will need
>>>>customer assistance at Gatwick Airport. I have the tickets next to me.
>>>>
>>>>You would think that our joined up railway would allow me to book the
>>>>customer assistance at the same time but no. They operate with a 72
>>>>day window. It's farcical.
>>>
>>>It's not as joined up as you think. Tickets are issued by any seller in
>>>the country, AFAIK assistance is booked with the TOC who runs Gatwick,
>>>which in the general case won't necessarily even be the TOC whose train
>>>you are catching.
>>>
>>> <https://www.gatwickexpress.com/travel-information/travel-
>>>help/assisted-travel>
>>
>>I can't help thinking that's a piece of "joining up" that should have
>>been fixed years ago.
>>
>>Yes, I know, this is the railway but really..........
>
>Apparently this will all be under the wing of the Fat Controller in
>future, unless of course you buy your tickets from an independent
>retailer, when they might not have an obligation to contact the station
>operator on your behalf.
>
>But they can book seats for you, so maybe it's not that big of a stretch
>to book assistance too.
>
>Maybe the industry as a whole is worried about no-shows, and wasting
>time deploying resources on the day for a passenger who isn't there, and
>hence the nudge to book the assistance much closer to the actual travel
>date.

Please stop speculating. Tell us what you know.

In message <k4ua4hdo9382kcu7n5p1nfvtkdv13he6rf@4ax.com>, at 10:47:22 on
Thu, 31 Mar 2022, Graham Harrison <edward.harrisom.one@btinternet.com>
remarked:
>On Thu, 31 Mar 2022 06:52:07 +0100, Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk>
>wrote:
>
>>In message <43h94h972smkfv8679dkfkekoctu1b27up@4ax.com>, at 21:59:09 on
>>Wed, 30 Mar 2022, Graham Harrison <edward.harrisom.one@btinternet.com>
>>remarked:
>>>On Wed, 30 Mar 2022 14:08:51 +0100, Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk>
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>>In message <t21e8i$sot$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:17:38 on Wed, 30 Mar
>>>>2022, martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk remarked:
>>>>>I've making a journey on 15th June with two friends who will need
>>>>>customer assistance at Gatwick Airport. I have the tickets next to me.
>>>>>
>>>>>You would think that our joined up railway would allow me to book the
>>>>>customer assistance at the same time but no. They operate with a 72
>>>>>day window. It's farcical.
>>>>
>>>>It's not as joined up as you think. Tickets are issued by any seller in
>>>>the country, AFAIK assistance is booked with the TOC who runs Gatwick,
>>>>which in the general case won't necessarily even be the TOC whose train
>>>>you are catching.
>>>>
>>>> <https://www.gatwickexpress.com/travel-information/travel-
>>>>help/assisted-travel>
>>>
>>>I can't help thinking that's a piece of "joining up" that should have
>>>been fixed years ago.
>>>
>>>Yes, I know, this is the railway but really..........
>>
>>Apparently this will all be under the wing of the Fat Controller in
>>future, unless of course you buy your tickets from an independent
>>retailer, when they might not have an obligation to contact the station
>>operator on your behalf.
>>
>>But they can book seats for you, so maybe it's not that big of a stretch
>>to book assistance too.
>>
>>Maybe the industry as a whole is worried about no-shows, and wasting
>>time deploying resources on the day for a passenger who isn't there, and
>>hence the nudge to book the assistance much closer to the actual travel
>>date.
>
>Please stop speculating. Tell us what you know.

What I know is that that there are a lot of no-shows (just look at the
reservation tickets over empty seats) and prudent managements will be
aware of this, and soon get fed up sending busy people out to greet thin
air.

If the ticket is an open one, then it's even more likely that plans will
change between the day of booking and the day of travel.

It's not just capriciousness, but as we are talking mainly about
invalids, their condition could change over a three month window, a
clashing medical appointment turn up, and so on. I know disabled people
who can't plan more than a couple of weeks ahead, because of those kinds
of issue; but still travel for leisure by train if they can.
--
Roland Perry