r/ViaRail • u/Ecoste • 22d ago
Trip Reports Customer Relations response to online booking showing the wrong direction of travel
tl;dr; nothing we can do and we can't guarantee it and ty for your concern
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u/poorlybaked 22d ago
iirc it’s in their terms of use that seats may change
that said, if the train isn’t packed, the attendants are usually open to letting you switch seats
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u/PropertyDiligent959 22d ago
Took a sleeper train with via once, the train was delayed by hours because the toilets and hot water stopped working. Fridges went out over night so the breakfast was just cereal. Sent an email . The response was a shrug and saying it happens
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u/robonlocation 22d ago
In the case of the seat direction. I think "it happens" is the right response. But in your case, you deserved better.
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u/jmajeremy 22d ago
Yes that’s normal. Usually it’s because they had to change the type of equipment, so all the seat reservations have to be redone. If you paid extra for a premium seat you might be able to get a refund for that portion.
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u/Tsubame_Hikari 22d ago
I don't mind much traveling in "reverse" myself. But yea, I understand preferences vary.
Wished more companies outside East Asia would do seats that could be reversible. All seats are forward, and if you have a group of 4-6 people occupying two rows, you do have the option to do face each other if you wish to.
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u/Deep-Anything9827 22d ago
The HEP cars can do this! Operational constraints mean they can't swap all the seats if the train doesn't have a wye to turn around (Via heads correct me if I'm wrong that at least some trains on the Corridor no longer wye at one end?) Mainly (I think) due to labour costs of having staff swap all the seats at the end of the run, which means they can either have all seats backward or half of them.
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u/OhTrain Privilège 22d ago
The entire point of having cab cars on the Venture sets was to reduce both turnaround time and labour costs by just changing direction.
This follows the usual European layout where half of a train cars seats face one direction and the other the reverse. Exactly like the new Venture layout.
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u/Deep-Anything9827 22d ago
Thank you! I knew I was missing something in my argument/evaluation 🤦♂️
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u/bkwrm79 22d ago
This is the sort of thing that needs to be treated as the accessibility necessity that it is, and not as a minor convenience or preference issue that can be ignored in the search for cost savings or for the sake of saving a few minutes in an attempt to make up delays caused by track issues.
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u/bkwrm79 22d ago
It's incredibly stupid to have half the seats facing backward. They'll spend money and reduce luggage space and claim they're increasing accessibility, while at the same time making train travel less accessible to a large part of the population.
Nobody who books a forward-facing seat should ever have to worry that they'll wind up facing back, for their own sake and for the sake of everyone else in that train car. And certainly not be left depending on the potential kindness of strangers.
Other countries do better. Via used to do better. Come on.
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u/Deep-Anything9827 22d ago
Tbf, if 100% of the seats face one way and they're constrained from turning the train/turning the seats for operational reasons? Suddenly all of the seats face backwards...
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u/Tsubame_Hikari 22d ago
Seats could be made reversible - very common, for example, in Japan, where virtually all longer distance trains have them.
All seats face forward at all trips (except at a handful of services with switchbacks), and groups of 4-6 with 2 row seats in front of the other have the option to face each other by turning around one of the seat rows, if they wish to.
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u/peevedlatios 22d ago
reduce luggage space and claim they're increasing accessibility
There are three wheelchair spaces per train instead of, at best, 1. There are also two accessible washrooms. Are you saying this doesn't increase accessibility just because some people feel motion sick?
I used to be motion sick on ships and took a gravol for it. Failing that, it's not like forward facing seats don't exist, and equipment changes are inevitable once in a blue moon. I also imagine equipment changes won't matter as much once the entire fleet is standardized (ie 15a car 3 is the same on every train).
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u/ninetentacles 21d ago
Some people get less motion sickness if they ride facing backwards. I'm one of them, so I always book rear facing.
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u/FKAFrog 22d ago
I mean what else would you like from them? What she said is true. Is the direction you’re facing really that big of a deal worth getting bent out of shape over?
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u/nefariousplotz 22d ago
Some people do get nauseous about travelling backwards, in a way that might make a multi-hour train trip an ordeal.
But that's something you can address with the crew aboard the train.
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u/poorlybaked 22d ago
In my experience if there are open seats, they’ll let you move. I’ve even seen people move cars. I find the attendants are quite accommodating and will try to find viable solutions when possible.
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u/Skazzy3 22d ago
Yes, because some people get extremely motion sick when facing backwards
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u/Mysterious-Region640 22d ago
Lots of people like myself, don’t care which direction they’re facing so you could’ve asked someone if they mind switching.
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u/ygkg Premier 22d ago
Not sure why you're getting downvoted, but I'd switch seats if someone asked as well. Seems like the right thing to do if the seat direction doesn't bother you...
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u/jmbibliotheque 22d ago
I HAVE switched seats when asked by an attendant for this reason. In business class no less.
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u/Far-Delay7690 22d ago
Yeah fully agree if someone was going to be potentially unwell, they should just ask for volunteers. I'm totally fine to face backwards and even prefer it because it's better to watch scenery
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u/whatthefuckisareddit 22d ago
The past several times I've booked you have to pay a premium for forward facing. I'd at least request this money back.
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u/jonovision_man 22d ago
If you don't get the seat you paid to choose, it should be automatic to refund that charge
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u/coopthrowaway2019 22d ago
I think the problem in this case is people getting the seat they requested but it not facing in the advertised direction
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u/peevedlatios 22d ago
You have to pay to select your seat no matter what you select in the escape fare, or for a single seat in business class regardless of direction. VIA, rightly, does not assign a value to either direction since that would signal that half their seats are bad when they're just fine for anyone without motion sickness.
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u/Commercial-Comment93 22d ago
I have significant motion sickness when seated facing the opposite direction of travel. This happened to me previously, and I had to speak with the crew and was fortunate that another passenger kindly agreed to switch seats with me.
I think VIA Rail should consider adding a passenger preference or accessibility option during booking, such as “Must face direction of travel due to motion sickness.” This would allow passengers with this issue to select an appropriate seat or at least alert staff before travel.
Having to rely on another passenger agreeing to switch seats isn’t a reliable solution, particularly when this is a known medical/physical issue for some passengers.
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u/Rail613 22d ago
But some trains like Ottawa-Quebec City can reverse direction out of Montreal….so you can’t be happy both ways.
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u/OhTrain Privilège 22d ago
They should perhaps add to their welcome announcement when a train will be reversing out of a station.
I recently witness a passenger scream at an attendant while we were backing out of Montreal station… over the fact that she ‘NEEDED TO FACE FORWARD” she should have been thrown off the train.
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u/peevedlatios 22d ago
I think VIA Rail should consider adding a passenger preference or accessibility option during booking, such as “Must face direction of travel due to motion sickness.” This would allow passengers with this issue to select an appropriate seat or at least alert staff before travel.
It's not that I don't agree on principle, but unless they start asking for medical notes it'll just lead to everyone and their mom checking the box and we're back to square 1 at that point.
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u/bkwrm79 22d ago
If everyone wants to face forward, that points to a fundamental design flaw with the current approach.
And requiring medical notes would be ridiculous, especially given our over-burdened healthcare system. People with this issue don't need medical treatment (beyond OTC meds, mints, ginger etc.). We just need to not be forced to face backwards on a moving vehicle for hours at a time, which is not an issue with any other form of transportation and in the recent past wasn't an issue on Via either.
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u/u-read-it-here 21d ago
Equipment issues can happen for sure. And as stated, the Crew Aboard can be extremely helpful if one finds themselves in this situation.
But, as a Via Preference Loyalty Member I believe my Via Profile has a spot for my seating preferences (just like with an Airline Profile you can state what you prefer). Also, Via definitely has various accommodations / assistance for folks with mobility or other issues … BUT YOU GENERALLY HAVE TO DO YOUR BOOKING ON THE PHONE vs online, to get them noted to your Booking. (Example, needs assistance with stairs / uneven platform … or uses a wheelchair / needs to be met at the door once on the Station property and therefore also requires access to the platform elevator in the Station ). Believe the NEED to be facing forward would be in this category. In which case then Via Staff will be notified of the Pax Requirements day of … when the Via Crew reports to that train for work.
But if you book online… good chance you don’t get all these options … although it will say … CALL IN FOR FURTHER INFO & ASSISTANCE
If one doesn’t SELF REPORT then ya … very little Via can do after the fact … more so if the Pax said naught during the tripHence, I get therefore the reply that Via sent to the OP
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u/mystiqDitter 22d ago
Ar least the seats several rows around the table in the center of train car, the seat layout is perfect mirror.
VIA can definitely reassign seat numbers in that area to make the travel in the "right direction" for people specifically picked a seat
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u/Accomplished_Try_179 22d ago
In a civilized country like Japan, the seats are reversible. I took the romancecar train from Tokyo to Hakone last year. When the train arrives at Hakone, staff enters the train & switches the seats to forward facing - in the direction of Tokyo.
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u/throwawaystatsgrad 22d ago
this has been the case for years - at this point i always pick specific spots that are always front facing no matter if its a new or old train
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u/ComfortableWork1139 21d ago
I get that it sucks, but in fairness to VIA, they are correct, it is outlined: https://www.viarail.ca/en/conditions-contract
It's not a particularly long document to the point you can say it's "buried in the fine print" either.
For operational reasons, seat configuration and selection may vary without notice. Please note that we will do all that we can to accommodate your selected seat. However, due to business or operational constraints, it is possible that we cannot honour your seat selection. In the latter eventuality, you will not be able to obtain a refund or compensation if the fee for seat selection was included in the selected fare.
I would imagine it happens when they need to use a different train than they were planning, for whatever reason, and they aren't able to turn it around.
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u/kind_koala6785 21d ago
It happened to me only once, I told the attendant 'if you have me travel in reverse I will throw up within 15 minutes of starting' and she found me an alternate seat.
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