x1 Bus Eireann/Translink Dublin To Belfast Seat Reservation Policy

Totally Tropical

Im just looking for some advice here.Basically im wondering is it okay to buy a return ticket at one of the machines in Busaras and get the next available bus to Belfast.I suppose i should pre book my seats in advance to put my mind at rest.But i would prefer to have the option of leaving Belfast when im ready as opposed to being stuck to an assigned departure time.That's how it normally works with BE but i know that both BE/Translink have a first some first served seat reservation policy on the x1 route.

Im just wondering let's say if a relative who is not computer literate is organizing this trip, would it be okay to pre book a departure time for the outward and return journey at the counter in Busarus on the day of travel?Or seeing that we don't live in Dublin could the seats be pre booked at any Bus Eireann ticket office around the country?Obviously these questions are moot if you can only reserve seats online.Can any time slot be booked or can you only book a slot for a time allotted to a BE Expressway bus?Basically i just want to know do people think it's really recommended to pre book or is there seats usually available on the bus for passengers who are not pre booked?Im just a bit anxious about the whole thing hence all these questions.

bk

If you are concerned, you could just buy two single tickets online.

Wait until the day you are leaving to buy the return ticket online at the time you know. A little more expensive, but if it eases your mind.

Don't forget that Aircoach and Dublin Coach also operate services on this route, so there is lots of capacity now and unless their is a big concert on, then probably lots of space. You could probably just stroll up to either of these and just buy a ticket onboard if needed.

I know with Aircoach, with their online return tickets, they will allow you to take an earlier or later departure the same day of the return leg as long as their is space. You are only guaranteed the time you book, but given how much competition their is on the route now, I doubt any of them are full.

I'm not sure what the DC or BE/Translink policy is, but I suspect it is similar.

devnull

Aircoach online tickets only allow earlier journeys unless your flight has been delayed, this is to prevent people being left behind later on in the day because of a large number of people delaying their journeys.

bk

devnull wrote: »

Aircoach online tickets only allow earlier journeys unless your flight has been delayed, this is to prevent people being left behind later on in the day because of a large number of people delaying their journeys.

Actually having just double checked, they allow earlier departures if space on all journeys (not just flight delayed) if space available. But allow only later departures on flight delays:

http://aircoach.ie/faqs

Return Tickets booked online:

for time specific bookings the outward portion of your return booking will be valid for travel on the selected departure time on your chosen route, on the date specified on your booking. For the return journey the return portion will be valid for travel on the selected departure time on your chosen route, on the date specified on your booking. Subject to availability you may be allowed to travel on an earlier departure on the day of your booking, however, your seat is only guaranteed on the timed journey specified on your booking. When travelling from Dublin Airport only, and where there has been a flight delay, passengers may be allowed to travel on a later journey than the one booked

Having said that, I've travelled on later departures out of Belfast no bother. As long as they aren't busy, they don't seem to mind. And that was before DC started up, I doubt there would be any issue now.

I agree that I wouldn't try it on the Cork route, full buses there all around, could end up waiting hours.

Totally Tropical

BE/Translink are the only company on the route that accept the free travel pass, so for that reason alone they would be the preferred option.I see on the Expressway website you can only reserve seats for times allotted to an Expressway bus.I don't see any option either for reserving a free seat for my father who has his free travel pass.Really as people said unless there is a major event on in either Dublin or Belfast capacity shouldn't be an issue.So i think i'll just buy a return ticket at the machines at Busarus.I presume that a Translink Goldline bus would allow someone with the free travel pass on board in the same way a Bus Eireann bus would?

devnull

Totally Tropical wrote: »

BE/Translink are the only company on the route that accept the free travel pass, so for that reason alone they would be the preferred option.I see on the Expressway website you can only reserve seats for times allotted to an Expressway bus.I don't see any option either for reserving a free seat for my father who has his free travel pass.Really as people said unless there is a major event on in either Dublin or Belfast capacity shouldn't be an issue.So i think i'll just buy a return ticket at the machines at Busarus.I presume that a Translink Goldline bus would allow someone with the free travel pass on board in the same way a Bus Eireann bus would?

The difficulty with the other operators on that route is that their services have not been able to join the scheme because of a mixture of the fact they are both operating on Republic of Ireland issued EU regulated Community Authorisation permits and the fact that they were not able to join the free travel scheme because it has been closed to new routes for a ew years now.

Certainly though you would be foolish to pay for a fare on Aircoach / Dublin Coach if you have a free travel pass, best to use Bus Eireann at the end of the day, note that Translink are also running some X2 shorts to/from Dublin Airport that are express between Dublin and Belfast so if you are going to or from the airport and using the free travel pass you should look into these.

Totally Tropical

This is from the Translink website.

Please note that Buy Online is available from all stops on Goldline operated services and from Belfast only on Bus Eireann operated services. Buy online is available to book one hour prior to travel (with exception of. X1 01:00 service, buy online closes at 18:00 on day prior to travel).

So it seems that only BE services on the route operate a seat reservation policy, and seating is allocated on any service on the route run by Translink, on a first come first served basis.

Nomis21

Totally Tropical wrote: »

BE/Translink are the only company on the route that accept the free travel pass, so for that reason alone they would be the preferred option.I see on the Expressway website you can only reserve seats for times allotted to an Expressway bus.I don't see any option either for reserving a free seat for my father who has his free travel pass.Really as people said unless there is a major event on in either Dublin or Belfast capacity shouldn't be an issue.So i think i'll just buy a return ticket at the machines at Busarus.I presume that a Translink Goldline bus would allow someone with the free travel pass on board in the same way a Bus Eireann bus would?

Translink accept ftp

Totally Tropical

Nomis21 wrote: »

Translink accept ftp

Yeah i looked further into it.The ftp is accepted on cross border services, however for journeys within Northern Ireland itself you would need a senior smartpass.

bk

devnull wrote: »

Certainly though you would be foolish to pay for a fare on Aircoach / Dublin Coach if you have a free travel pass, best to use Bus Eireann at the end of the day, note that Translink are also running some X2 shorts to/from Dublin Airport that are express between Dublin and Belfast so if you are going to or from the airport and using the free travel pass you should look into these.

I wouldn't say that is always quiet that straight forward. For instance my mother pays for Aircoach from Cork to Dublin Airport when she flies, despite having a FTP and being able to go free on BE or IR.

The relatively cheap price of it, the faster speed and convenience of being dropped right at the door of the airport trumps free for her in this case.

Though in this case I agree that there is less of a time difference between the services, so not much point in not taking advantage of the ftp.