Coach tickets - do we all need to be present?

[Wooderson]

19 minutes ago, clarkete said:

It all seems pretty understandable to me:-

Selling many thousands of coach tickets every festival helps provide an easy route to a very rural part of Somerset, reduces their carbon footprint whilst reducing local pollution and keeps several thousand cars off the packed local roads. 

Providing that coach option from across the country is clearly a massive logistic feat and yet it's really rare to hear of folks turning up to find they aren't expected or the ticket wasn't there. Providing us all the opportunity to change our booking rather than cancel massively increases the complexity and potential workload for teams who I'm sure have no spare capacity. 

If they announce that we can all go to the box office there will suddenly be thousands of us simply using it as another option for a ticket and driving instead. There are things they used to be more openly flexible about (eg CV passes) but due to profiteering had to clamp down sadly. 

With the two cancellations this year will have a lot of changed circumstances for attendees, but would also have made it especially hard for the festival to change their systems. 

Very fair, thanks. Im acknowledge i'm being a little negative but that is brought about by a really intransigent position by See in recent weeks.

[6XRy0PnAZHuxifz0LqVp]

I developed a heart condition due the vaxx and have a coach ticket + Sticklinch. I've improved a lot and could definitely handle the festi based on my recent activity but I'm concerned travel to coach pick-up (1.5hrs from me) > queuing at Gate A > walking from gate A to Sticklinch with all my gear could do me in on day 1.

Told Glasto and See this with all my medical documentation from GP and specialists. Summary of their response: Get on the coach or you're not getting your ticket. Read the coach T&C.

What makes it worse is that they know there is a contingency (i.e. drive down and then collect from gate a) but they didn't offer any options and instead are trying to convince me to take a potentially injurious journey. It's borderline malicious.

I get they're trying to protect their green credentials but this is dogmatic behaviour.

[clarkete]

1 hour ago, Wooderson said:

Very fair, thanks. Im acknowledge i'm being a little negative but that is brought about by a really intransigent position by See in recent weeks.

Yes - I understand fully it's frustrating if you're on the receiving end, which I have myself in the past.  I tried to persuade them to let me have a CV pass, on the basis that in a previous year I was renting a caravan but would still be coming on the coach.  Thankfully I worked around it.

 

53 minutes ago, 6XRy0PnAZHuxifz0LqVp said:

I developed a heart condition due the vaxx and have a coach ticket + Sticklinch. I've improved a lot and could definitely handle the festi based on my recent activity but I'm concerned travel to coach pick-up (1.5hrs from me) > queuing at Gate A > walking from gate A to Sticklinch with all my gear could do me in on day 1.

Told Glasto and See this with all my medical documentation from GP and specialists. Summary of their response: Get on the coach or you're not getting your ticket. Read the coach T&C.

What makes it worse is that they know there is a contingency (i.e. drive down and then collect from gate a) but they didn't offer any options and instead are trying to convince me to take a potentially injurious journey. It's borderline malicious.

I get they're trying to protect their green credentials but this is dogmatic behaviour.

Have you asked if they're going to do what they do with Worthy View and have a shuttle from the coach drop off point to Sticklinch?

[Glast0baby]

2 hours ago, clarkete said:

It all seems pretty understandable to me:-

Selling many thousands of coach tickets every festival helps provide an easy route to a very rural part of Somerset, reduces their carbon footprint whilst reducing local pollution and keeps several thousand cars off the packed local roads. 

Providing that coach option from across the country is clearly a massive logistic feat and yet it's really rare to hear of folks turning up to find they aren't expected or the ticket wasn't there. Providing us all the opportunity to change our booking rather than cancel massively increases the complexity and potential workload for teams who I'm sure have no spare capacity. 

If they announce that we can all go to the box office there will suddenly be thousands of us simply using it as another option for a ticket and driving instead. There are things they used to be more openly flexible about (eg CV passes) but due to profiteering had to clamp down sadly. 

With the two cancellations this year will have a lot of changed circumstances for attendees, but would also have made it especially hard for the festival to change their systems. 

I completely agree.  I can't see Seetickets hiring an additional team of people or commissioning the writing of a new computer program just to allow coach ticket destinations to be swapped.  Why spend money they don't have to - it's a corporate not a charity unfortunately.  Not saying this is morally right, just being realistic.

Equally, I also completely understand the salty response to See tickets 'computer says no' attitude.  So many are in radically different circumstances 2 years later that it is very unfair.

My main concern is the amount of well-meaning advice being given on this forum saying to just pick the ticket up at the box office.  What if they actually enforce the T&C this year for fear of setting a future precedent and having people ignore the coach element of their ticket?  I personally think it is a huge risk not to get your coach.  I hope for the best for the people who plan not to, but they have to understand the extent of the risk they are taking.  What's worse, travel inconvenience or no Glasto?

NB. I'm not commenting on access needs as there is a good service for this at Glasto and has been addressed on a separate thread.

[Wooderson]

13 hours ago, Glast0baby said:

What's worse, travel inconvenience or no Glasto?

 

Amazed if they started tearing up tickets... would cause a biblical furore.

[TheDayman]

15 hours ago, 6XRy0PnAZHuxifz0LqVp said:

I developed a heart condition due the vaxx and have a coach ticket + Sticklinch. I've improved a lot and could definitely handle the festi based on my recent activity but I'm concerned travel to coach pick-up (1.5hrs from me) > queuing at Gate A > walking from gate A to Sticklinch with all my gear could do me in on day 1.

Told Glasto and See this with all my medical documentation from GP and specialists. Summary of their response: Get on the coach or you're not getting your ticket. Read the coach T&C.

What makes it worse is that they know there is a contingency (i.e. drive down and then collect from gate a) but they didn't offer any options and instead are trying to convince me to take a potentially injurious journey. It's borderline malicious.

I get they're trying to protect their green credentials but this is dogmatic behaviour.

Someone I know had the same thing after the vax, really sorry to hear that.

When are you due to arrive at the festival? I'm aiming to be there from early doors on Wednesday by car. We're aiming to hit PGD and camp in Paines Ground but if times line up, I don't mind coming back out to PGA with my cart to at least help get your stuff from there to Sticklinch. 

 

[6XRy0PnAZHuxifz0LqVp]

21 hours ago, clarkete said:

Have you asked if they're going to do what they do with Worthy View and have a shuttle from the coach drop off point to Sticklinch?

No shuttle to Sticklinch, unfortunately.

6 hours ago, TheDayman said:

Someone I know had the same thing after the vax, really sorry to hear that.

When are you due to arrive at the festival? I'm aiming to be there from early doors on Wednesday by car. We're aiming to hit PGD and camp in Paines Ground but if times line up, I don't mind coming back out to PGA with my cart to at least help get your stuff from there to Sticklinch. 

 

That is very kind of you.

I appreciate the offer but I don't want to be a burden on others - I don't feel comfortable putting that on other people. I have friends going too and they've offered to help, but day 1 of a festival is demanding and stressful enough just carrying your own stuff across the site (especially when travelling by coach) let alone adding another person's problems/stuff on top. I'll likely just skip it this year.

I'm sharing because it's a very disappointing response from the festival and something that I feel is worth highlighting. Very doctrinaire and lacking compassion; almost seems at odds with the spirit of their festival.

Thanks again.

[clarkete]

4 minutes ago, 6XRy0PnAZHuxifz0LqVp said:

No shuttle to Sticklinch, unfortunately.

That is very kind of you.

I appreciate the offer but I don't want to be a burden on others - I don't feel comfortable putting that on other people. I have friends going too and they've offered to help, but day 1 of a festival is demanding and stressful enough just carrying your own stuff across the site (especially when travelling by coach) let alone adding another person's problems/stuff on top. I'll likely just skip it this year.

I'm sharing because it's a very disappointing response from the festival and something that I feel is worth highlighting. Very doctrinaire and lacking compassion; almost seems at odds with the spirit of their festival.

Thanks again.

Big shame about the shuttle, I think some others had assumed there would be one as there is at WV. 

What part of the country are you coming from? 

It may be possible to match up with another poster here who could bring your stuff to sticklinch? 

[Wherethewildthingsare]

1 hour ago, clarkete said:

Big shame about the shuttle, I think some others had assumed there would be one as there is at WV. 

What part of the country are you coming from? 

It may be possible to match up with another poster here who could bring your stuff to sticklinch? 

Interesting that Sticklinch has been sold as a more accessible alternative to the WV hill yet without a shuttle…

[clarkete]

32 minutes ago, Wherethewildthingsare said:

Interesting that Sticklinch has been sold as a more accessible alternative to the WV hill yet without a shuttle…

All they say is "... offers a more gently undulating walk to the Festival site, ideal for those who find the climb to Worthy View challenging" 

Perhaps because of the walk they considered a shuttle less necessary? 

https://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/information/accommodation/pre-erected-camping/sticklinch/

[Wherethewildthingsare]

1 hour ago, clarkete said:

All they say is "... offers a more gently undulating walk to the Festival site, ideal for those who find the climb to Worthy View challenging" 

Perhaps because of the walk they considered a shuttle less necessary? 

https://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/information/accommodation/pre-erected-camping/sticklinch/

I would say this refers to the walk from the campsite to the festival site which will be better for those with mobility issues, young kids etc but not for encouraging the use of public transport rather than cars to get to the festival in the first place. 

[Johnnyseven]

On 6/3/2022 at 4:10 PM, 6XRy0PnAZHuxifz0LqVp said:

No shuttle to Sticklinch, unfortunately.

That is very kind of you.

I appreciate the offer but I don't want to be a burden on others - I don't feel comfortable putting that on other people. I have friends going too and they've offered to help, but day 1 of a festival is demanding and stressful enough just carrying your own stuff across the site (especially when travelling by coach) let alone adding another person's problems/stuff on top. I'll likely just skip it this year.

I'm sharing because it's a very disappointing response from the festival and something that I feel is worth highlighting. Very doctrinaire and lacking compassion; almost seems at odds with the spirit of their festival.

Thanks again.

Did you try contacting the accessibility team?

[6XRy0PnAZHuxifz0LqVp]

1 hour ago, Johnnyseven said:

Did you try contacting the accessibility team?

I contacted them in early Apr but based on the information they provided at the time (and the website has) it didn't seem like I'd be eligible and/or that they didn't provide the kind of support I would need, so I didn't pursue it. I've linked a post below where I outline what I received.

After posting about my issue here 2-3wks ago I realised I would've actually been eligible; according to some people on the forum, apparently the accessibilities team can be a bit cagey about their service so people can't try to game the system. I contacted them again in May but they said it was too late to provide anything.

I also contacted help@glastonbury.com and they were extremely blunt - get on the coach or you can't come. Not even a 'sorry to hear you're unwell' 😀