Problems Purchasing Mixed Ticket on Oui.sncf
 

So I had a strange situation.

I was taking the train from Nantes to Antwerp via Paris. I booked through Oui.sncf - first leg on TGV second leg on Thalys. Both legs in First Class. I purchased the ticket and it offered a 1 hour 9 minute transfer between stations.

My TGV train Nantes-Paris was late arriving causing me to miss my Thalys train.

The next Thalys train to Antwerp wasn't for another two hours. I asked the staff about compensation for the delay (getting to my destination 2 hours late). The Thalys became quite upset and said that I should have to purchase a whole new ticket because it was my fault I missed the Thalys train. I explained that my first train was delayed and she said it wasn't Thalys' problem. She told me any offer of getting on the later train was a gesture of their gift to me and ripped up my ticket in my face, but that's another story...

Finally I got someone from SNCF to help get me ticketed on the later Thalys train but they didn't have a seat for me so they offered I could sit in the jump seat.

Is this a known problem with booking through Oui when it is a "mixed" ticket with two different train companies? The website makes it look like it is a legit ticketing for both TGV and Thalys.

I would definitely avoid booking a mixed itinerary. And avoid Thalys at all cost -- VERY rude customer service agents.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...926c6b8208.png

I did submit a claim to SNCF since I arrived at my destination 2 hours late; I believe I should be compensated 25% or 50%. I also talked to my credit card company and they encouraged me to dispute the charge of the ticket since the service I paid for wasn't fulfilled (2 hour delay and no First Class seat).

Next time you can quote the Railteam Hotnat guarantee : Railteam services

However you are not eligible to any compensation for a through journey - connections are not taken into account (that's likely to change in the next years with EU regulation 1371/2007 recast but not yet unfortunately). It's just that if your Nantes to Paris TGV was over 30 min late, you may claim something (don't be too excited : 25% of the ticket value in vouchers if delay < 60 min), specifically for this part of the journey

Thank you. This is helpful! So to me it looks like the Railteam services are just an agreement between train companies not a law? Is it written into the contract of carriage that they will get you to your final destination in the case of a delay or are you really just out of luck/at the mercy of the company to get you there? Seems so strange since I purchased the tickets as one itinerary from Oui.

That might not even help.

I have been in similar situations. And I also was hit by the odd French habbit of shutting down Paris Nord for Lunch.
In the past there was a small kiosk at the head of the Thalys platform, where in case of a delay you just presented your ticket, and got the "HOTNAT" stamp. You of course needed to have your previous ticket endorsed, so the person in the kiosk could verify that indeed you were late.
This kiosk has gone now, so now you need to discuss matters with a conductor. The last one I talked with seemed to be under explicit instructions to pretend there were no other railways in Europe. What I in the end gathered is that if you want to be able to be transferred ot another Thalys train you must make sure that the conductor of your delayed train calls ahead to the central dispatching. And be prepared for discussions.

All part of a grand master plan to destroy railway travel I assume.