NXEC: Free first class upgrade for full fare business travel

[jamesontheroad]

The empty first class carriages must be beginning to hurt...

http://www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com/freeupgrade

Cut costs with our new deals on business travel from Scotland

As a business person, you’ll already know that it’s more important than ever to keep a close watch on how much of your budget you can allow for travel.

With that in mind, National Express East Coast have come up with lots of great ways to save on business travel – so you won’t have to explain your expenses! Just take a look at our new business deals.

If you’re travelling to London on business from Edinburgh or Glasgow, then make sure to take a look at our latest business offer – the Scottish Executive Package.

This new deal, available from 12th October 2009, gives you the chance to upgrade to First Class style for free. For the price of a Standard Class return ticket, you’ll get a free upgrade to First Class in both directions, including a First Class meal and London Underground travel. All for just £199.

5 tickets for the price of 4 with a Business Carnet

We’ve made business travel even easier for our regulars with our Business Carnet. You get the flexibility to travel at a moment’s notice – all while saving money too. Tickets are valid for 3 months from the chosen start date, and you’ll get 5 tickets for the price of 4 – which adds up to an attractive saving.

Up to £70 worth of travel extras

More convenient, more flexible and even greater value – National Express East Coast all-inclusive packages are our most premium tickets. And now, you can buy First Class or Standard all-inclusive packages for the same price as an Anytime ticket. That can be as much as £70 worth of extras – at no extra cost! Includes On-board dining, Car parking and free London Underground travel.

 

[yorkie]

"For the price of a Standard Class return ticket...All for just £199" suggests there is a £199 fare but I can't find one.

The SVR is valid on the first Edinburgh-London train, and on any train from London, so this is the comparable fare, and this is £177.40 (to London U1) according to Avantix 03.

The SOR, which is presumably only used to sell to people who did not buy before boarding or for people who want to break their outward journey overnight (and don't have the sense to split tickets), is £277.00 but isn't really a comparable fare at all.

So it's not a free upgrade, it's a £21.60 upgrade. But if it includes a meal then that's a good deal, but if the First Class bit is "free", then you are in effect paying £21.60 for the meal.

 

[Spaceflower]

and Glasgow......?

 

[nedchester]

"For the price of a Standard Class return ticket...All for just £199" suggests there is a £199 fare but I can't find one.

The SVR is valid on the first Edinburgh-London train, and on any train from London, so this is the comparable fare, and this is £177.40 (to London U1) according to Avantix 03.

The SOR, which is presumably only used to sell to people who did not buy before boarding or for people who want to break their outward journey overnight (and don't have the sense to split tickets), is £277.00 but isn't really a comparable fare at all.

So it's not a free upgrade, it's a £21.60 upgrade. But if it includes a meal then that's a good deal, but if the First Class bit is "free", then you are in effect paying £21.60 for the meal.

Mind you I wouldn't call £177.40 for an Edinburgh to London 'Saver' a good deal either -ouch!!

Why is an any permitted SVR from Glasgow to London a much more reasonable £108.80??? Is that only valid on Virgin?

Am I missing something?

 

[turbo mick]

i travelled on the 1200 kings cross to inverness and the train was rammed first class and all a lot of people complaining with young children having paid a lot of money no seat 90% of the train was reserved i was lucky to get on it,i was hoping to get on the grandcental service to sunderland but was delayed on the rdg-padd route

 

[Spaceflower]

Theyre always like that around London. Ive often had to sit on the floor in the corridors and even then its very cramped. It's a bit like assembly at school

 

[John @ home]

Mind you I wouldn't call £177.40 for an Edinburgh to London 'Saver' a good deal either -ouch!!

Why is an any permitted SVR from Glasgow to London a much more reasonable £108.80??? Is that only valid on Virgin?

The restrictions for the Glasgow - London SVR are:

Standard Class Return
From : 0433 GLASGOW CEN/QST
To : 1072 LONDON TERMINALS
Route : 00000 - ANY PERMITTED
SVR - OFF-PEAK RETURN VWC
Adult Price : £108.80
Restriction : 3A
These restrictions apply Monday to Friday. By any train on other days.
For travel TO or VIA: London (including Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Milton Keynes, Watford Junction and Reading) but NOT Kings Cross & Stevenage. Code 1K applies for journeys to/via Kings Cross & Stevenage.
Outward Travel.
You may travel on any train that is scheduled to ARRIVE: London Euston : At or after 1005
Return Travel.
You may travel on any train that is scheduled to DEPART: London Euston : At or after 0905
No break of journey allowed on outward travel, except to change trains.

Code 1K is the code for the Super Off-Peak Return (SSR) Edinburgh - London, which also costs £108.80. It is much more heavily restricted into Kings Cross [1] but takes the same restrictions as the Glasgow SVR into Euston. The only significant difference between the two tickets is that the Edinburgh SSR is valid for break of outward journey. It is valid via Glasgow, so anyone from Glasgow wanting to break their outward journey should buy an Edinburgh - London SSR.

John

[1] Arrive Kings Cross at or after 1117. Depart Kings Cross 0929 - 1457 & at or after 1859 M-Th, 1815F.

 

[Failed Unit]

The empty first class carriages must be beginning to hurt...

Serves them right, I used to always travel first class, but they have lowered the quality of the product to an extent that I am not prepared to use it. Why pay first class prices for standard class service. Might use this offer however.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Theyre always like that around London. Ive often had to sit on the floor in the corridors and even then its very cramped. It's a bit like assembly at school

people sit on the floor even when there are plenty of seats

 

[Aictos]

people sit on the floor even when there are plenty of seats

Got a NXEC last night and while walking though the buffet coach, after seeing a passenger sit in the vestibule thought there might not be seats but there were plenty, first class had quite a number of seats available as well.
Still, the first class service on NX is shocking compared to WSMR - okay, WSMR is a much smaller operator but the first class encountered there should be the minimum received with NX.

Still, I think it depends on the crews as well - some are really good and do take decent care of their passengers while others don't.

 

[yorkie]

Mind you I wouldn't call £177.40 for an Edinburgh to London 'Saver' a good deal either -ouch!!

Why is an any permitted SVR from Glasgow to London a much more reasonable £108.80??? Is that only valid on Virgin?

Am I missing something?

Back in InterCity days the fares were made identical.

Then we got privatisation, and NXEC were allowed to set rules on the Edinburgh fare, and VT set rules on the Glasgow fare. The fare pricing remains identical (I wonder who really sets them?) and VT tell NXEC what conditions to apply into Euston and vice-versa (Hmm... so much for TOCs not being allowed to collude!).

Then we got Simplification, this is where the complicated situation of the fares being the same but with different restrictions became really simple. It's so simple that no-one can understand it, but basically the SVR fare is called Super Off Peak from Edinburgh, and Off Peak from Glasgow. I can't look up the Super Off Peak restriction as Avantix 03 contains an error and thinks it's a Leisure First to London International and Avantix 04 hasn't been leaked yet. The Off Peak from Glasgow has the same restrictions into King's Cross as the Super Off Peak, because it's actually the same product! But it's valid on the first Glasgow-London train of the day and it is also valid back in the evening peak out of Euston so it would be daft to call it Super Off Peak. The Business Savers set by GNER are now Off Peak set by NXEC. Simple!

 

[Spaceflower]

people sit on the floor even when there are plenty of seats

You don't see that many people on the floor when there are available seats. Having said that, these trains are that full at times, finding empty seats would be impossible!