East Coast First Class Lounge Supplement

[lyesbkz]

Hello,

Would anyone like to offer their view on interpreting the following?

Our First Class Lounges are open to customers who hold one of the following ticket types:

• Fully inter-available First Class Season Ticket (i.e. tickets not specific to one train company)
• Any First Class Anytime ticket valid for travel on the East Coast route
• Any East Coast First Class packages
• Holders of a First Class Lounge supplement, available for purchase with a East Coast First Advance ticket or First Class reader offer

Travelling between Sheffield and Newcastle, I use TPE & Connections 1st Advance tickets, despite the main part of the journey (Doncaster - Newcastle) being on an East Coast service.

When they say "available for purchase with a East Coast First Advance Ticket", is this including "& Connections" tickets where the connection is obviously an East Coast service (referring to purchasing a supplement to use the Doncaster lounge whilst waiting to connect to the EC service)?

Anyway I don't fully understand why the tickets are always TPE & Connections when the TPE leg of the journey is 25 minutes and the East Coast leg is 1.5 hours? Why am I never offered EC & Connections which would make more sense?

 

[yorkie]

I doubt they'd refuse the sale of such a supplement with a TPE & Connections but in theory, I guess they can. Worth a try, if the supplement seems worth it.

Why am I never offered EC & Connections which would make more sense?

You will probably be offered EC & Connections if you specify via Rotherham. This will generally be cheaper as EC tickets are priced lower, however anyone who can take advantage of the TPE 50% offers (for certain Railcard holders) would probably be best off with TPE & Connections on the TPE site. Obviously if booking EC & Connections, the EC site would be best.

 

[lyesbkz]

You will probably be offered EC & Connections if you specify via Rotherham. This will generally be cheaper as EC tickets are priced lower

Interestingly I have seen the EC & Connections tickets but this is when the first leg of the journey is completed using Northern Rail rather than TPE and surprisingly this generally seems to work out about £1 more expensive in 1st (despite Northern not even having a 1st compartment!).

Another question - if you purchase the supplement on the day, and then don't use it for some reason e.g. something else crops up that you need to do (however unlikely but just theoretically) -- the supplement has the From and To stations printed on it, and a Start date & Valid until (the latter of which is 3 months ahead) - does this mean that if the journey is being done again in future the supplement may be used then instead? There's no indication linking it to the particular advance ticket (unless bought online from EC when it says "ONLY VALID WITH TRAVEL TICKET XXXXX").

is it intended to be valid as such or is it simply a limitation of the printing of this kind of supplement?

 

[premier01]

Hello,

Would anyone like to offer their view on interpreting the following?



Travelling between Sheffield and Newcastle, I use TPE & Connections 1st Advance tickets, despite the main part of the journey (Doncaster - Newcastle) being on an East Coast service.

When they say "available for purchase with a East Coast First Advance Ticket", is this including "& Connections" tickets where the connection is obviously an East Coast service (referring to purchasing a supplement to use the Doncaster lounge whilst waiting to connect to the EC service)?

Anyway I don't fully understand why the tickets are always TPE & Connections when the TPE leg of the journey is 25 minutes and the East Coast leg is 1.5 hours? Why am I never offered EC & Connections which would make more sense?

Ok so is there a season ticket for 1st that is EC only-if so is it valid as it says TOC specific season tickets aren't valid.

 

[yorkie]

Ok so is there a season ticket for 1st that is EC only-if so is it valid as it says TOC specific season tickets aren't valid.

A very quick search in Avantix Traveller and I can't find any. I doubt any exist. But you're welcome to keep searching and see if you can find one!