London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service

[westv]

Many thanks both.

 

[Tester]

Interestingly I travelled recently from King's Cross to Doncaster on the 1130 to Edinburgh and was served lunch, then changed to the 1315 to Leeds (which had left KX three minutes after mine).

Asked for a g&t to be told that they were on the breakfast menu.

Make of that what you will!

 

[takno]

Interestingly I travelled recently from King's Cross to Doncaster on the 1130 to Edinburgh and was served lunch, then changed to the 1315 to Leeds (which had left KX three minutes after mine).

Asked for a g&t to be told that they were on the breakfast menu.

Make of that what you will!

I reckon if they're going to run breakfast menu deep into lunchtime then they should start stocking a breakfast gin. They could do it with some kind of fruity tonic or something if they must.

 

[ainsworth74]

Did the 1900 from Kings Cross this Saturday just gone. Dish was the menu being served with orders taken shortly after leaving Kings Cross, two runs of both hot and cold drinks before arriving at York, a further serving of both after York and I was offered another round of sandwiches (not sure if they'd run out of hot food or were just getting rid of excess stock) as well. Biscuits and brownies being handed out without asking in some cases. My travelling companion missed out on the apple tart as they forgot to give them one but upon asking one was procured with apologies for the mistake.

Excellent service all around and so much better than pre-pandemic weekends!

Though I do wonder how LNER justify the vast amounts of single use plastic their move to having everything prepacked generates?

 

[takno]

Did the 1900 from Kings Cross this Saturday just gone. Dish was the menu being served with orders taken shortly after leaving Kings Cross, two runs of both hot and cold drinks before arriving at York, a further serving of both after York and I was offered another round of sandwiches (not sure if they'd run out of hot food or were just getting rid of excess stock) as well. Biscuits and brownies being handed out without asking in some cases. My travelling companion missed out on the apple tart as they forgot to give them one but upon asking one was procured with apologies for the mistake.

Excellent service all around and so much better than pre-pandemic weekends!

Though I do wonder how LNER justify the vast amounts of single use plastic their move to having everything prepacked generates?

I've found it's increasingly common to be offered a second sandwich. I'd say that given most people will refuse it and it's quite possible that the sandwiches don't have a long life on them that the cost of this is pretty minimal, and it feels a lot less uncomfortably mean.

In terms of single-use plastic, it all tends to be a single layer of thin film, rather than substantial trays. Given that they are collecting that up rather than letting it all float around in the environment it's probably less environmentally unfriendly per customer than a single denser tray or container would be. Obviously there's plenty of healthy debate about which specific plastics are worse, and whether landfill or incineration is a worse disposal method, or whether the whole plastics thing is a pointless diversion of focus away from global warming, but ultimately companies are being measured and judged on the tonnage of plastic they waste, and if it's cellophane that tends to be low.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I suspect the second round of sandwiches had you eaten earlier on in the journey is covered under the catch all, subjects to availability bit in the terms and conditions. They've probably been told that it's a nice to have rather than an absolute must for longer distance passengers and I would agree with this. Last FC journey was in march and I only got one food service because I opted for a dose on departure from Edinburgh and for the final meal service on departure from York/Doncaster, but they were extremely generous with the drinks which I wasn't complaining about, I was in the process of moving house and was a bit of an emotional mess

 

[westv]

1st class on the Hull Executive this evening.
There does seem to be a contradiction between my first use of a senior railcard on LNER and the food portions presented before me that are clearly intended for a child.
Edit: and the red wine is really rough.

 

[Butts]

1st class on the Hull Executive this evening.
There does seem to be a contradiction between my first use of a senior railcard on LNER and the food portions presented before me that are clearly intended for a child.
Edit: and the red wine is really rough.

Console yourself with the fact that you have paid less for your "happy meal" with the CD's card - welcome to the club.

Ref the redex masquerading as wine - stick with the canned beer or spirits

 

[Blindtraveler]

The white wine is drinkable, not brilliant but I'm told far better than the red, I don't drink red so can't compare

 

[westv]

Oh and the warm clotted cream with the tart was such a mean portion it was only slightly bigger than my thumb nail

 

[rmt4ever]

Booked on a train from Yorkshire to London recently, it was a York to Kings Cross service that stopped often. We boarded at Doncaster station.

It was advertised as the mid meal service. Which according to the menu's online should have had a hot beef stew served at our seat.

But instead we got lowest quality Deli menu, and the only hot option was a bloody sausage roll! Not exactly what I would call a meal.

And between Doncaster and Kings X, despite the fact that the train took about 2 hours and stopped often, there was just ONE drinks offering! When I enquired later in the journey as to where the drinks trolly was I was told there was some kind of new nonsense audit system and the drinks were now not available.... sounded like a load of old tosh to me!

Is this normal? And should I complain in the hope of a bit of compo in the way of rail vouchers? First Class on a two hour train journey being one drinks offering and a sausage roll is not exactly what I would call First Class.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Booked on a train from Yorkshire to London recently, it was a York to Kings Cross service that stopped often. We boarded at Doncaster station.

It was advertised as the mid meal service. Which according to the menu's online should have had a hot beef stew served at our seat.

But instead we got lowest quality Deli menu, and the only hot option was a bloody sausage roll! Not exactly what I would call a meal.

And between Doncaster and Kings X, despite the fact that the train took about 2 hours and stopped often, there was just ONE drinks offering! When I enquired later in the journey as to where the drinks trolly was I was told there was some kind of new nonsense audit system and the drinks were now not available.... sounded like a load of old tosh to me!

Is this normal? And should I complain in the hope of a bit of compo in the way of rail vouchers? First Class on a two hour train journey being one drinks offering and a sausage roll is not exactly what I would call First Class.

I'd complain - this is LNER so you should get a good response.

CrossCountry on the other hand you can expect that service!

 

[skyhigh]

And should I complain in the hope of a bit of compo in the way of rail vouchers? First Class on a two hour train journey being one drinks offering and a sausage roll is not exactly what I would call First Class.

You can complain but you'll likely just be told that the First Class offering is complementary and subject to availability. It's always been a bit hit and miss. I would be very surprised if you were offered RTVs as compensation.

 

[rmt4ever]

You can complain but you'll likely just be told that the First Class offering is complementary and subject to availability. It's always been a bit hit and miss. I would be very surprised if you were offered RTVs as compensation.

Thats a shame. I suppose I was comparing it to British Airways Club Domestic service, whereby if substandard/no catering is loaded you are routinely offered Avios as recompense.

We specifically didn't have lunch and planned our day around that believing we would be given a hot substantial meal as per our ticket and the advertised implied catering.

There was no warning either.

And as for the only one drink served..... words fail me

 

[GardenRail]

Can't answer your question, but, our on train catering is so bad here that we should just do away with it. Just come back from Austria and Germany, got beer in a real glass, and a plated hot meal at the restaurant car with knife and fork. Then back here to LNER, no restaurant car. Can of Carlsberg and a toasted sandwich. No glass, no plate. Dire.

 

[lnerazuma]

Thank you for contacting LNER.

We are sorry to hear that you were unhappy with our complimentary food service and in particular not getting the beef stew on your journey from Doncaster to London Kings Cross. I understand this must have been frustrating. Our on board staff are very busy and have a lot of duties aside from serving customers, however this is a large part of their role, they could be conducting other more time consuming business.

Nevertheless, I apologise. All our catering from drinks to hot meals are all complimentary and comes to no further cost to yourself or any other customer in first class. This is a free service that we provide for our customers who decide to buy a 1st class ticket. When doing so they are paying for the seat itself and the more spacious are surrounding them; everything else is an amenity.

Once again, we are sorry our service was not what you expected. We have captured your feedback and we hope you will notice a difference the next time you travel with us.
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They've already got a template response for complains of this category. You can start to think of how to reply it if you are that keen. Good luck

 

[rdh-eld]

I've had quite a good experience recently with LNER First Class service, and I know others that have so it's a shame to hear yours hasn't. I've had hot options, plenty of drinks (from KGX-EDI we had five-six drink offerings!) and even a second offering of snacks. It is however advertised that the food is complimentary and not part of the price, I imagine to protect themselves from liability in the scenario you've encountered, which was probably due to a lack of staff!

 

[Bishopstone]

Well done on prising a sausage roll out of them, as there was no hot food of any description, in either direction, on my last return trip from Kings Cross to York.

 

[ainsworth74]

You can complain but you'll likely just be told that the First Class offering is complementary and subject to availability. It's always been a bit hit and miss. I would be very surprised if you were offered RTVs as compensation.

Last time I complained that the advertised service didn't materialise they gave me a £30 e-voucher on two tickets that had cost £60 odd combined (two together railcard discounted) so basically 50% back.

 

[Falcon1200]

All our catering from drinks to hot meals are all complimentary and comes to no further cost to yourself or any other customer in first class. This is a free service that we provide for our customers who decide to buy a 1st class ticket.

How do LNER get away with saying that? The catering is not free at all, it is paid for from part of the First Class fare. Unless providing the service costs LNER nothing, which of course is not the case.

 

[westv]

How do LNER get away with saying that? The catering is not free at all, it is paid for from part of the First Class fare. Unless providing the service costs LNER nothing, which of course is not the case.

If there was no catering I doubt the fare price would reduce.

 

[richa2002]

If there was no catering I doubt the fare price would reduce.

They should get rid of catering tomorrow then and they'd make more money. Except they don't because they obviously sense their first class ticket sales are driven to some extent by the catering. Therefore, it is absolutely included in the fare and to suggest otherwise is weasel words to say the least.

 

[Bungle73]

Can't answer your question, but, our on train catering is so bad here that we should just do away with it. Just come back from Austria and Germany, got beer in a real glass, and a plated hot meal at the restaurant car with knife and fork. Then back here to LNER, no restaurant car. Can of Carlsberg and a toasted sandwich. No glass, no plate. Dire.

You get real (albeit small) glasses, plated meals and knifes and forks on LNER.

And a fairly decent Real Ale, not just Carlsburg......

 

[greyman42]

Thank you for contacting LNER.

We are sorry to hear that you were unhappy with our complimentary food service and in particular not getting the beef stew on your journey from Doncaster to London Kings Cross. I understand this must have been frustrating. Our on board staff are very busy and have a lot of duties aside from serving customers, however this is a large part of their role, they could be conducting other more time consuming business.

What other duties have the staff got to carry out apart from serving customers?

 

[30907]

What other duties have the staff got to carry out apart from serving customers?

Quite. Not that the poster appears to have any authority to speak for LNER, so I have no idea if they are quoting/adapting anything official.

Incidentally, I was disappointed to get the Deli menu only on the 1333 ex KGX yesterday.

 

[Stathern Jc]

Got on The Chieftain at Waverley this afternoon. Dish menu, and food order taken at Haymarket.
No complaints from me!

 

[brad465]

I'm going to Aberdeen 1st class on Friday 18th August on the 10:00 from KGX, and returning on the 09:52 the following Monday. Are the menus normally the same every time on each particular service and thus predictable or will I just have to wait and see?

 

[ainsworth74]

Urgh, unfortunately LNER are cheaping out again in August and doing a "Festival" menu in first class on "selected" trains to/from/through Edinburgh. It would appear that both the trains your intending to catch are offering it. From memory it's a pretty rubbish menu compared to what those trains should be which is "Dish", however LNER don't appear to have put the "Festival" menu online that I can see.

You can find more info here on the LNER website with pdf's saying what menu is expected on each service: https://www.lner.co.uk/the-east-coast-experience/first-class/menu/

 

[takno]

Urgh, unfortunately LNER are cheaping out again in August and doing a "Festival" menu in first class on "selected" trains to/from/through Edinburgh. It would appear that both the trains your intending to catch are offering it. From memory it's a pretty rubbish menu compared to what those trains should be which is "Dish", however LNER don't appear to have put the "Festival" menu online that I can see.

You can find more info here on the LNER website with pdf's saying what menu is expected on each service: https://www.lner.co.uk/the-east-coast-experience/first-class/menu/

Ugh, that looks like all the trains from Edinburgh. What the hell even is "Edinburgh Rock"? Validates my decision to fly down South this week I guess.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Lazy LN e r, makes me very glad yet again that I've moved and I'm now not trying to escape from the festival at regular intervals and being treated to this rubbish if I bought myself a first class ticket on the train