London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service

[takno]

Other users experiences and requirements may vary.

I rarely visit the Kings Cross area, so am usually connecting. A lot of people will be doing similar.

I also don't like to cut my arrival times fine if I can avoid it; delays are not unheard of. On a recent occasion I was an hour late into Kings Cross. I had booked an earlier train than I needed, so would have visited the KGX lounge if I was on time. I also got to the origin station a bit early to avoid the after school traffic; the delay meant I spent more time in the station than I had anticipated, so the lounge was useful.

LNER don't allow me to cut it fine for an affordable price; the East Coast main line pricing is primarily airline style, for most people these days.

The time is not dead time if I can get my laptop out and get some work done.

I've found in the post that I preferred to head up and use the public library for that, or head up and sit around coal yards somewhere if the weather is good. It's an area with quite a lot on these days. I appreciate that other people's needs are different though, and I'd be happier if the first class lounge felt like a space I could work in

 

[ainsworth74]

and I'd be happier if the first class lounge felt like a space I could work in

Which doesn't feel like an unreasonable ask for a first class lounge when people are paying considerable sums above the standard class ticket price!

 

[Bungle73]

You’d have a better time waiting in the York Tap - decent pork pies and both soft and licensed drinks.

Could give it a try as I've never been in there. I probably would have already had a drink in a pub during the day though, and I generally like to enjoy a can or two of Hop on Board on the train.

Another problem I noticed with the lounge was getting to it. Unless there was a secret staircase I didn't notice, it was mainly by 1 lift that featured a queue (because that was the only way up it seems). Exiting to the platforms wasn't so bad.

If they are paranoid about that, perhaps they could do what certain restaurants do and have a draught machine: customers can fill up a glass as often as needed in the lounge, but this stops taking any soft drink volume out of the lounge. Of course clever folk could fill up a refill bottle instead, but there you could just enforce a rule against it.

Use the escalators that lead up the mezzanine level, and follow the balcony round in the direction of platforms 9 and 10. It takes you to the footbridge over the platforms where there is a corridor, through a door, leading to the lounge.

I went that way recently, when I just missed the lift going up.

unless connecting between trains I never see the need for a lounge, half the selling point of a train is that you can turn up 10 mins before. At the airport you have to turn up 60-90 mins early and then have a ton of dead time, so the lounge is far more important.

As far as KGX is concerned, I'm coming from Kent, so I like to leave spare time. I only travel with them, and particularly first class, rarely though, and it's the start of a holiday, so it's a treat.

 

[Butts]

Try some decent business class airport lounges and you'll see what LNER's lounges are missing. Decent coffee, proper hot food, relaxing music etc.

Given that LNER first class is directly competing with the likes of BA Club Europe on the Newcastle and Edinburgh routes, it's an entirely fair comparison in my view.

This is never likely to happen unless the entry rules for LNER Lounges are tightened fiscally.

As it stands you can get into the one in Edinburgh spending less than a tenner try that in a BA Lounge even with status it would be ten times that amount.

Can you imagine Talisker on free flow at LNER - they have a coronary if you ask for an extra blended Whisky on a Train.

What they could do is improve the offer to be on a par with Avanti - although even there's is tailing off a bit from recent experience.

Onboard if you have a Breakfast it should be Orange Juice, Toast, Coffee from a proper machine and the Full Fry Up

If it's Breakfast Rolls they should offer you two at least - if you only want one fine.


If you took the LNER Staff into the BA Lounge at Edinburgh Airport they'd have a panic attack seeing all the Breakfast Goods laid out and people helping themselves to whatever they want.

Having said that the Breakfast Provided onboard a Train is far superior to that in the Lounge whilst the opposite is true in the air.

 

[sh24]

The bar of the Great Northern Hotel is an excellent place to wait, an hour is yours for the price of a coffee and much nicer than the LNER lounge.

BA’s Galleries Club are nothing special unless you are into a slopfest buffet and mediocre booze.

 

[WesternLancer]

The bar of the Great Northern Hotel is an excellent place to wait, an hour is yours for the price of a coffee and much nicer than the LNER lounge.

That’s a very good tip actually! Open to standard class ticket holders too.

 

[sh24]

That’s a very good tip actually! Open to standard class ticket holders too.

Good WiFi too if you need to work or join a call. It’s the best hideaway I’ve found in the area.

 

[Butts]

The bar of the Great Northern Hotel is an excellent place to wait, an hour is yours for the price of a coffee and much nicer than the LNER lounge.

BA’s Galleries Club are nothing special unless you are into a slopfest buffet and mediocre booze.

Compared to an LNER Lounge it's like The Ritz

 

[Deerfold]

Good WiFi too if you need to work or join a call. It’s the best hideaway I’ve found in the area.

If would be good if LNER cared enough to get their Leeds WiFi working - I mostly don't care about WiFi but the my phone signal in the Leeds lounge is poor. How many years has it not been working now?

Still advertised as being available, though.

https://www.lner.co.uk/first-class-travel/lounges/leeds/

LNER First Class lounges offer free WiFi for guests.

 

[Deerfold]

Compared to an LNER Lounge it's like The Ritz

Which I'm happy to get into whenever I accompany my other half on a flight now her status has flipped back up a level, even though the only time I've been Business Class myself has been paid for with points.

 

[sh24]

What is the service expectation from Peterborough to Kings Cross at the weekend? I’ve been offered nothing (and only briefly seen one member of staff who was collecting cups just after leaving PBO). I feel slightly short changed!

 

[ainsworth74]

What is the service expectation from Peterborough to Kings Cross at the weekend? I’ve been offered nothing (and only briefly seen one member of staff who was collecting cups just after leaving PBO). I feel slightly short changed!

I would expect drinks and maybe a biscuit or two. But that would be about it. However I would expect, going southbound, to need to directly ask a member of train crew. Sadly a lot of crews tend to pack up by Peterborough (but by no means all of them!). Going northbound Peterborough passengers seem to get basically the full offer (usually minus items that need heating up in the kitchen).

 

[Bungle73]

Apparently the current menu runs until the 2nd of December…….I’m travelling on the 3rd…..

 

[Egg Centric]

I'm on a Dish (sadly not Dine - I checked cause I wanted to be first to try the steak!) on Thursday (12:30 KGX Departure) and a quick search of this thread there's no one had the Spanish chicken yet. Don't normally eat anything other than fruit on the train but the timing works so I'll take one for the team and report back. The picture looks nice!

 

[Egg Centric]

I'm on a Dish (sadly not Dine - I checked cause I wanted to be first to try the steak!) on Thursday (12:30 KGX Departure) and a quick search of this thread there's no one had the Spanish chicken yet. Don't normally eat anything other than fruit on the train but the timing works so I'll take one for the team and report back. The picture looks nice!

And here's what it looks like IRL. Portion more generous than I expected and sauce is nicely smokey but maybe a bit bland. Chicken isn't the best but isn't the worst either. Solid 7.5/10 Id say.

 

[Willie Bee]

Would you get anything on a mid-morning (Sunday) LNER service from Newcastle to York ?

A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I travelled on TPE on the same route, departing Newcastle at 08:59. The breakfast was nice, although being served shortly after 09:45 meant we had to rush it, as we were due in York at about 10

 

[30907]

Would you get anything on a mid-morning (Sunday) LNER service from Newcastle to York ?

A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I travelled on TPE on the same route, departing Newcastle at 08:59. The breakfast was nice, although being served shortly after 09:45 meant we had to rush it, as we were due in York at about 10

Weekend trains are Deli menu only

 

[Bungle73]

LNER have confirmed to me that the Paupers'.......sorry "Christmas"....Menu kicks in on the 3rd, so I won't be getting the cooked breakfast I was looking forward to then........

 

[D1024]

Just had the Steak - pretty tasty imho. Its on the menu as Medium, mine was more Medium/Well. Thr Hasselback potatoes were nicely crisped and the sauce had a nice flavour. Shame about the portion size ...

 

[Butts]

Just had the Steak - pretty tasty imho. Its on the menu as Medium, mine was more Medium/Well. Thr Hasselback potatoes were nicely crisped and the sauce had a nice flavour. Shame about the portion size ...

Is that a side plate sized receptacle ?

Reminds me of the old "Minute Steaks " with the emphasis on size rather than time !!

Is it bigger than a fag packet ? - Looks like a 4oz to me.

 

[takno]

Is that a side plate sized receptacle ?

Reminds me of the old "Minute Steaks " with the emphasis on size rather than time !!

Is it bigger than a fag packet ? - Looks like a 4oz to me.

It's the same smallish-but-bigger-than-side plates they usually use. The steak isn't large - I'd guess maybe 5oz, but 4 is believeable. The one I had was better chopped to look bigger. Overall it was more filling than you might expect, and with the desert (which was really very good) made for a decent afternoon dinner. I didn't feel the need to eat for the rest of the day after I'd had it that plus some crisps and biscuits mid-afternoon.

 

[Aaron_TTL]

Absolutely no hot food in first class on the 9:52 Aberdeen to London today despite smelling bacon throughout the carriage, pretty disappointing

 

[Sealink]

No pdfs, but here's some pics.

Steak was good but could have lived with a touch more sauce. Apple tart is excellent

Is the Apple Tart served on crockery? They seem to have defaulted to dessert pots on my last few journeys.

 

[Andy Pacer]

Absolutely no hot food in first class on the 9:52 Aberdeen to London today despite smelling bacon throughout the carriage, pretty disappointing

Nothing for the entirety of the journey?

 

[Aaron_TTL]

Nothing for the entirety of the journey?

I got off at York so can’t say, but nothing till there anyway! The entire service was pretty poor, sockets didn’t work

I asked for a water to be bluntly told “im hot drinks only”

 

[takno]

Is the Apple Tart served on crockery? They seem to have defaulted to dessert pots on my last few journeys.

Mine was on crockery with custard. It isn't really the sort of thing you could serve in a pot

 

[Amaranthe]

First day of a 14 day ALR and it's been a stressful one but got to say well done LNER on this occasion.

Got to my home station of Durham at about 11:45 and had just paid £1450 for my ALR when the announcement came up that there would be no departures for the foreseeable future due to a fatality on the line.

So couple of nice hours in the Waiting Room (highly recommended pub) at Durham then first southbound service was 1E14 running 40 minutes late. Sadly this was absolutely rammed so ended up sitting in the vestibule but still got served a Hop on Board whilst sat on the floor.

Finally managed to get a seat at York and got served food, another beer and coffee before deciding I needed a nicotine break at Newark.

Then got 1Y88 from Newark and been served 2 beers and 2 coffees and had an offer of more food but the Deli menu is so uninspiring I declined that.

 

[voyagerdude220]

I asked for a water to be bluntly told “im hot drinks only”

That sounds like to me that someone is in the wrong job..
We all have bad days at work, but there's no excuse for that attitude.
I believe the LNER MD is a member of this forum- I'm sure he'd have something to say/do had he witnessed this interaction!

 

[Aaron_TTL]

That sounds like to me that someone is in the wrong job..
We all have bad days at work, but there's no excuse for that attitude.
I believe the LNER MD is a member of this forum- I'm sure he'd have something to say/do had he witnessed this interaction!

I agree, today’s entire trip has left me probably not doing first class again! Their loss

Do you know the MDs username? I’d like to tell them the full story

 

[voyagerdude220]

I agree, today’s entire trip has left me probably not doing first class again! Their loss

Do you know the MDs username? I’d like to tell them the full story

Yes, his name is David Horne. He is a regular contributor to this forum. I seem to remember he stepped in a couple of months ago when a Forum member complained on here about them being incorrectly charged for a new ticket and Mr.Horne quickly got involved to get it sorted favourably for the forum member involved.