Getting back on topic and not BA flights etc I just wanted to establish a few points here.
Catering adds considerably to the cost of staffing and the train service can run without catering so I expect it will over time continue to be reduced and eventually disappear on all the daytime services. I expect catering will continue on the GWR & CS sleepers as it is a key part of the service offered.
Whilst I agree catering adds to the cost of staffing, the staff are already employed regardless of what level of provision is being offered. Offering ever decreasing choice at reduced frequencies is saving pennies as opposed to the pounds in staffing. The problem is, saving 50p per passenger by offering tea and coffee twice instead of for times on a 2 hour journey, whilst still paying the staff member only serves to reduce the experience of first class and not really create any meaningful saving. You can say the same about the food options. If you can buy a supermarket meal deal for less than £4 then the wholesale cost of a similar offering on train really doesn't equate to much per head. Reducing staff would/could save considerable money but if that's not on the cards, then why reduce the offering? If that is potentially on the cards, shouldn't the onboard crews be very worried?
The confusing thing is I can't see how this change makes any real difference to costs as it surely takes the same number of onboard staff to deliver the snack boxes as it does sandwiches? The cost of the stock might slightly reduce but the cutbacks will be enough for me as a regular Saturday lesuire first class traveller to switch to standard so they are losing £30 a Saturday from me for probably less than £3 saving in wholesale stock costs.
As above, someone who shares the same viewpoint. The uplift in first class ticket costs should be a factor when setting the fares. You would reasonably expect to pay a premium for first class, not £10. If the ticket cost is £30 more as you suggest, it is unlikely any passenger, never mind all first class passengers are going to consume anywhere near £15 worth of food/drink per journey, assuming you are referring to the £30 being the difference in uplift on a return. So still a net profit over someone choosing standard. At £30 extra for a return, I would personally suggest that should actually be a higher uplift anyway, and again is something that should be looked at, to reflect the premium upgrade to travel in first.
Saturday you get weekend first upgrades and leisure travellers have a habit of taking as much of the first class complimentary stuff as they can, I would imagine, given the usual novelty factor. Travel in the week and it isn't unusual to see regular customers take little or nothing if they don't happen to want it.
Again, this seems to me to probably stem from the fact first class is too cheap. If first class fares, and I'll assume they are advance, are too cheap, then you will undoubtedly attract those of the mindset that "£10/15 extra we can go first class" resulting in trying to gain that value back in complimentary items to justify their decision to buy a first class ticket. I'm not particularly sure this is what level TOCs should be pricing first class at, which encourages this, and ultimately seems like they don't want it either. I'm sure there are plenty of other first class passengers who don't like the idea of first class being somewhat a "downgraded" feel to it in this situation. This is entirely unavoidable.
Well yeah, but if people pay for the food then the railway will continue to provide it, and while the railway continue to advertise and charge quality food prices then the passenger should expect quality food, which is the point that pretty much all the posters in here are making.
Exactly. I firmly believe the expectation when you travel first class with on board hosts is that you as a passenger should expect to pay a considerable bit extra than standard. As a result of this, I would expect from the company that I am going to be offered a premium level of service. Unfortunately, EMR service offerings have been going downhill for a good few years. There will always be those that say business travel has declined but leisure travel is through the roof. There's certainly no shortage of people travelling. There's no shortage of people with a desire to pay more to provide themselves with a better environment and associated benefits. The 810s, as have been mentioned many times, have more seats, more legroom, more luggage space. First class has never needed to be more premium than now. I believe the capacity in first on 810s is reduced slightly too so a higher price point and much improved service offering is a huge missed opportunity with their introduction in my opinion.
Any level of service is possible, if people are prepared to pay a realistic sum for it.
This thread started with people disappointed/angry that having paid c.£10 to travel first class between Derby and Sheffield, they'd no longer be entitled to a sandwich (etc) on top of a hot drink and biscuits etc. And I still maintain their expectations were unrealistic, on a heavily subsidised railway system.
My point, precisely. Such small uplifts or cheap fares for first class shouldn't exist. It devalues the point of it and reduces revenue, that in turn affords the ability to offer a greater experience.
There's quite a few commentators on here who really think the MML deserves to be stripped of all catering and 1st class "because it's not long enough" and because "other longer routes don't have 1st and/or catering". So yes, race to the bottom!
Yes, very strange. If you offer an impressive first class provision, it will undoubtedly satisfy or exceed expectations. If a greater cost needs to be applied to this model, then so be it. Currently you have this situation of seemingly not charging much more for first, but then effectively saying we can't offer very much because of it. That just leads to disappointment, people who may not choose first again and potentially a rolling flow of would be standard upgraders. Doesn't really come across to me as what the first class concept should be about. The first class capacity onboard is reduced and therfore should come at an extra cost but a reasonably decent service should be expected in return. At present, I feel that it is potentially too cheap and the offering is too disappointing. Even the layout isn't on a similar level to other operators. Where did the table layups go and where did all this disposable cardboard come from? What cost does that come at for both increased purchase cost and waste disposal? Surely it's cheaper to go back to the previous set up and use proper China cups, plates etc? I can't see any way in how this can be cheaper and it is certainly in no way a premium feel!
). Do they wash everything by hand, like the good old days of HST operation?
