Upgrading part of a full ticket with seatfrog?

[ThrowAway10101]

I’m planning a train journey for someone and want to upgrade them to first class with seatfrog so they can enjoy the lounge before boarding the flight.

They are travelling from Stoke (SOT) to Manchester airport (MIA) but seatfrog only has upgrades from

SOT - Manchester Piccadilly (MAN) (Crosscountry)

and MAN - MIA (Transpennine)

The ticket is not split, can i still upgrade part of the journey? Break of journey is allowed.

And which first class experience would be better? Transpennine express or Cross country?

Thank you

 

[yorkie]

I’m planning a train journey for someone and want to upgrade them to first class with seatfrog so they can enjoy the lounge before boarding the flight.

Can you elaborate please, as I don't understand this. Which lounge and where would Seatfrog come into this?

can i still upgrade part of the journey?

Yes

And which first class experience would be better? Transpennine express or Cross country?

Without knowing the TPE service, or what qualifies as "better", it's impossible to say!

If you are asking about comfort, personally would prefer the Voyager seat over the others (however I've not tried the new seats), and of the TPE services, arguably 185s have the most comfortable seats.

 

[ThrowAway10101]

Can you elaborate please, as I don't understand this. Which lounge and where would Seatfrog come into this?

Yes

Without knowing the TPE service, or what qualifies as "better", it's impossible to say!

If you are asking about comfort, personally would prefer the Voyager seat over the others (however I've not tried the new seats), and of the TPE services, arguably 185s have the most comfortable seats.

Hi, first class lounge at MAN. Seatfrog does first class upgrades from SOT - MAN and MAN - MIA but not the whole route.

Just searched online and apparently only avanti first class ticket holders or seatfrog upgrades to that can access the lounge, not sure about other operator upgrades?

 

[yorkie]

Hi, first class lounge at MAN. Seatfrog does first class upgrades from SOT - MAN and MAN - MIA but not the whole route.

You'd need a 1st class ticket/upgrade valid on Avanti for that.

Just searched online and apparently only avanti first class ticket holders or seatfrog upgrades to that can access the lounge, not sure about other operator upgrades?

It would be far better for them to pay the fee to enter a lounge at the airport.

Paying for a train fare is a false economy, and ideally you want to be using the lounge after you've got to the airport and gone through security (and - where applicable and possible - through passport control) as that's the point where you can relax.

 

[Haywain]

Seatfrog does first class upgrades from SOT - MAN and MAN - MIA but not the whole route.

Because the upgrades are not available across different train operators.

 

[ThrowAway10101]

You'd need a 1st class ticket/upgrade valid on Avanti for that.

It would be far better for them to pay the fee to enter a lounge at the airport.

Paying for a train fare is a false economy, and ideally you want to be using the lounge after you've got to the airport and gone through security (and - where applicable and possible - through passport control) as that's the point where you can relax.

Great point thank you. Tbh i just want them to experience the lounge (and snacks!) not necessarily to relax. I just checked the wait time and 23 minutes sounds totally doable to have a quick nip to the lounge and back to the platforms. It's a shorthaul flight so they haven't considered the airport lounges.

Just saw that the ticket is valid for travel with any operator, even though seat frog only offers upgrades for crosscountry services from SOT to MAN. That means the ticket + seatfrog upgrade would be valid?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Mar 2026 ==

Because the upgrades are not available across different train operators.

Ahh that makes sense thank you!

 

[yorkie]

Great point thank you. Tbh i just want them to experience the lounge (and snacks!) not necessarily to relax. I just checked the wait time and 23 minutes sounds totally doable to have a quick nip to the lounge and back to the platforms. It's a shorthaul flight so they haven't considered the airport lounges.

Just saw that the ticket is valid for travel with any operator, even though seat frog only offers upgrades for crosscountry services from SOT to MAN. That means the ticket + seatfrog upgrade would be valid?

I am not sure if Avanti do Seatfrog upgrades to 1st class on this route, but if they do, then yes...

 

[superalbs]

23 minutes is almost certainly not enough time to properly visit the lounge, especially in the likely event of a delay.

Have you considered buying snacks from a shop instead, if the snacks are the main reason?

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Just saw that the ticket is valid for travel with any operator,

This suggests an open ticket. In which case (should everything run to time) the passenger might be able to get an earlier train from Piccadilly to the airport, allowing a more relaxed time there.

I'm with the majority here who think that while the original plan is a most kind thought of the OP, it would on balance be best to do everything to smooth the journey to the airport and add any comforts once there.