Virgin Trains/Avanti West Coast First Class Comparison

[Nicholas B]

Just wanting to know people’s thoughts on whether they preferred First Class on Virgin Trains or Avanti West Coast.

For instance, straight away, I preferred First Class on Virgin Trains purely because of the look of the interior (light brown tables, table lamps, etc.) compared to Avanti West Coast First Class which looks dull and all seems to be one colour, no enhancements of the table areas with a lamp, but rather bland charging points.

I haven’t actually travelled First Class with Virgin or Avanti, so I’m going solely by photos I’ve seen.

Your thoughts?

 

[StephenHunter]

There was a Virgin Trains lamp for sale at the Greatest Gathering, but I couldn't justify the cost to myself...

 

[Merle Haggard]

Travelling on a status pass I only get coffee and I'm pleased with that.
What I have noticed is the spread of parsimony associated with the Avanti takeover. For instance, boarding at Rugby on the down I get offered a coffee pretty well straight away, but on the Manchesters that's the last service for anybody. Passengers already on board at Rugby sometimes get a second drink if the trolley comes round after Rugby, but usually the staff approach me when I'm seated and bring back my drink order from the kitchen. Joining at Stoke - no chance - the empty cups are being collected by then. I've had 3 trolley calls on the same service (although I was boarding at Milton Keynes before the Rugby connection was introduced) when Virgin ran it. Passengers joining at Stoke were offered cooked breakfast.
Virgin staff used to serve coffee from a coffee and a milk jug stylishly poured simultaneously. While this reduced with Virgin, Avanti staff started to serve the milk from a plastic supermarket type bottle....
The staff has reduced from 3 + service manager + chef max (on an 11 car) to two or sometimes one. I think that there are still some chefs but not on all trains - apart from breakfast, meals are small and don't require cooking - at some times it's a bag of crisps and a shortbread biscuit.
What I don't understand is how reducing hot drinks from 3 to 1 (saving only materials cost) and drastically cutting down on meals can be considered justifiable in relation to the premium charged for 1st class, particulary as all the advantages of first - apart from one coffee and a bag of crisps + shortbread served at seat - can be met by travelling Standard Premium.

 

[StephenHunter]

Well, they'll be under GBR soon - October in fact - so we'll see what changes then.

 

[Nicholas B]

Travelling on a status pass I only get coffee and I'm pleased with that.
What I have noticed is the spread of parsimony associated with the Avanti takeover. For instance, boarding at Rugby on the down I get offered a coffee pretty well straight away, but on the Manchesters that's the last service for anybody. Passengers already on board at Rugby sometimes get a second drink if the trolley comes round after Rugby, but usually the staff approach me when I'm seated and bring back my drink order from the kitchen. Joining at Stoke - no chance - the empty cups are being collected by then. I've had 3 trolley calls on the same service (although I was boarding at Milton Keynes before the Rugby connection was introduced) when Virgin ran it. Passengers joining at Stoke were offered cooked breakfast.
Virgin staff used to serve coffee from a coffee and a milk jug stylishly poured simultaneously. While this reduced with Virgin, Avanti staff started to serve the milk from a plastic supermarket type bottle....
The staff has reduced from 3 + service manager + chef max (on an 11 car) to two or sometimes one. I think that there are still some chefs but not on all trains - apart from breakfast, meals are small and don't require cooking - at some times it's a bag of crisps and a shortbread biscuit.
What I don't understand is how reducing hot drinks from 3 to 1 (saving only materials cost) and drastically cutting down on meals can be considered justifiable in relation to the premium charged for 1st class, particulary as all the advantages of first - apart from one coffee and a bag of crisps + shortbread served at seat - can be met by travelling Standard Premium.

Interesting… I’ve never thought of it like that before.

 

[Crighton]

Virgin trains were divided into those which served full meals and those which did snack boxes. The Avanti service sits between the two.

When Virgin served a full meal they were better (breakfast was often full English plus toast, dinner was 3 courses). Outside that and at weekends, Avanti’s offering has better food, it’s just a shame very little space is allocated to first class travellers at the weekend.

 

[WTT Gremlin]

Well, they'll be under GBR soon - October in fact - so we'll see what changes then.

It might be 'back in public ownership' or whatever the phrase is in October, but it will not be a part of GBR in October... because GBR won't yet exist.

 

[Trackman]

There was a Virgin Trains lamp for sale at the Greatest Gathering, but I couldn't justify the cost to myself...

How much were they asking please?

 

[StephenHunter]

How much were they asking please?

I think it was around £70.

 

[Trackman]

I think it was around £70.

Many thanks.
Too much for me too!
Did it come with all the gubbins too? I assume it was fed by a local DC transformer.

 

[StephenHunter]

Many thanks.
Too much for me too!
Did it come with all the gubbins too? I assume it was fed by a local DC transformer.

It had a regular plug.

 

[AlterEgo]

I think it was around £70.

I’d have bought that. I know just where I’d use it too. If you know who was selling it let me know.

 

[frodshamfella]

I preferred Virgin Trains 1st, they also used to offer some decent fares off peak in 1st, so I used it more than Avanti.

 

[leshuttle]

In the mid‑2000s/before the last financial crash, Virgin Trains’ First Class felt like a completely different, and far more memorable experience. Tables were fully set with placemats, cutlery, glasses and cups on most weekday departures from the terminal stations, and hot drinks were regularly topped up from the mid‑coach host station.

Advance fares were often surprisingly affordable too, granted I did have a young persons railcard back then!

These days I rarely bother with Avanti's First Class unless the journey is over three hours and it's marginally affordable, for much the same reasons I’ve been put off Eurostar’s offer.

 

[Trackman]

I preferred Virgin Trains 1st, they also used to offer some decent fares off peak in 1st, so I used it more than Avanti.

When they started online booking they had some cracking deals, it was a case to make people book online.
I think in 2001 they hiked the prices of standard tickets

In the mid‑2000s/before the last financial crash, Virgin Trains’ First Class felt like a completely different, and far more memorable experience. Tables were fully set with placemats, cutlery, glasses and cups on most weekday departures from the terminal stations, and hot drinks were regularly topped up from the mid‑coach host station.

Happy days

 

[Merle Haggard]

I travelled by Avanti mid-day ish from Rugby to New St. recently. There had been an earlier cancellation so that the 807's DMF was about half full, i.e., more than usual. The steward walked into the coach and said to no-one in particular 'there's been a cancellation, it's a bit busy' walked back to the kitchen never to be seen again.
Has at-seat officially ceased for shorter journeys like this? or was it a one off with an excuse?

Edited to un 'correct' auto correct

 

[Helvellyn]

Is it any different to any other operator?

EMT used to offer complimentary cooked breakfast on some services and hot food options at other times (albeit for a small supplement), with proper cups/glasses. EMR is just hot breakfast rolls or chilled sandwiches at other times, with paper cups and plastic glasses.

LNER has a mix of menu offerings (but you can only see on their website which train offers which). They had more trains with chefs before Covid, which included more offering full breakfasts. Toast also went several years ago, which surely doesn't break the bank to offer!

GWR has Pullman Dining on a select handful of trains but is much removed from the Travelling Chef days.

Drinks service can very much depend on crews. I've had anything from one to four drinks runs on trains non-stop London-York, EMR can be patchy as well and Avanti seems to depend on the size/busyness of First Class.

 

[Bristol LHS]

Was amused to board a 4h39m service from Euston to Glasgow and be told there would be no hot drinks service in first class, ‘due to timing’., and that First Class passengers could collect hot drinks from the buffet by walking down there and presenting our ticket. This was a service fast to Warrington - really couldn’t understand what could possibly be the issue - even if the first class water heater was out, surely staff could collect drinks fo hot water from the buffet themselves.