Cross Country Weekday First Class upgrades?

[voyagerdude220]

Hi all,

Whilst looking on Journey Planner for a Cross Country journey, I noticed a new ticket type which I've not come across before-

XCW- "Weekday First Class upgrade."

e.g. Aberdeen to Plymouth= £60
Manchester to Bournemouth= £40.

Does anyone know if there are any time restrictions on these tickets?

 

[kkong]

Weekday First (CrossCountry)

Weekday Upgrade is available on all CrossCountry journeys over 35 miles, where First Class accommodation is available.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Weekday First (CrossCountry)

Thank you.

I wonder whether this is a way of giving Train Managers a potential way of trying to sell spare First Class seats on the day when Standard is unsurprisingly rammed.

Also I question whether Cross Country officially forbid Advance Standard Class ticket holders from buying these upgrades, as they do with Weekend First upgrades.

 

[Amaranthe]

e.g. Aberdeen to Plymouth= £60

Aberdeen to Plymouth this Wednesday, for example, is currently available to buy instantly on Seatfrog for £47 (+ £3 Fee). Bidding is currently at £8.

 

[Kite159]

Thank you.

I wonder whether this is a way of giving Train Managers a potential way of trying to sell spare First Class seats on the day when Standard is unsurprisingly rammed.

Also I question whether Cross Country officially forbid Advance Standard Class ticket holders from buying these upgrades, as they do with Weekend First upgrades.

I suspect more a case of giving Train Managers an easier way to sell a First Class upgrade if someone wants to upgrade due to standard class being busy. A nice simple figure.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I suspect more a case of giving Train Managers an easier way to sell a First Class upgrade if someone wants to upgrade due to standard class being busy. A nice simple figure.

Probably that particularly given that businesses increasingly won't pay for 1st but some business travellers may want to upgrade out of their own pocket.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Probably that particularly given that businesses increasingly won't pay for 1st but some business travellers may want to upgrade out of their own pocket.

Yes you're right. Although naturally I suspect most, if not all of these upgrades would undercut the cost of the alternative First Off Peak/First Anytime ticket, with the upgrade onboard option being much cheaper.

e.g. Manchester Picc to Bristol Temple Meads Standard Class Off Peak Return= £115.70.
2x Weekday Upgrades= £30 each way (even cheaper at weekends)= £60 in total
£175.10 in total, compared with £302.50 for the First Off Peak Return.

 

[Kite159]

Yes you're right. Although naturally I suspect most, if not all of these upgrades would undercut the cost of the alternative First Off Peak/First Anytime ticket, with the upgrade onboard option being much cheaper.

e.g. Manchester Picc to Bristol Temple Meads Standard Class Off Peak Return= £115.70.
2x Weekday Upgrades= £30 each way (even cheaper at weekends)= £60 in total
£175.10 in total, compared with £302.50 for the First Off Peak Return.

However I suspect the weekday first upgrades will be subject to availability and not offered on certain trains where 1st class is mostly fully reserved.

 

[railpigeon]

Travelling Leeds to Newton Abbot today on standard Advance split tickets. I asked the train manager who was on the platform waiting to take over from Leeds whether, given the weekend’s Cross Country disruption, I could sit in first by paying the weekend first supplement.

No, “but I’ve heard of a new type of upgrade that LNER are trialing, I think we have it too. I’ll have look for you. Take a seat in first and I’ll come round”.

‘Weekday Upgrade’ found on the machine fairly easily. £50 LDS to NTA.

The service is rammed, standing room only and 125 mins late. Or, of course, “free”. But I thought £50 pretty good.

Actually, what I don't know and didn’t ask is whether my Disabled Railcard would give a discount.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Travelling Leeds to Newton Abbot today on standard Advance split tickets. I asked the train manager who was on the platform waiting to take over from Leeds whether, given the weekend’s Cross Country disruption, I could sit in first by paying the weekend first supplement.

No, “but I’ve heard of a new type of upgrade that LNER are trialing, I think we have it too. I’ll have look for you. Take a seat in first and I’ll come round”.

‘Weekday Upgrade’ found on the machine fairly easily. £50 LDS to NTA.

The service is rammed, standing room only and 125 mins late. Or, of course, “free”. But I thought £50 pretty good.

Actually, what I don't know and didn’t ask is whether my Disabled Railcard would give a discount.

Sounds good!
No Railcard discounts as far as I'm aware- I've just tried Leeds to Newton Abbot with Disabled Railcard and it still only offered £50.


Edit: I've just realised the Weekday rate simply seems to be twice the cost of the Weekend upgrade cost. Not sure if that's the case on all journeys.

 

[Watershed]

There's nothing there that suggests it's not available for Advance tickets, but ultimately it is at the TM's discretion. Many issue Weekend Upgrades on Advances despite this not being XC's official policy; equally, some may choose to apply the Weekend Upgrade rule on weekdays.

I wonder what the internal briefings about this new upgrade say. We'll have to wait until XC come into public ownership next year for it to be subject to an FoI request.