First Great Western - First Class Service

[rmt-driver]

Lack of wifi is also a disgrace

 

[TEW]

Sorry...But i really do have to laugh about that last bit - SWT Have Lovely Fabric Seats too, much nicer than the hard leather seats on FGW - Are you sure youve actually travelled in SWTs Class 159 First Class section? I did Yeovil Junction to Basingstoke in First on a 159 reccently and found that they were some of the hardest most uncomfortable seats ive come across on any toc whatsover! Especially with the so called reclining button! As opposed to the leather seats on FGWs HSTs which by comparison, ive found that comfortable i can actually get to sleep in them! Each to their own i suppose!

The SWT First Class seats in 159s and FGW First Class seats in HSTs are actually the same seats, just covered with different fabrics.

 

[Flamingo]

Hmm
FGW have First class on their London Oxford and London Reading routes which have none of the above.

What you do get are standard class travellers filling the accommodation that know there are not going to be a revenue protection person to charge them or to turf them out.

FGW could mitigate this and increase their revenue if the allowed their Train Dispatch Staff at Paddington to check tickets at seats in the quiet five or six minutes before departure.
Too simple to do I guess :cry:

Well, apart from the fact that Dispatch staff have the safety-critical job of dispatching the train, do you really want to be late off because they are checking tickets (a job they are not trained to do), or incidents occurring because they are not on the platform observing what's going on?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Lack of wifi is also a disgrace

http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/broadband/mobile-broadband/buy/THREE-USB-MODEM-STICK-3B51M-FCON

There you go, job done (and people who DON'T want to use t'net won't have to pay slightly higher fares to subside you).

 

[Hydro]

Lack of wifi is also a disgrace

Utter hyperbole.

How is it a disgrace? It's a disappointment, maybe even a mild inconvenience, but WiFi is not a given on any service, First Class or not.

"Disgusted, Tunbridge Wells".

 

[Flamingo]

Utter hyperbole.

How is it a disgrace? It's a disappointment, maybe even a mild inconvenience, but WiFi is not a given on any service, First Class or not.

Well, "bole" is the first half of the word I was thinking!

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

I've never had a good experience with FGW once. That's mainly because the routes I do don't even have first class. Pretty disgraceful.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I've never had a good experience with FGW once. That's mainly because the routes I do don't even have first class. Pretty disgraceful.

Which routes are you talking about? They have them on all Thames Valley and InterCity trains, it just tends to be the Westcountry locals and Cardiff-Portsmouth trains only that don't have it.

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

Westcountry XD
but on a 2-3 hour journey from Bristol to Weymouth it's pathetic.

 

[burneside]

Sorry...But i really do have to laugh about that last bit - SWT Have Lovely Fabric Seats too, much nicer than the hard leather seats on FGW - Are you sure youve actually travelled in SWTs Class 159 First Class section? I did Yeovil Junction to Basingstoke in First on a 159 reccently and found that they were some of the hardest most uncomfortable seats ive come across on any toc whatsover! Especially with the so called reclining button! As opposed to the leather seats on FGWs HSTs which by comparison, ive found that comfortable i can actually get to sleep in them! Each to their own i suppose!

I have no idea what the rolling stock is, I just know it has lovely, comfortable fabric seating which I find more preferable than FGW's leather "bricks".

 

[bnm]

1. i was talking about "long distance TOC's
2. the plug sockets that you cant plug anything into? at leaste 95% of mobile phone chargers do not fit.
3. Im not moaning about the Stock , i mean, IMO you can't beat a HST :P
4. At seat service... if your lucky enough to be on the very few "select" trains that has it.
5. Free newspapers, yes that is a plus, but they only really seem to be there on "morning peak" trains, from my experience anyway.
6. Leather chairs, personally, i do not like the leather seating FGW decided to use. I prefer the Mallard Standard that XC and EC decided to use on their HST sets.

1. Don't understand your point.
2. Agreed. They are a bit of a problem. I solved that by using one of these
3. Agreed.
4. Most HST services Mon-Fri starting before 7pm have a dedicated 1st Class Customer Host for the majority of their journey. Not a 'select' few. You either don't travel 1st Class often during the week, or are referring to Turbos, Oxford services or Plymouth <-> Penzance.
5. The Times in the morning. London Evening Standard from mid-afternoon
6. Personal preference.

 

[TEW]

Westcountry XD
but on a 2-3 hour journey from Bristol to Weymouth it's pathetic.

It would be a waste of space on the train. Very few people would use First Class on that route, it's mainly short distance local traffic and seaside daytrippers in the summer. It would just mean less space for them.

 

[welshpax]

As someone who travel FGW First Class between Cardiff and London on an almost weekly basis, I feel somewhat qualified to comment on this topic.

My main motivation for travelling first class is not the amount of food or drink I can wolf down in the two hours of the journey, but having space and a quiet work area.

So, the train has no Wifi, that is no problem to me, I have an internet dongle (As do most of the other passengers on the carriage).

I normally get offered 2 or 3 cups of coffee or orange juice during the journey and that suits me just fine. If I want more, normally the first class host will go and get me a bacon roll.

I don't know when the other posters have travelled, but I have never ever experienced anything less than professional service from any of the hosts, they offer me what I need, but are not intrusive.

As an aside, I would recommend the lounge in Cardiff, I won't name the lady there (those who use the lounge will know who I am talking about) but everytime I walk in I am always greeted with a smile and she remembers just how I take my coffee. i mean what more could a passenger want.

So, would I like FGW to change their offering in FC, no, I think it is just perfect the way it is!