1st Class on FGW

[37 418]

I'm planning on going between London and Swansea next Wednesday after I get off the sleeper, can anyone tell me how good/what you get on 1st class on FGW?

 

[Greenback]

You will be offered tea, coffee juice or water, but no fizzy drinks any more. The seats are very nice, and there should be a complimentary newspaper available. It was The Times on my last trip.

 

[Zoe]

You will be offered tea, coffee juice or water, but no fizzy drinks any more.

The reason for this I hear is that people were taking cans of fizzy drink with them when they left the train to drink later. With tea you'd have to drink it straight away unless you want cold tea.

 

[Greenback]

Which begs the question, why offer bottles of water and orange juice?! They can also be taken away and drunk later!

As a customer, I prefer fizzy drinks, yet don't have that choice now. I had tea instead, so it's not as though they have saved much money given my three teas compared to one can! 'Cutbacks', the host called it!

 

[Zoe]

As a customer, I prefer fizzy drinks, yet don't have that choice now. I had tea instead, so it's not as though they have saved much money given my three teas compared to one can! 'Cutbacks', the host called it!

FGW provide complimentary refreshments for you to drink on your jounrney, they are not a free drinks shop. Unfortunately they were taken advantage of by people requesting fizzy drinks and then taking them away to drink later.

 

[Greenback]

That may well be the case, but people can still do that with the juice and the water! Why not withdraw those as well? I'm not disputing FGW have a right to offer anything they want, or nothing at all, but their action doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me!

As to drinking on the journey, when I buy a 500ml bottle of Diet Coke, either on the train or in a shop, I can't finish it all in one go and invariably take it away to finish later! One can would probably last me for the whol;e Swansea - Reading journey, if not all the way to London, but I can't make tea last that long!

 

[37 418]

Ok thats great guys, thanks very much for your help!

Think I'll stick to standard class!

 

[TEW]

The fruit juice you get in First Class is poured out of a carton in to a cup so you couldn't take it with you. The only thing you could is the water which is in bottles. Snacks are provided as well; crisps, biscuits, cake slices etc. And The Times as someone said above.

 

[Lee_Again]

Don't take The Times with you or they'll stop that too.

 

[At_traction]

FGW provide complimentary refreshments for you to drink on your jounrney, they are not a free drinks shop. Unfortunately they were taken advantage of by people requesting fizzy drinks and then taking them away to drink later.

In case of going to the buffet to get a tea as the trolley was nowhere to be seen for a long time, I then have to admit taking the lidded cardboard tea and the accompanied biscuits that were handed in a paper bag with me as I left to interchange. (As a defence, the tea was f-ing hot and I could only gulp some of it by the time Reading beckoned... ) So, it's possible to walk away also with tea or coffee, at least with XC.

Don't take The Times with you or they'll stop that too.

Hmm, for me it has been The Independent and The Scotsman, so it's OK then.

 

[43021HST]

I'm planning on going between London and Swansea next Wednesday after I get off the sleeper, can anyone tell me how good/what you get on 1st class on FGW?

Just wondering, I reckon FGW should cut 1st class back to 1 coach, especially on peak time services when you have all the smug looking business toss-pots sitting in a roomy first class with tables at every seat, meanwhile the regular people are crammed into airline style seating. Anyway from the sounds of things the first class service is crap anyway. They should stick the old BR seating plan in all the coaches and reduce the number of first class coaches.

 

[ainsworth74]

Just wondering, I reckon FGW should cut 1st class back to 1 coach [snip] meanwhile the regular people are crammed into airline style seating.

If your happy for standard class passengers fares to go up (more than they already are going to) then ok, otherwise probably just best to leave it the way it is now.

 

[90019]

They should stick the old BR seating plan in all the coaches

So less people in standard get seats?

Sounds like a great plan...

 

[mrcheek]

Just wondering, I reckon FGW should cut 1st class back to 1 coach, especially on peak time services when you have all the smug looking business toss-pots sitting in a roomy first class with tables at every seat, meanwhile the regular people are crammed into airline style seating. Anyway from the sounds of things the first class service is crap anyway. They should stick the old BR seating plan in all the coaches and reduce the number of first class coaches.

an excellent idea, if you want your standard class fares to be doubled, while the number of seats is cut by a quarter.

Better yet, why not stop posting complete nonsense?

 

[route101]

Whats with the First Class not offering juice or soft drinks ? I dont drink tea or coffee that much.

 

[Aictos]

I do believe that FGW were or are looking at leasing some ex Buffet HST vehicles and gutting them to have them converted to TSO HST vehicles to provide more seats which is a slightly better plan then to reduce the existing First Class offering.

At the moment until FGW do get the extra vehicles for Standard Class to insert within their HSTs, the existing formations are good enough.

It's not FGW's fault if their High Speed services suffer from overcrowding, least they're doing their best given the restrictions placed on them by the DfT.

Now back to the OP, First Class on FGW is comfortable and is a pleasure to use especially with the ultra comfortable seating

 

[MCR247]

Really? How would this work in the 2+8 sets? The platforms at Paddington can't hold much longer can they?

 

[Greenback]

Mrs G pointed out this evening that the juice is poured from the carton (I was paying that much attention on the train obviously!) which then made me think that they could open the can, and pour into the plastic beaker for the customer, thus ensuring that the customer doesn't get to take the unopened can away with them!

I don't really think this is the real reason that canned drinks have been withdrawn, but I won't even attempt to say what i think has really caused it!

 

[route101]

Why are FGW not letting people take cans/ bottles away?

 

[googolplex]

They don't do coke etc any more, but I've taken bottled water away with me before and not had any issues.
On my last trip with FGW in August I think I ended up taking a bottle with me as I hadn't finished.

I did however notice they would open the sparkling water slightly, saying it was to make sure it wasn't an overly fizzy one. In light of previous comments, was it for this reason, or was it to break the seal on it (thus reducing shelf life)?

 

[At_traction]

Whats with the First Class not offering juice or soft drinks ? I dont drink tea or coffee that much.

With whom? I'm yet to see a TOC that didn't have at least sodas on offer at 1st if asked. Otherwise they'd usually offer you tea or coffee as a "default".

 

[moonrakerz]

Jwhen you have all the smug looking business toss-pots sitting in a roomy first class with tables at every seat, meanwhile the regular people are crammed into airline style seating.

Do I detect just a tiny bit of good old fashioned envy there ?

 

[Greenback]

Do I detect just a tiny bit of good old fashioned envy there ?

A lot of people who want to remove First Class from all trains seem to be under the impression that it is only used by business people. It's not though, particularly outside of the peaks. On my last journey there was no one at all in our half of the carriage that wore a suit! I imagine that the majority were on cheaper tickets, and none of them looked smug!

I'd really like to know whether Business Class on long distance aircraft should be abolished as well? It makes good commercial sense to offer a superior product where a market exists that is willing to pay a bit more for it!

 

[Zoe]

Why are FGW not letting people take cans/ bottles away?

FGW are not a free drinks shop.

 

[route101]

Well what happens if you ask for a coke on EC ,TPE or FSR in first class?

 

[YorkshireRider]

Cant comment on the other 2 but on EC you would be asked to pay for coke in first class (at least until May anyway), OJ and water is complementary.

 

[TEW]

Really? How would this work in the 2+8 sets? The platforms at Paddington can't hold much longer can they?

They won't add vehicles to the 2+8 sets, just the 2+7 sets if the plan goes ahead.

 

[Flamingo]

I'm planning on going between London and Swansea next Wednesday after I get off the sleeper, can anyone tell me how good/what you get on 1st class on FGW?

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=60

You get a roomier seat (3 across, rather than 4 across), lower density coaches (36 seats as opposed to 80), tables at every seat (except for the wheelchair space), and at-seat service by customer host on weekdays. The Times is usually available.

Refreshments available weekdays are are fruit juices, Tea, Coffee, hot chocolate, herbal and fruit teas, still and sparkling water, a selection of biscuits, crisps, nuts, and depending on the time of day, Danish Pastries, Fruit Cake, Musuli bars, and fruit.

The thing you are paying the premium for is the space - it costs a lot more to carry around all that air, and it needs to be paid for by someone. If the refreshments are the most important factor in anyone's decision to go First Class, then pay less for your seat, sit in Standard class, and spend your savings at the buffet or in the station on refreshments before travelling, this will usually work out cheaper. However, the journey may not be quite so comfortable, or the opportunity to do work or study so good. However, you will reach your destination at the same time as the First Class carriage!

 

[LexyBoy]

Well, you'd arrive twenty seconds or so earlier, unless the train's in reverse formation And less chance of being in the rain on the platform!

 

[Flamingo]

Well, you'd arrive twenty seconds or so earlier, unless the train's in reverse formation And less chance of being in the rain on the platform!

Depends on which station, Neath and Bridgend you will be in the rain (to name two!)