Can any first-class passenger use any first-class lounge ?

[Willie Bee]

I have been waiting to book a reasonably priced ticket from Newcastle to Manchester for the end of October but planned engineering works were affecting ticket availability .. something I only recently found out about.

Yesterday I finally booked my journey, getting a pretty good deal. Rather than my expected direct TPE route, I've opted for LNER to Doncaster, then TPE to Manchester, with a wait of about 50 minutes. What's more, the TPE first class option (for my wife and I ) was only £3.40 extra, in total ... a bargain not to be missed

As per the title .. would we be able to wait in the first class lounge at Doncaster, or is that only for LNER travellers ?

thanks !

 

[30907]

I have been waiting to book a reasonably priced ticket from Newcastle to Manchester for the end of October but planned engineering works were affecting ticket availability .. something I only recently found out about.

Yesterday I finally booked my journey, getting a pretty good deal. Rather than my expected direct TPE route, I've opted for LNER to Doncaster, then TPE to Manchester, with a wait of about 50 minutes. What's more, the TPE first class option (for my wife and I ) was only £3.40 extra, in total ... a bargain not to be missed

As per the title .. would we be able to wait in the first class lounge at Doncaster, or is that only for LNER travellers ?

thanks !

If your ticket is valid on LNER then you certainly can. There's a time limit of 1hr so you're OK.

 

[Willie Bee]

If your ticket is valid on LNER then you certainly can. There's a time limit of 1hr so you're OK.

I don't have an LNER first-class ticket to Doncaster, just a TPE first, for the journey from Doncaster to Manchester

 

[AlterEgo]

I don't have an LNER first-class ticket to Doncaster, just a TPE first, for the journey from Doncaster to Manchester

Then no, you can't use the lounge. It's for LNER customers only.

 

[Willie Bee]

Then no, you can't use the lounge. It's for LNER customers only.

Thanks !

I thought that would be too good to be true

 

[AgeoftheTrain7]

Out of interest, does anyone know if this the case at Edinburgh as well? With Avanti, LNER and ScotRail all operating services with 1st from the station, it would be interesting to know if there is any 'exclusivity' for the lounge...

 

[Merle Haggard]

Out of interest, does anyone know if this the case at Edinburgh as well? With Avanti, LNER and ScotRail all operating services with 1st from the station, it would be interesting to know if there is any 'exclusivity' for the lounge...

The lounge at Piccadilly is for Avanti passengers only. (If you have a pass you are sometimes asked which train you're travelling on, and the next train to Milton Keynes is the correct answer .). I did once ask about this, and was told that when Virgin opened the lounge, they asked for a contribution to costs from Cross Country and whatever T.P.E. was called then, to which the answer was, as may perhaps be guessed, in the negative. Possibly the same elsewhere, so not unreasonable to be restricted.

 

[Segedunum]

Deleted. Mistakenly thought OP had an LNER First as well!

 

[AlterEgo]

I did once ask about this, and was told that when Virgin opened the lounge, they asked for a contribution to costs from Cross Country and whatever T.P.E. was called then, to which the answer was, as may perhaps be guessed, in the negative. Possibly the same elsewhere, so not unreasonable to be restricted.

That's an old internal Virgin West Coast urban myth. The lounge is too small to even service three Virgin/Avanti trains an hour and there was never a proposal to extend its eligibility to another potential 50-100 people an hour.

 

[Merle Haggard]

That's an old internal Virgin West Coast urban myth. The lounge is too small to even service three Virgin/Avanti trains an hour and there was never a proposal to extend its eligibility to another potential 50-100 people an hour.

Thanks, right. A cynic might say that that would be another example of the not unusual Virgin statement 'we're wonderful but everyone else is holding us back'. If you repeat it often enough, it's believed.

 

[AlterEgo]

Thanks, right. A cynic might say that that would be another example of the not unusual Virgin statement 'we're wonderful but everyone else is holding us back'. If you repeat it often enough, it's believed.

I suspect you’re right to be cynical there!