Steddenm
Established Member
Do CrossCountry still offer a First Class weekend upgrade from Birmingham International to Manchester Piccadilly? Can't find any information online at all.
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CrossCountry Weekend First
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It exists in the fare data at £12.50 so I would say yes they do!
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Steddenm
Established Member
Thanks. Nothing at all on XCs website.It exists in the fare data at £12.50 so I would say yes they do!
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Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
It should be noted that they only offer it on walk-up fares and not Advances, if I recall.
Correct, XC would rather turn away passenger who wish to give them more money. A policy of "priority will be given to holders of flexible standard class tickets" would be fine. But that's not the policy. I've been on trains with first class carriages with only one or two people in them and still had my attempt to give XC more money refused.
No problem
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Steddenm
Established Member
I've looked and nothing is loaded for Sunday and the outward today isn't showing neither.
Ash Bridge
Established Member
If of any help I’ve just in the last three days booked 6 off-peak return tickets on the XC Trains website from Stockport to Bristol Temple Meads travelling out on 2nd July returning on 16th and was offered weekend 1st upgrades both ways, I think the booking window is much less currently than it used to be so if your travel dates are more than seven(ish) weeks ahead then that’s likely the reason they are not showing yet?
SeatFrog is only available on weekdays. XC's position seems to be that if you want to travel in First on a weekend, you have to either have a standard class walkup ticket and use Weekend First, or else buy a First Advance.
I've seen plenty of TMs "turn a blind eye" and sell Weekend First anyway, but it's very much at their discretion.
I'm contemplating using Weekend First for a journey form Oxford to Leeds (changing at Birmingham) on the forthoming bank holiday Thursday; if I may use this thread to ask a few questions:
I see from this thread that if the train consisit of a pair of Voyager units (as most do), there may be no-one in one of them to take payment for the upgrade. Does anyone know if there is any pattern to which part of the train I shoud join at Oxford to maxmimise the chance of being in the right one? (Or can I get the updgrade from the ticket office at the station? I'm not aware that you can do it at the time of booking except perhaps on XC's own website -- let me know if I'm wrong).
Is that the same coach that I need to be in to maximise the chances of catering being available? (I see from this thread that that's coach A).
Is anyone (on the train or in the ticket office) likely to object to selling me the upgrade, or to charge me for two separate upgrades, if I use split tickets? (It will be a simple split using two Off-Peak returns, the (modest) saving being my justification for paying for the upgrade).
Thankyou for any answers that you can provide.
I see from this thread that if the train consisit of a pair of Voyager units (as most do), there may be no-one in one of them to take payment for the upgrade. Does anyone know if there is any pattern to which part of the train I shoud join at Oxford to maxmimise the chance of being in the right one? (Or can I get the updgrade from the ticket office at the station? I'm not aware that you can do it at the time of booking except perhaps on XC's own website -- let me know if I'm wrong).
Is that the same coach that I need to be in to maximise the chances of catering being available? (I see from this thread that that's coach A).
Is anyone (on the train or in the ticket office) likely to object to selling me the upgrade, or to charge me for two separate upgrades, if I use split tickets? (It will be a simple split using two Off-Peak returns, the (modest) saving being my justification for paying for the upgrade).
Thankyou for any answers that you can provide.
You can sit in either portion. You may not necessarily get any complimentary items, if there is no retail service manager available.
I've made some journeys with XC in the past year where there was no-one to take payment and/or no-one to offer complimentary items.
I'm not sure if sitting in a particular portion will maximize your chances of being charged and/or offered anything.
As for split tickets, I've only ever been charged on the basis of the XC portion of the journey I have made. I believe @ainsworth74 has tested this on several occasions where split upgrades were cheaper and was always sold the through upgrade.
There were reports of some XC train managers trying to charge each ticket as a separate upgrade, but only where that was priced higher than the through upgrade. Funny that! However all these reports were on the route between Birmingham-Reading-Bournemouth; I've not heard it happen elsewhere. I think those train managers just made their own rules up as my understanding is that it's based on your journey.
I've made some journeys with XC in the past year where there was no-one to take payment and/or no-one to offer complimentary items.
I'm not sure if sitting in a particular portion will maximize your chances of being charged and/or offered anything.
As for split tickets, I've only ever been charged on the basis of the XC portion of the journey I have made. I believe @ainsworth74 has tested this on several occasions where split upgrades were cheaper and was always sold the through upgrade.
There were reports of some XC train managers trying to charge each ticket as a separate upgrade, but only where that was priced higher than the through upgrade. Funny that! However all these reports were on the route between Birmingham-Reading-Bournemouth; I've not heard it happen elsewhere. I think those train managers just made their own rules up as my understanding is that it's based on your journey.
Yep at least once or twice. When Sheffield to Darlington was £15 but Sheffield to York was £5 and York to Darlington was £5. Always charged £15.
Sadly been fixed as those individual legs are now £7.50
Have you seen it recently? Every time I've tried since travel started up again after Covid I've been refused. Could just be bad luck on my part of course!
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