Do the Pendolinos First Class coaches ever get full?

[AlterEgo]

Not really. Virgin usually give 25% when you have not reserved a seat and couldn't get one, whereas East Coast only give 100% when you have reserved a seat. If you have reserved a seat with Virgin and it was not available (for whatever reason) they usually give a 100% refund too.

I have no idea where you get the idea that Virgin will offer 100 per cent compensation from.

Usually the figure is between 10 and 50 per cent dependent on a large number of factors - only if a seat has been reserved!

No seat reservation = no comp unless there are aggravating factors etc.

 

[All Line Rover]

I have no idea where you get the idea that Virgin will offer 100 per cent compensation from.

Usually the figure is between 10 and 50 per cent dependent on a large number of factors - only if a seat has been reserved!

No seat reservation = no comp unless there are aggravating factors etc.

This is simply from my personal experience.

 

[krisk]

On weekends, you could probably get every first class passenger comfortably inside J and K (though staff like to have K to themselves).

1. Who told you that staff "like to have K to themselves"

2. 117 in first I have had heading north out of Euston, see the football fixtures, FA cup weekends, Wimbledon, London Marathon etc as to why that is not the case
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Yes - evening peak out of Euston. I often get on at the FC end and walk through looking to "borrow" the paper from the FC section. It can be quite full - must be terrible for them!

So you freely admit to taking papers from FC then heading into STD?

Next time, walk into WH Smiths and do the same...

 

[MCR247]

1. Who told you that staff "like to have K to themselves"

2. 117 in first I have had heading north out of Euston, see the football fixtures, FA cup weekends, Wimbledon, London Marathon etc as to why that is not the case

1. It was a joke (I think!) based on the fact that people have had encounters of staff discouraging pax who were going to sit in Coach K

 

[ainsworth74]

1. Who told you that staff "like to have K to themselves"

A couple of people have commented on here at one time or another that staff have seemed somewhat keen to keep them out of coach K if the service is one of the quieter ones.

 

[krisk]

So that's where all the papers go then

I sometimes get on a peak time Pendolino with a 1st class ticket and it's very busy but always have found a seat-which is more than can be said for most EC peak time services I've been on recently-guess the ideal would be to have a ticket priced between standard and 1st for the quiet day time services on VT-these would be assigned to Coach G-there would be no catering-or free newsapers-or lounge access but customers would get to travel in 1st class seat with guaranteed table.

About £15 premium would be about right-guess issue is there are so many cheap advance tickets that not many people would buy Anytime tickets for travel when it's quieter like the afternoons.

Reducing the amount of FC carriages down is a no no, you have a 2 seater or a 4 seater and ask people to share with strangers....
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I frequently have it to myself on Saturday mornings (for just £5 too)!

Its not £5 from Liverpool to London
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A couple of people have commented on here at one time or another that staff have seemed somewhat keen to keep them out of coach K if the service is one of the quieter ones.

That should not be happenning, suffice to say if I have 5 people reserved in 1st, chances are one will be in K in a single seat, suggested to people before the larger table seat in there or coach G for some privacy and no kitchen noise.

To say its a "staff coach".... be careful.

 

[All Line Rover]

Its not £5 from Liverpool to London

It is for child tickets!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

A couple of people have commented on here at one time or another that staff have seemed somewhat keen to keep them out of coach K if the service is one of the quieter ones.

Correct. Also what MCR247 said. I was once told by a host that K was fully reserved. Bull.

 

[All Line Rover]

Correct. Also what MCR247 said. I was once told by a host that K was fully reserved. Bull.

How long ago was that? It's not very impressive!

I believe management have told staff off about keeping Coach K to themselves. I haven't had any problems whatsoever in recent months. I like Coach K because it can be very empty - the staff are still welcome to sit in there and make phone calls!

 

[sprinterguy]

I often wander how much nicer it would be in the 4 coach XC voyagers if FC didn't exist and instead a SC seating layout was used.

Then they would actually have just slightly more standard class seats than a three carriage Turbostar (In their current format, they have less), which would be nice. In an ideal world you'd then be able to have them semi-permanently coupled to a 221 providing the first class accomodation, and Crosscountry would have a fleet of proper sized Intercity trains Though admittedly with problems of crewing and in reality there isn't the rolling stock available for such a flight of fancy.
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Correct. Also what MCR247 said. I was once told by a host that K was fully reserved. Bull.

I can back this experience up further. I've known staff on Pendolinos to appear quite territorial over occupation of "their" coach K on the couple of occasions I've had reason to use it. Although it's not such a problem when there is such a vast choice of alternate first class coaches to choose from on a Pendolino

 

[whhistle]

It was 1:6 on Arriva Transpennine 158s
However, if that 'heap' of a 2car voyager at Crewe ever gets a compressor to enter service, that will be 1:1

That 'heap' of a Voyager at Crewe is used for training only.
There are no plans to put it in service.... ever.

 

[knight2004]

I was always wondering what do you get in first class with virgin if I travelled around 12 or 1pm weekdays?
they're having a sale and going to treat myself on the way back!

 

[All Line Rover]

I was always wondering what do you get in first class with virgin if I travelled around 12 or 1pm weekdays?
they're having a sale and going to treat myself on the way back!

A nice sandwich (crayfish, beef, etc.) depending on the week, served with crisps and other snacks, along with soft drinks, tea and coffee and alcohol.

There are also plenty more snacks and drinks (excluding alcohol) at all First Class lounges, apart from Euston which has very few snacks!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

An early GLC-EUS was already full from Glasgow in First Class today and totally stuffed in standard.

I was on an official 1st advance, but some others were on standard tickets, offered to pay the upgrade, and were told by the train manager "sorry, I'm too busy to issue any upgrades" and ignored. So they got a free upgrade (and free coffee). Cue muttering from the "real" First Class brigade, already miffed at the feeble weekend food offering.

The train sat overtime at every station trying to re-mix the sardines in standard. Not very nice.

I bailed out at Lancaster into the following Voyager which starts there (I was going to Chester). Much more pleasant.

 

[ivanhoe]

So what we are saying then that the ratio of first class carriages to standard class carriages is too high? I suspect that that was the problem in 1966, 1976,1986,1996,2006 & 2011. With of course the exception of Peak out of Euston. ! Sounds like there may be a solution here, but I'll leave that to those who are in the know!

 

[WestCoast]

An early GLC-EUS was already full from Glasgow in First Class today and totally stuffed in standard.
.

The Glasgow - Euston workings were rammed yesterday too! I think it is something to do with the start of the school holidays in Scotland.

They are usually busy, but not that rammed.

 

[MCR247]

Lucky sods

 

[voyagerdude220]

I was on the 1640 Glc Eus last Sunday. Ive not had FC so busy for a very long time. No ugrade charged for me- The TM was busy sorting the broken air con/giving the people in mine and another coach water. He was very friendly and also helped me after over running engineering work caused me to miss the Dalesrail. The lady Team Leader in the Glc travel centre was extremely rude and aggresive, but thats another story. The 1640 on Tues was far quieter, good CSAs and I really enjoyed the meatballs.

 

[rich.davies]

Well im sure the staff wont mind me in coach k, listening in to their gossip etc .

On another note, is the wifi any good?

 

[dk1]

Wi-fi was pretty good last time i used it but less so north of Preston/Carlisle but it does warn you of this.

 

[krisk]

Oh believe me they were full tonight 19.20 from Eus after the 19.00 was cancelled.

 

[rich.davies]

Well, i travelled down in Coach K and was the only person in there, apart from the guy who gives out the complimentary drinks etc.

The train manager said they allways seem to allocate seat 12 in K first before any other seat in there, she said it must be to check to see if the staff are actually doing their jobs .