YorkshireRider
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As from tomorrow (4th Sep) EC are reducing the £20 weekend first upgrade to £15, the £25 upgrade remains unchanged, the points between where the 2 upgrades apply is also unchanged.
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EC reducing some weekend first prices
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Aictos
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So great news for passengers travelling between Peterborough/Leeds/Newcastle and Edinburgh then
Thanks for the heads up.
Looks like Northallerton and York to London will be reduced from £25 to £15, making it a more realistic prospect.East Coast PTU August 2011 said:
First has been absolutely dead on some weekend trains (even when standard has been busy) that I have been on, this move makes the prices more sensible so perhaps 1st will be better used.
YorkshireRider
Member
Mmm, intresting, thats not what we have been briefed out today though, been told the boundaries remain unchanged.
All Line Rover
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£25 to upgrade between London and Leeds/York is still very steep. It's crazy that customers travelling to Doncaster pay £15, but those travelling just a little further to Leeds/York pay £25! It should be reduced to £20 in my opinion. £25 is OK for Newcastle and Edinburgh.
I also thought that a £15 upgrade was available between London on York on weekdays? So why are East Coast advertising the weekend upgrade as £25?
http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/about-us...ce-first-class-upgrades-are-a-weekend-winner/. (See bottom)
I also thought that a £15 upgrade was available between London on York on weekdays? So why are East Coast advertising the weekend upgrade as £25?
http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/about-us...ce-first-class-upgrades-are-a-weekend-winner/. (See bottom)
How odd. Perhaps ask whoever gave the briefing if the advice in the August PTU has changed? For York <> London, £25 was ridiculous. £20 is too expensive. £15 is acceptable. Other operators charge acceptable rates!
John @ home
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It appears from The Manual (NFM 10) that the decision was reversed on or immediately before 23 August.
In that case I will definitely not be using, or recommending the use of, this offer unless the passenger appears to have more money than braincells!
I could think of a lot better ways of spending £20, given the incredibly basic service you get at weekends.
I could think of a lot better ways of spending £20, given the incredibly basic service you get at weekends.
route:oxford
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The Virgin complimentary service is far more basic at the weekend. Not sure if it just basic in Weekend 1st or throughout 1st Class.
Free internet in 1st is worth a little extra at least.
All Line Rover
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Don't forget that Virgin offer free entry to First Class lounges for Weekend First. You don't get that with East Coast!
If I may ask two questions that are related to EC weekend upgrades:
1) When buying one of these do you just sit in first class and pay when the guard comes round or do you seek out the guard first or even buy before you travel?
2) Can you get a railcard discount on the upgrade? (I assume not but it never hurts to ask
)
1) When buying one of these do you just sit in first class and pay when the guard comes round or do you seek out the guard first or even buy before you travel?
2) Can you get a railcard discount on the upgrade? (I assume not but it never hurts to ask
)But not on advance tickets, since you can only get the upgrade onboard.
If I may ask two questions that are related to EC weekend upgrades:
1) When buying one of these do you just sit in first class and pay when the guard comes round or do you seek out the guard first or even buy before you travel?
2) Can you get a railcard discount on the upgrade? (I assume not but it never hurts to ask
EC ticket offices sell them, but there's little point in my opinion, as you can buy them onboard - just take a seat in First Class.
No railcard discount available sadly
Paul Kelly
Verified Rep - BR Fares
One Sunday a bit over a year ago I had a Reading Stations to Belfast NI Anytime Day Single and went into the first class lounge at Birmingham New Street to ask if I could use it with my ticket, seeing anytime tickets got a free first class upgrade at weekends. They didn't seem to know what I was talking about.
YorkshireRider
Member
EC ticket offices sell them, but there's little point in my opinion, as you can buy them onboard - just take a seat in First Class.
No railcard discount available sadly
I believe the supplement can no longer be bought at ticket offices, only onboard and is subject to available seats.
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Agreed, the amount of people travelling between Leeds and London who balk when i tell them its £25 id say must be about 90%, think they would get more revenue overall if it was £15 York and Leeds.
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Its £20 during the week, and is only available on the York stoppers, its at the guards discretion whether he/she announces it or not
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Intermodal
Established Member
In theory, if you got on at York with a York to London Terminals through ticket, but didn't want to pay the £25, could you wait until Doncaster (where I believe it is then £15 to London) and then move into 1st and then pay only £15?
Also - if you had a Edinburgh - York and a York - London Terminals ticket, I'd hope you only have to pay once? Or is that classed as making two journeys? (You would stay on the same train)
Also - if you had a Edinburgh - York and a York - London Terminals ticket, I'd hope you only have to pay once? Or is that classed as making two journeys? (You would stay on the same train)
YorkshireRider
Member
The upgrade can only be issued after the guard has entered your ticket number from your standard ticket into their machine so if the ticket is from York then doing it after Doncaster will make no difference, it will still be £25 and the guard will have no control over this. For your 2nd example you would after ask the guard to use your York to London ticket to issue the upgrade from Edinburgh to pay just once (£25), cant see any problem with that but would probably still be down to their discrection.
Are you sure that's the case? Not least because the guard's machine can't derive the origin/destination from a ticket number.
YorkshireRider
Member
Im sure that the machine requests the ticket number before issuing an upgrade whether it be the week or weekend, because ive been told this by serveral guards, the reason given to them is for auditing purposes. Now i assumed it gave the upgrade price automatically after doing this however from what you have just said it appears not, sounds like your more in the know than me but if it can be audited/checked at a later date i assume their hands are still tied when it comes to what upgrade price they charge?? Im not a guard and accept i could be wrong, will ask when im back at work tomorrow.
DelayRepay
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Do East Coast allow you to upgrade any ticket to Weekend First at the weekend? Or is it restricted to non-Advance tickets?
DaveNewcastle
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Yes, it is not restricted to non-Advance ticket holders. See here.
Though that article perpetuates the contradictions about the 'free' food and drink for 1st Class passengers (which is hardly available at weekends) :-East Coast said:
then right at the end:-East Coast said:
So any passenger buying the Weekend First 'upgrade' isn't actually going to be able "to give it a try".East Coast said:
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Anytime tickets aren't valid in the lounge, I'm sure. They're only valid for travel in First Class on the train.
(awaiting someone to pick holes in that)
All Line Rover
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Yes they are. Jason's confirmed it.
You just show your "Anytime" ticket on entry. (Be prepared to argue if you hold an "Anytime Day."
)The Virgin website says here - http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/weekend-first-class/- that First Class upgrades allow free access to First Class lounges. It has been confirmed (I wonder by whom?
) that for "Anytime" tickets, this applies at both the origin and destination stations.
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Presumably if you joined a northbound service at Peterborough with a Stevenage to Edinburgh ticket you would only be charged £15? The train joined at Peterborough doesn't stop at Stevenage (thanks to the useless new weekend timetable which only gives Stevenage a train every 2 hours to Leeds & none to York or northeast except for the first & last services of the day which are too early/late to be of any use) so would use standard class for the 25 minutes Stevenage to Peterborough or FCC in the hours when there isn't a Leeds service
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