Getting drinks from Buffet Car while holding First Class ticket - LNER / West Coast

[hkstudent]

Generally, drinks in first class on the trains are served by crew by trolley at seat.
If customers feeling thirsty, would they be allowed to go to the buffet car to get extra water / soft / hot drinks, or even alcoholic drinks?

 

[LowLevel]

Generally, drinks in first class on the trains are served by crew by trolley at seat.
If customers feeling thirsty, would they be allowed to go to the buffet car to get extra water / soft / hot drinks, or even alcoholic drinks?

You're certainly allowed to, and you can consume your own food and drink too - however having paid for first class if you want more of something that is offered on a complimentary basis I'd suggest just politely asking the staff for it. Most times they'll be happy to oblige.

 

[duncanp]

I don't think they would be able to go to the buffet car and get extra food and drink without having to pay, even if they showed a first class ticket.

One reason is that this could be open to abuse, with multiple people using the same first class ticket to get extra food and booze, unless there was some procedure to prevent this.

 

[LowLevel]

I don't think they would be able to go to the buffet car and get extra food and drink without having to pay, even if they showed a first class ticket.

One reason is that this could be open to abuse, with multiple people using the same first class ticket to get extra food and booze, unless there was some procedure to prevent this.

I was answering on the basis they wished to pay - if the question was intended to be could they get extra complimentary items, then the answer is generally no when the at seat service is in operation, and only occasionally yes when otherwise advised should there be for example staff shortages.

 

[hkstudent]

I was answering on the basis they wished to pay - if the question was intended to be could they get extra complimentary items, then the answer is generally no when the at seat service is in operation, and only occasionally yes when otherwise advised should there be for example staff shortages.

Yeah, on daytime, at seat service generally be more frequent thus no problem.
The issues are generally be the late night or early morning services.

 

[DelW]

I've been in first class when the normal trolley was unavailable, and collected free refreshments from the buffet counter, on showing my ticket. That only applies to items that would ordinarily be on the trolley - e.g. a basic small coffee rather than the fancy ones available to buy.

 

[mrcheek]

In the HST days, GWR rarely operated a First Class trolley on weekends, so you always had to go to the buffet for freebies.

Im sure it would be fine on any service, as long as you dont go back every 5 minutes....

 

[krus_aragon]

That only applies to items that would ordinarily be on the trolley - e.g. a basic small coffee rather than the fancy ones available to buy.

There's a certain irony to complementary First Class coffee being more basic that what most people buy in Standard...

 

[DelW]

There's a certain irony to complementary First Class coffee being more basic that what most people buy in Standard...

Indeed, and not restricted to the railway either - I remember when BA used to provide (free) what must surely have been the world's smallest packets of peanuts, 10 grams IIRC.

 

[hkstudent]

Indeed, and not restricted to the railway either - I remember when BA used to provide (free) what must surely have been the world's smallest packets of peanuts, 10 grams IIRC.

Yeah, tbf, other European airlines do the similar thing for nuts onboard.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I don't think they would be able to go to the buffet car and get extra food and drink without having to pay, even if they showed a first class ticket.

One reason is that this could be open to abuse, with multiple people using the same first class ticket to get extra food and booze, unless there was some procedure to prevent this.

Knowing how stingy LNER’s hosts often are I’d say that shouldn’t be an issue.