London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service

[Butts]

In the last twelve months or so I've only ever been in first once where it was so busy that every bay of seating had at least two people in it and once where I've had to share a bay of four with another person. Every other time I've been able to get an entire bay of four to myself.

God knows what it was like before the 20% uplift

ps I'm annoyed you got the 3000th post I was aiming for that

 

[Bungle73]

I always book single seats, that way you're guaranteed not to have to sit next to anyone. That's plenty of space for one person IMO.

 

[ainsworth74]

ps I'm annoyed you got the 3000th post I was aiming for that

I suspect this won't actually make you feel any better, but, I didn't mean to post the 3000th post

I always book single seats, that way you're guaranteed not to have to sit next to anyone. That's plenty of space for one person IMO.

I do as well, but when I board the train and find loads of bays of four with no reservations and no one sitting in them then why shouldn't I take advantage (I remove my reservation from my booked seat so it becomes available as well)?

 

[Butts]

I always book single seats, that way you're guaranteed not to have to sit next to anyone. That's plenty of space for one person IMO.

So do I, but normally its easy to find a "4" as most people sit in their allocated seat (as we have discussed before)

 

[Bungle73]

When I came back from Newcastle last month the guard came over the tannoy that the train was getting crowded because the previous one had been cancelled. I felt quite mug sitting in my single FC seat .

 

[calc7]

Is that a confession ?????

Sadly not - I was mightily impressed and he clearly knew where to position himself (ie furthest from the concourse at the London end, next to the kitchen).

 

[Butts]

Well I went on The Chieftan 1046 from Falkirk today......and I think the "Highland Clearances" have started again ...........it was rammed even in 1st:cry:

Bungle would have approved -I actually had to sit in the single seat I booked.

However the service was excellent despite the volume of passengers - I had the nicest Jacket spud it has been my pleasure to devour on EC and I've had a field full

A good sized spud halved properly and served with salad and tuna and mayo concoction and salad. Much more tender than the normal tattie they produce.

Washed down with a couple of scotches and coffee very good.

While I'm on the topic can anyone remember the "official spin" why the Full Meal Service only occurs on Northbound Services from Kings Cross and not the Southbound from Edinburgh or Newcastle.

According to Issac Newton "what goes up must come down" so surely this applies to the passengers , or do they all fly back :roll:

 

[Blindtraveler]

apparently lack of demand. And now on the left of the train is an East Lothian reared flying pig. I dont believe the spin

 

[Butts]

apparently lack of demand. And now on the left of the train is an East Lothian reared flying pig. I dont believe the spin

If its free how can there be a lack of demand ? - are the services out of EDB between 1700 and 2000 empty :roll:

 

[ainsworth74]

While I'm on the topic can anyone remember the "official spin" why the Full Meal Service only occurs on Northbound Services from Kings Cross and not the Southbound from Edinburgh or Newcastle.

I asked this question in a previous East Coast Directors Forum and I seem to recall that the reason was along the lines of that they had looked at the revenue and number of meals served on each service offering at-seat dining or the restaurant to work out the demand for full meals. This told them that the heaviest demand for meals was on the services northbound from Kings Cross and that demand was not sufficient to justify a chef on southbound services from Newcastle/Leeds/Edinburgh.

Personally this remains one of my main gripes with the offer (the other being the fact that they still seem to be struggling with consistency). I've said elsewhere on this thread that if they were to offer an 'enhanced' All Day offer which would basically just add chips or some form of potato to the existing hot options (so not needing a chef) on southbounds during the evening meal time, this would go a long way to dealing with the problem of southbound passengers not getting a real meal. The pork pie for example were it served with chips I think would be a perfectly adequate main meal.

 

[tsr]

...some form of potato...

You have no idea how EC might take that phrase if you suggested it to them. You have not specified whether or not the form of potato needs to edible, nor even whether or not it can be taken second-hand from the plate of a passenger who wasn't very hungry.

 

[Blindtraveler]

good point.

 

[ainsworth74]

Aye unfortunately a good point indeed. Well let me clarify by stating I was thinking along the lines of new potatoes or roast potatoes or even mash! Basically something to add a bit more substance to the existing all day menu at evening meal times (further I'd also have an 'enhanced' all day menu on the northbound chieftain from Edinburgh) you know something that would be simple (read cheap) for EC to implement but would lead to a real positive for the passenger.

 

[calc7]

Aye unfortunately a good point indeed. Well let me clarify by stating I was thinking along the lines of new potatoes or roast potatoes or even mash! Basically something to add a bit more substance to the existing all day menu at evening meal times (further I'd also have an 'enhanced' all day menu on the northbound chieftain from Edinburgh) you know something that would be simple (read cheap) for EC to implement but would lead to a real positive for the passenger.

Unfortunately it appears that neither the senior management nor accounting function at East Coast have any appreciation of the economics of the margin, so I wouldn't hold you breath.

 

[HST Power]

Long may it continue so those of us who sensibly avoid coach M and revel in a "4" to ourselves having paid a miniscule fare for the privilege

Wait a second, what's wrong with Coach M? Is it just because it's the busiest one?

I'm travelling in M in 10 days time!

 

[calc7]

Wait a second, what's wrong with Coach M? Is it just because it's the busiest one?

I'm travelling in M in 10 days time!

Busiest, full of people travelling on their cheaper Advance 1sts (so less likely to have a pleasant atmosphere imo) and furthest from the kitchen in coach H/K so you wait longer for food/drink, more likely to have run out of your option by the time they get to you and no chance to try getting round their insulting and unwritten but staunchly enforced "1 drink per trolley run" rule by asking for another on the return trip.

 

[Butts]

Busiest, full of people travelling on their cheaper Advance 1sts (so less likely to have a pleasant atmosphere imo) and furthest from the kitchen in coach H/K so you wait longer for food/drink, more likely to have run out of your option by the time they get to you and no chance to try getting round their insulting and unwritten but staunchly enforced "1 drink per trolley run" rule by asking for another on the return trip.

My trip on the Chieftan when it was rammed was in M as reported earlier and I concur with the above "travelling on their cheaper Advance 1st's indeed "

Wouldn't catch me doing that :roll:

 

[calc7]

My trip on the Chieftan when it was rammed was in M as reported earlier and I concur with the above "travelling on their cheaper Advance 1st's indeed "

Wouldn't catch me doing that :roll:

All the better for us getting the cheap tickets and a better deal on food, drink and travelling atmosphere.

 

[philjo]

I was on the chieftain this morning from Inverness as far as Edinburgh. About 40 boarded in 1st at INV. I had the full breakfast which was nice though toast seemed to be rationed. 2 triangles were served on the same plate with the breakfast -1 white & 1 brown piece. Seemed to be normal bread not the thicker bread I have received on the 225s.
No toast on the trolley.

Some boarding at Pitlochry & Perth had to wait until Gleneagles for service.


Now on 17.00 EDB to KGX. Just had the jacket with tuna which was nice but the green leaves with it a bit bland -needs something else e.g tomato or coleslaw etc
The wifi is very slow!

 

[Blindtraveler]

oh dear more toast related problems. I'd understand if they rassioned the bacon but not the tost!
Agreed the salad is bland and I now dont bother with EC wifi its a joke!

 

[DaveNewcastle]

My trip on the Chieftan when it was rammed was in M as reported earlier and I concur with the above "travelling on their cheaper Advance 1st's indeed "

Wouldn't catch me doing that :roll:

And neither would I. I have my preferred seat (a.k.a. personal table of four near to the kitchen) and am recognised as its rightful occupant (joking, of course, but staff have commented on my occupying the same seat every journey!).

The comments about the salad ar interesting, and I suspect that EC would appreciate constructive criticsism too. They use a prepared vinagrette with less balsamic in the ration than I would like.
Do others agree that the salad would benefit from more 'tang', whether from balsamic vinegar, lemon or even small tomatoes? (This may be a small matter to many travellers, but to regulars like me for whom an EC evening meal is often the only real meal of the day, then lets persue it).

[Really! Who from this forum would sit in coach E or M on EC knowing that those are where all the first tranches of Advance seats are allocated?] tongue in cheek

 

[calc7]

I concur with DaveNewcastle that the extra tang would be pleasant.

Virgin's salads are typically leaves, served with three or four cherry tomatoes and a little plastic balsamic vinegar/olive oil sachet that is shaped like a sauce drizzler. If you prefer balsamic vinegar to olive oil then this is good as good old density means the balsamic vinegar dispenses first.

 

[Blindtraveler]

even a KFC Style tub of caulslaw would be a help esp on those eham evening meal trains southbound

 

[Butts]

oh dear more toast related problems. I'd understand if they rassioned the bacon but not the tost!
Agreed the salad is bland and I now dont bother with EC wifi its a joke!

Toast my old favourite ......

On my last trip involving Breakfast I actually got two slices

With regard to the salad it's more like lettuce lettuce and more lettuce...could do with a few bits of cucumber and tomato.

 

[ainsworth74]

Thin end of the wedge Butts, you give the passengers a proper salad and they might start making the case for proper meals to be reintroduced on southbound services!

 

[ffm]

Of c ourse, the choose your seat option is available to all, including advance ticket purchases....

 

[HST Power]

Busiest, full of people travelling on their cheaper Advance 1sts (so less likely to have a pleasant atmosphere imo) and furthest from the kitchen in coach H/K so you wait longer for food/drink, more likely to have run out of your option by the time they get to you and no chance to try getting round their insulting and unwritten but staunchly enforced "1 drink per trolley run" rule by asking for another on the return trip.

Thankfully I'm only in M on the outward journey, but having looked at the seating reservations this afternoon it appears that none of the First Class coaches are overly busy, so hopefully I will be OK! The train is running in eight days time.

 

[ainsworth74]

Just go sit in one of the other carriages anyway (I'd suggest either K on IC225s or the buffet end of L on HSTs), I've never had a guard say anything about not sitting in my reserved seat.

 

[142094]

Just go sit in one of the other carriages anyway (I'd suggest either K on IC225s or the buffet end of L on HSTs), I've never had a guard say anything about not sitting in my reserved seat.

Same here, when I did a trip to Leeds on a 'special offer' I even remarked to the staff that I should sit nearer to the buffet as there were only a handful on people on the train at the time in the first place.

 

[alex1948]

Shame we're only 11781 miles away! :P

But remember that ANZ flies from London to Los Angeles and London to Hong Kong. You don't have to fly all the way to Auckland.