Pass Holder?

[Blinkbonny]

Asking for an alcoholic drink in Virgin First Class, I am asked "You're not a Pass Holder are you?"

What's one of them? And does it mean that if I had been I couldn't have had one?

Or would I have got a double on a sort of mates rates principle?

 

[SPADTrap]

I think they were possibly asking if you were staff which would mean you couldn't receive anything? A bit of a silly question IMO, especially when you're not staff.

 

[DarloRich]

Asking for an alcoholic drink in Virgin First Class, I am asked "You're not a Pass Holder are you?"

What's one of them? And does it mean that if I had been I couldn't have had one?

Or would I have got a double on a sort of mates rates principle?

I suspect it means are you travelling on a staff pass either of the type held by BR old codgers or TOC employees. If you are travelling on such a pass you are not entitled to any of the freebies.

 

[Journeyman]

I suspect it means are you travelling on a staff pass either of the type held by BR old codgers or TOC employees. If you are travelling on such a pass you are not entitled to any of the freebies.

Yup. I travelled on those in a previous job (I worked for another TOC). Sometimes you'd get the freebies, sometimes you wouldn't, but it did state clearly on it you weren't supposed to get them.

 

[Blinkbonny]

Thanks chaps. I suspected something of the sort.
I should have said, How very dare you, my good man! Do I LOOK like staff?

 

[Jonfun]

Hmm, it's a bit like the whole "gaydar" thing of guessing someone's sexuality. Similar could be said for spotting who is and who isn't a railway manager, when you know what to look for it's very easy to spot, so perhaps you just look or act a bit like one?

 

[PudseyBearHST]

Virgin are normally very good with staff in first class. You will usually get offered a drink (tea, coffee,etc...) and depending on how busy it is and how nice the crew are, you will also get offered a meal.

 

[doa46231]

Well, My wife and I travelled in week-end first from Scotland on a staff pass (ex BR) a few weeks ago and not only did I get the freebies, they didn't want my £50 either!
Told me not to worry, nobody will ask for it!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Quail Maps etc are often a give-away , PS even retired staff can purchase food (but not alcoholic drinks) for a modest sum , as long as there is enough to go around. Have to ask first of course , which is fair enough.

 

[Blinkbonny]

Not even sure what a Quail map is to be honest. But I did have a track locator app open. That must be it.

I'll have to watch it. Don't want to go without a drink!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Not even sure what a Quail map is to be honest. But I did have a track locator app open. That must be it.

I'll have to watch it. Don't want to go without a drink!

Quails were the first detailed paper based atlas series - mandatory for planning purposes , before the wonderful new technology we have now , made them obsolete.

 

[Elecman]

Quail certainly aren’t obsolete I use min3vregularl6 and in just our office I can see 6 LNW ones on people’s desks!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Quail certainly aren’t obsolete I use min3vregularl6 and in just our office I can see 6 LNW ones on people’s desks!

Correction then - I need to get some updated ones - my LNW / LM is 4 , - but then I am "not in active service" , excellent material with much use in the past.

Veering off topic here.

 

[greyman42]

Well, My wife and I travelled in week-end first from Scotland on a staff pass (ex BR) a few weeks ago and not only did I get the freebies, they didn't want my £50 either!
Told me not to worry, nobody will ask for it!

Yes, this tends to be the case with crews from some parts of the UK, but perhaps it is best not to advertise this practice.

 

[Blinkbonny]

I honestly thought at first Quail Map was a mistype for Rail Map!

That's the only way I could make any sense of it.

 

[Blinkbonny]

(And I've got one of them as well. A 1947 Gazetteer. )

 

[MichaelAMW]

I treated myself to a !st Advance on the Aberdeen - Leeds HST recently and a member of staff opposite me, don't know where from or whether he was ex-BR, asked the Train Manager what the deal was and was told he could have everything except the booze. It *sounded* as if he was giving the official line as opposed to what he was happy to happen on that train.

 

[LowLevel]

You can pay 5 quid on the East Coast to get everything including the booze which is an excellent provision.

 

[HSTEd]

I suspect it means are you travelling on a staff pass either of the type held by BR old codgers or TOC employees. If you are travelling on such a pass you are not entitled to any of the freebies.

My understanding, at least on TPE, ICEC and ICWC, is that you can have tea and biscuits but not hot food or alcohol.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

My understanding, at least on TPE, ICEC and ICWC, is that you can have tea and biscuits but not hot food or alcohol.

Ditto Cross Country (bar the Cardiff and Stsd routes)

 

[Mag_seven]

travelling on a staff pass either of the type held by BR old codgers

There are lots of ex BR staff who can hardly be described as "old codgers".

 

[Senex]

Ditto Cross Country (bar the Cardiff and Stsd routes)

Isn't XC technically just the tea, coffee, and water — not even the biscuits? Though most crew seem to offer a packet of biscuits.

 

[221129]

Isn't XC technically just the tea, coffee, and water — not even the biscuits? Though most crew seem to offer a packet of biscuits.

No. And it depends on the pass. Some passes include the lot whilst others don't.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

No. And it depends on the pass. Some passes include the lot whilst others don't.

I never ask - on my rare XC journeys - but you usually get a biscuit.

I always take my own along in any case.

 

[ag51ruk]

No. And it depends on the pass. Some passes include the lot whilst others don't.

TOC issued passes may have different conditions but for anything issued by RST/safeguarded travel the restrictions are the same and clearly published in the Restrictions section on their website:

"Staff with 1st Class travel facilities may partake of complimentary tea, coffee and soft drinks on CrossCountry services with the exception of the following routes where Turbostar rolling stock operate and catering is provided by an external supplier:

Cardiff – Nottingham, including local flows between Birmingham and Nottingham
Birmingham – Stansted Airport, including local flows between Birmingham and Leicester

Acceptance of alcohol or complimentary food is not permitted on any CrossCountry service."

 

[Mag_seven]

I never ask - on my rare XC journeys - but you usually get a biscuit.

Acceptance of alcohol or complimentary food is not permitted on any CrossCountry service."

Biscuits are food aren't they?

 

[Surreytraveller]

There are lots of ex BR staff who can hardly be described as "old codgers".

Exactly. Some of us struggle to get London Underground staff to work out how to put a PRIV discount on a child ZIP Oystercard.

 

[whhistle]

I suspect it means are you travelling on a staff pass either of the type held by BR old codgers or TOC employees. If you are travelling on such a pass you are not entitled to any of the freebies.

Did they change it again?
I understood staff travelling for leisure could have whatever they wanted in the First Class (c2010/2011), but then they stopped it after a bit of abuse.

Then about 2013/2014 it came back again and had been that way ever since.

 

[Flying Snail]

Who qualifies/qualified for 1st class facilities anyway? Is it strictly done by grade or are there other criteria.

 

[LowLevel]

Who qualifies/qualified for 1st class facilities anyway? Is it strictly done by grade or are there other criteria.

It varies by company.

Where I am lower grade managers get first class duty travel and standard class leisure. Middle managers up get first class all round.

All staff get 1st class travel regardless of grade after 15 years service. All other staff get a couple of boxes a year to travel in first as a treat.

That's for the internal TOC only pass.

The ATOC passes involve first class travel if you're over a certain grade equivalent to the old BR grading system and more senior management who are also protected ex BR staff can also have a status pass - there's limited numbers of these available to each TOC for active staff.

Silver passes give unlimited first class travel and allow you to travel in brake vans etc (I have actually allowed that privilege before during service disruption when I ended up with a Network Rail senior manager in the rear cab).

Gold passes are for the most senior managers only and allow you to travel in sleeper berths free of charge as well.