Virgin 1st Class on Edinburgh Route

[scottish rider]

Recently I was booked with an advance 1st ticket with TPE for the section from Edinburgh to Preston.

The TPE service was cancelled due to a lack of a conductor, but passengers were advised that a replacement coach was being put on to Carlisle for connections there or they could travel on the following Virgin service departing approx an hour later.

I was ok as my journey wasn't too time critical so waited for the Virgin service.

On inquiring where the 1st class carriage would be, the Virgin chap on the platform asked to see my ticket and advised me that as it was routed TPE & connections I would only be allowed to travel in 1st if there was space after Virgin customers had been seated. A double Voyager showed up so I didn't think that would be a problem, it wasn't - in the set I was in the 1st class load was 1 other passenger.

The host checked the tickets and we set off, two other 1st class ticket holders from the cancelled TPE then appeared having just found the 1st class section. Tea or Coffee served and then the host vanished. After Carlisle he appeared again for another Tea/Coffee round and then food and alcoholic drink offer for the Virgin passenger - nothing except Tea or Coffee for us other 3 as "that's all you would have got from TPE". We saw a small roll, tiny piece of cake and a glass of something dispensed to the Virgin customer, who at this stage was looking a little embarrassed!

Anyway, I have a couple of questions:
Is the Virgin 1st class offering on the Edinburgh - Birmingham axis generally quite poor in terms of freebies? (I never travel with them as the advance 1st fares always seem very expensive when I look, at least compared to TPE services around the same time) and,
As I had an advance 1st ticket routed TPE & connections were Virgin under any obligation to transport me in 1st or standard anyway?

I thought it was good customer service from TPE with alternative arrangements and it worked out ok. I was a bit later than planned and I would have quite liked a biscuit or a bit of cake to go with my cup of tea (obviously not that much though or I would have gone to the buffet to buy it) and I had the delay repay from TPE, just more interested in the principal behind traveling with a different TOC from that I had been supposed to be.

 

[yorkie]

We saw a small roll, tiny piece of cake and a glass of something dispensed to the Virgin customer, who at this stage was looking a little embarrassed!

Not a great advert for Virgin Trains! But we can bear this in mind when we choose who to travel with, so thanks for letting us know.

Anyway, I have a couple of questions:
Is the Virgin 1st class offering on the Edinburgh - Birmingham axis generally quite poor in terms of freebies?

I believe so, though the service might be better if a Pendolino is provided (I am sure someone can confirm)

and,
As I had an advance 1st ticket routed TPE & connections were Virgin under any obligation to transport me in 1st or standard anyway?

1st class tickets are valid in 1st class, so providing there are unreserved seats available, I don't think they make you sit in Std.

I thought it was good customer service from TPE with alternative arrangements and it worked out ok. I was a bit later than planned and I would have quite liked a biscuit or a bit of cake to go with my cup of tea (obviously not that much though or I would have gone to the buffet to buy it) and I had the delay repay from TPE, just more interested in the principal behind traveling with a different TOC from that I had been supposed to be.

It's a poor advert for Virgin. Here was their chance to impress prospective future customers, and all they did was put people off! I am sure they are not obliged to offer anything, but it's very bad PR for them.

 

[AlexS]

If you have 1st advance tickets and you aren't travelling on your booked service, or are being carried by another operator due to disruption, then travel in first accommodation is at the discretion of the train crew generally, with priority given to their own passengers. Complimentaries are discretionary anyway so they're quite within their rights to refuse to provide them as well. I've only seen it actually refused once, when having turned up from another TOC's cancelled service, a chap with a 1st advance had to stand in standard accommodation as there was no room in first class.

 

[scottish rider]

Yes I agree it wasn't great PR for Virgin, it certainly didn't make me think "this is great, I think it's worth paying the significant premium over the TPE fare to travel with Virgin next time"

but I got there, the train was very lightly loaded so I had a table to myself. But my next trip on the West Coast is again booked with TPe.

 

[trainophile]

i travelled 1st Class on Virgin last Sunday afternoon, for one hour between Stafford and Liverpool Lime Street. I was not offered one single thing during that hour! The coach wasn't full, and the steward seemed to just pop in occasionally to fetch something and then disappeared again.

I'd previously been on a XC for half an hour from BHM to Stafford and was offered a choice of drinks, which came with a packet of biscuits. Was very surprised at the lack of interest shown by Virgin. I suppose I could have asked, but I didn't really need anything - it's just the lack of any sort of acknowledgement that surprised me. I don't even think my ticket was checked!

I'm on the identical journey again tomorrow, will be interesting to see if it's the same.

 

[skyetraveller]

I'm a big fan of Virgin Trains but this to my mind is their one big problem - a lack of consistency. A few weeks ago I was travelling from Carlisle to Glasgow on a standard advance ticket and was delayed for nearly two hours before we even left Carlisle because of track problems north of Kingmoor yard.
When things eventually got moving again, after several trains had been terminated at Carlisle and sent back south, the Pendolino I joined (not my booked one as that had been cancelled) was totally rammed in standard and as I didn't fancy standing for a further hour after a long wait on the platform, I decided to sit in first and pay the upgrade.
I never even saw the Train Manager (he probably couldn't get past the hordes in standard!) or had my ticket checked but was offered two lots of drinks from the trolley, tea/coffee (also twice), sandwiches, biscuits, cake, fruit etc! Not bad for a journey of just over an hour and great service in a difficult situation.
But you can also get experiences such as that outlined by the OP which lets down the whole operation.

 

[Class83]

Virgin Trains 1st class catering is generally good on Weekdays, I'd expect a drinks run, then a meal (depending on time of day) then usually another drinks run on a 2 hour Journey.

However, on the weekend the food is somewhere between abysmal and non-existant. They'd be better off replacing the 'little box of snacks' with a pack of crisps and a chocolate bar.

 

[Mojo]

Was this a weekday or a weekend?

The mini snack box (which is about 25% of the size of the snack box when I used to travel often on Virgin First class pre-2005) has only been offered on about half of weekend trains which I've used; other times it's just been the soft and hot drinks on offer, and a pack of 2 biscuits.

I'm not sure about now, but Virgin used to advertise that their weekday Voyager First class catering was interior (although of course they did not use that wording!) compared to the offering on a Pendo.

 

[voyagerdude220]

As far as I'm aware, the "All day" offer is identical on Super Voyagers and Pendolinos. Sandwiches/Salads etc, hot, soft and alcoholic drinks, fruit and chocolate.

VT used to offer an inferior, but very good effort for breakfast on Super Voyagers, considering the far more limited facilities on them compared to Pendolinos- i.e. a tiny oven to heat things up in, as apposed to the full kitchen with a chef in for Pendolinos. The mini grill options were rather good. Now it's just a bog standard microwaved up bacon or vegie sausage roll.

Evening meals on Super Voyagers are once again heated up in the oven, but of very similar quality to those offered on Pendolinos. It's a while since I've travelled on an evening meal Super Voyager though.

I agree with what others have said about weekend offer though.. It's rubbish.

 

[dk1]

I suppose though at weekends most passengers are travelling on heavily discounted tickets so fares fair.

 

[ainsworth74]

I suppose though at weekends most passengers are travelling on heavily discounted tickets so fares fair.

Whilst that's true East Coast still manage to use proper mugs for their hot drinks and serve their passengers sandwiches/crisps/biscuits/etc.

 

[trainophile]

I did get a snack box and an offer of a drink today (didn't need one as just had orange juice on XC) so an improvement on last Sunday.

Even on a "heavily discounted ticket" I still paid around £15 more than going via an alternative route, though only £2.65 more than a walk-up Standard ticket on LM/XC/Virgin through booking well in advance.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I suppose though at weekends most passengers are travelling on heavily discounted tickets so fares fair.

On my last trip from Glasgow on a Sunday, on a (not cheap) 1st advance ticket, I sat next to a lady with a full-fare single to London.
When she muttered about coffee and crisps as the only offering, I explained the difference in weekday and weekend service.
Overhearing this, the steward said quite openly that as "everyone" was on a £15 first class upgrade at weekends there was no money for a better service.

Apropos of this, I was on a Swedish X2000 service last Saturday and the first class food offering was tailored to the individual and ticket held.
The crew had a seat/name list and gave out the appropriate meal.
Coffee was served with the food, but was also available free from a self-service point throughout the trip.