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virgin 1st class
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185143
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According to the VT website, you will get 'Delicious Sandwiches and a Sweet Treat'
All Line Rover
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If you feel the need to ask the question I think you should stick to Standard Class.
I would just go First really. Means slightly more comfort plus free drinks of all types.
If was on a weekend i would then say pointless.
Chris
185143
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I think that's a bit harsh tbh. The OP may not have much experience with either VT or First Class and is merely wondering what to expect. After all, FC can vary massively, compare LMs first class to TPE on the 350s! LM passengers get a power socket. TPE passengers get 2+1 seating, power sockets, more FC seats and a cup of tea!All Line Rover:1974367 said:
Indeed, a very dull and small cheese sandwich (or a Coronation Chicken wrap) and a piece of shelf-stable cheap fruitcake. Plus the wifi was on the fritz on three of the last four Pendos I was on over the last week.
I don't mind paying for a bit of leg-room and space, which is why I use Virgin First but otherwise I have very low expectations.
Iskra
Established Member
I've found VT's first class to be excellent between Lancaster and London Euston. Nice hot meal, free beer, lots of space, friendly staff and a generally more civilised atmosphere ...oh, and a shorter walk at Euston
Kite159
Veteran Member
I've found VT's first class to be excellent between Lancaster and London Euston. Nice hot meal, free beer, lots of space, friendly staff and a generally more civilised atmosphere ...oh, and a shorter walk at Euston
Unless your train happens to be in reverse formation
Butts
Veteran Member
Butts has been persuaded to go four and a half hours without a smoke to experience Glasgow Central to London Euston on Virgin Trains in December.
Booked in the sale £38.50
I will be using the Lounge in Glasgow for the first time.
As my service is the 0940 departure I should get the Full Breakfast.
Will I also get Virgins equivalent of EC's "All Day" - ie booze and nosh a little further down the line?.
Don't worry nicotine watchers I am flying back the same evening from LCY to EDI at a not unreasonable cost of £39.99
Booked in the sale £38.50
I will be using the Lounge in Glasgow for the first time.
As my service is the 0940 departure I should get the Full Breakfast.
Will I also get Virgins equivalent of EC's "All Day" - ie booze and nosh a little further down the line?.
Don't worry nicotine watchers I am flying back the same evening from LCY to EDI at a not unreasonable cost of £39.99
SS4
Established Member
I'd go for it solely for access to the lounges
Butts
Veteran Member
Well they are certainly better than East Coast's "tightwad tea and biscuits" establishments.
Incidentally I have been dumped in coach H , will soon shift to J or K as the 0940 will probably be empty.
Can you change your seat on a VT booking aka East coast -I don't remember seeing the option during the booking process online.
Nope! Literally infuriating.
Agree that LM's First on 350s is actually less comfortable than Standard - I recently bought a FC Crewe - London ticket on LM and fully intend to sit in Standard (they were exactly the same price, but the 1st ticket gets more rewards points on the EC website!). But the TPE 1ST doesn't have any seats that line up with the windows...
Butts
Veteran Member
This is surprising with Virgin's "Right On" perceived image. Anyone know why the facility is not there ?
You can access it by paying £5 so if keep the points tbh. When you go into the lounge and they ask for payment try to pay by debit card as they always seem to have a problem with it. When they ask for cash hum and haw a little stating inconvenience and that you don't normally have to carry cash and will have to go to the ATM. generally after that they wave you through
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
If you're on a first class ticket you can pay a fiver to get in, so you're better to keep the points.
It's a nice lounge but the offering is limited to crisps, pop, orange juice and a coffee machine. Stocks tend to run low on a Friday evening. I'm told you can buy alcohol at a decent price, but I've never seen a menu and never really bothered asking.
David Goddard
Established Member
Regarding whether to travel 1st or Standard on VT, I would opt for 1st every time. Bigger seats and much more legroom for a start, the freebies are good and its a generally great experience. If it is only a few quid more, re then its a no brainer
Sent while sitting in Virgin First Class on a combination of tickets which were just £12 more than in Standard all the way to Glasgow.
Sent while sitting in Virgin First Class on a combination of tickets which were just £12 more than in Standard all the way to Glasgow.
I normally travel standard class but I saw vt's 1st seat sale an wanted to travel in them dates so I asked and thanks to all your help I booked a single to Birmingham new street for £17.50 which I thought was good so I'm looking forward to it will make use of VT's 1st class lounge at euston too
I've had some success at emailing customer relations or calling them in getting them to issue a second set of reservations for you in the seats you want, if you tell them which they are. That's about all you can do if it gives you seats that you don't like, short of abuses of the system or giving in and potentially paying £10 as an admin fee to get the reservations changed.
I think there should be free reservation alteration for all where it wasn't possible to select seats in advance like it is on EC and XC. Then it stops people from abusing the system and taking up 2 reservation labels. This said, as far as First Class on Pendolinos goes, it is almost always empty, so you shouldn't have much trouble finding an available seat that matches your preferences should you wish to (I will note this excludes Saturday evening trains from Euston, some of these are very busy in First!).
Butts has been persuaded to go four and a half hours without a smoke to experience Glasgow Central to London Euston on Virgin Trains in December.
Booked in the sale £38.50
I will be using the Lounge in Glasgow for the first time.
As my service is the 0940 departure I should get the Full Breakfast.
Will I also get Virgins equivalent of EC's "All Day" - ie booze and nosh a little further down the line?.
Don't worry nicotine watchers I am flying back the same evening from LCY to EDI at a not unreasonable cost of £39.99
I used to use the 0940 quite frequently when I live in Glasgow. Apart from a Friday it's usually fairly peaceful from Glasgow to Preston where it livens up a bit as its the nearest departure to midday from there.
Yes you should get the brekky and something else later on around Preston.
And you will be glad to know that "normally" Virgin aren't shy with the libations, I've frequently doubled up on the run out and in. There is many a time I've wondered if it is me or the train that is tilting
Old worn seat padding by any chance? That is what I've noticed with SWT 450s. They have exactly the same type of seats, which are low anyway, and with the worn padding they end up becoming even worse as the raised bit at the edge isn't there anymore, which makes them feel even lower. Don't mind either type of Standard seat, despite doing over 2 hours on Birmingham to London on a 350/2 which are much hated!
(Was more annoyed I hadn't managed to bag any of my favourite seats :P).
Butts
Veteran Member
I used to use the 0940 quite frequently when I live in Glasgow. Apart from a Friday it's usually fairly peaceful from Glasgow to Preston where it livens up a bit as its the nearest departure to midday from there.
Yes you should get the brekky and something else later on around Preston.
And you will be glad to know that "normally" Virgin aren't shy with the libations, I've frequently doubled up on the run out and in. There is many a time I've wondered if it is me or the train that is tilting
Well a pre-trip Lounge Visit
Breakfast
Lunch
4 Double Scotches
That's the price of my ticket virtually taken care of
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I used to use the 0940 quite frequently when I live in Glasgow. Apart from a Friday it's usually fairly peaceful from Glasgow to Preston where it livens up a bit as its the nearest departure to midday from there.
Yes you should get the brekky and something else later on around Preston.
And you will be glad to know that "normally" Virgin aren't shy with the libations, I've frequently doubled up on the run out and in. There is many a time I've wondered if it is me or the train that is tilting
Well it looks like I got a bargain with my £38.50 fare , on checking yesterday post sale it had gone up to £138
Hope this does not indicate it will be rammed !!!
gordonthemoron
Established Member
Considering the LM Crewe-London service is often chocka in standard, you'd be advised to stick to first class
I travelled Euston to Oxenholme on the 08:30 this morning. Due to a faulty train they were stepping up the pendolino sets at Euston so boarding on all vt services was about 5minutes before departure.
1st class was pretty full.
There was an announcement that due to the set swap and also a faulty oven only bacon or sausage baps could be served plus croissants. So no full breakfast this morning.
1st class was pretty full.
There was an announcement that due to the set swap and also a faulty oven only bacon or sausage baps could be served plus croissants. So no full breakfast this morning.
Butts
Veteran Member
Butts has been persuaded to go four and a half hours without a smoke to experience Glasgow Central to London Euston on Virgin Trains in December.
Booked in the sale £38.50
I will be using the Lounge in Glasgow for the first time.
As my service is the 0940 departure I should get the Full Breakfast.
Will I also get Virgins equivalent of EC's "All Day" - ie booze and nosh a little further down the line?.
Don't worry nicotine watchers I am flying back the same evening from LCY to EDI at a not unreasonable cost of £39.99
Well I had my trip today.
The Lounge at GLC was almost empty but well stocked with hot and cold drinks, porridge, biscuits, fruit but no croissants :cry: I am addicted to those "Uglies Cocoa Cookies" - delicious.
Full Virgin Breakfast along with OJ, Coffee and Toast served just before Carlisle. For some reason the service stopped at Carstairs and Lockerbie which may account for the delay. Excellent
Further rounds of tea and coffee and "bread basket"
After Warrington sandwiches, crisps, fruit, cake and Alcohol served. In and out policy with regard to the alcohol so a couple of Double Scotches.
We were 25 mins late into Euston and to be honest I was "climbing the walls" for a tab after nearly five hours.
Excellent value for £38 odd - I must have had £20 worth of catering
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