Virgin Weekend First upgrade - when can I buy?

[Optimo]

Curious as to when it is possible to buy an upgraded Weekend First with seat reservation? It's busy at Euston today, and despite signs in the ticket office advertising the Weekend First Upgrade, the ticket office would not sell me an upgrade because 'it's too busy'. Only alternative is to try to buy on the train if there are free seats.

Is is just down to luck as to when they will sell it in advance? I've only ever got it on the train, but thought I'd try to do it in advance.

For future reference, as travelling to a station just to buy an upgrade further in advance isn't always practical (if you don't live near a mainline station)

 

[ChrisTheRef]

If you've queued, I don't know why they wouldn't sell it. All I can think is a guideline to all VT ticket office staff, stating that TMs should do upgrades to save it being overbooked?

 

[tony_mac]

All I can think is a guideline to all VT ticket office staff, stating that TMs should do upgrades to save it being overbooked?

First is pretty full today, so I guess that is a possibility.

 

[Optimo]

Yeah maybe, can understand if that's the case due to time of year. Wish they'd take the advertising down or put appropriate info up to save people queuing needlessly. Oh well. Will try again in more time in future.

As an aside, the announcer at Euston is doing a great job, lots of info on delays and whatnots.

Edit- just announced it's fully booked so not to join if you don't have a reservation. Guess I snoozed and losed!

 

[island]

What ticket were you trying to upgrade from? Normally Virgin's rule is that upgrades from advances can only be bought from the train manager.

 

[barrykas]

If you buy Weekend First at a ticket office, the general rule is that it MUST include a seat reservation...which can't be done less than 2 hours before the train is due to depart (or after a certain time the night before for some early morning departures).

If you miss the booked train you can still travel on a later one though, subject to space being available.

 

[Optimo]

Thanks @barrykas, that was the info I was after - the time limit for upgrading with a seat reservation. The information provided by the CS person at Euston was just 'it's too busy', not 'it's too late to buy at the station'.

It was an advance ticket, so I guess that answers both points, thanks @island.

Cheers

Train was chaos btw, and despite an announcement that upgrades could be purchased in First, the train manager advised us to go back to our seats as we tried to get to First (from B in Standard) due to the number of folk standing/sitting in vestibule ends.

One clot had a bag of golf clubs standing in the aisle.

Train manager was very patient though, hats off to him (Aus or NZr, wearing a wooly hat which surely isn't standard issue!)