Virgin Weekend First

[googolplex]

I'm contemplating travelling with Virgin from Dundee to Milton Keynes at the end of this month and buying weekend first upgrades between Dundee and MK.
Most of the trains require a change at Birmingham or Crewe, so will the first upgrade be valid on both trains, or is it £15 per train?

 

[voyagerdude220]

Your £15 Weekend First upgrade will be valid for both VT services you use.

I once read in Rail magazine, something to do with only having to pay for one more expensive Weekend First upgrade covering both TOCs, when using two or more TOCs which convey FC, but i'm not sure how it would work?

 

[lm321412]

I'm contemplating travelling with Virgin from Dundee to Milton Keynes at the end of this month and buying weekend first upgrades between Dundee and MK.
Most of the trains require a change at Birmingham or Crewe, so will the first upgrade be valid on both trains, or is it £15 per train?

Virgin Trains do not serve Dundee...

If you go to purchase a 1st Upgrade at Dundee, then it will be for either EC or XC and will not be valid on your next virgin service.

You however can purchase a first class upgrade from Glasgow Central or Edinburgh Waverley which will be valid on both VT services down to MKC.

 

[googolplex]

Thanks for the info guys, the plan was to travel in standard to Edinburgh and then buy it on the Virgin service from there. I don't think a £15-20 upgrade is worth it for the hour or so from Dundee to Edinburgh.

I normally travel with East Coast on a direct train to Peterborough and then change for St Neot's, however a Dundee - St Neot's off-peak return is £10 more with a YP railcard than the equivalent ticket to Milton Keynes, and East Coast charge £20-25 for their weekend first upgrade. I'd normally buy first advance singles, however this journey's being claimed for on expenses and I can only claim for standard class tickets.

 

[TEW]

For Scotrail trains you are supposedly able to buy through Weekend First tickets with other operators (except East Coast for some reason). You'd have to ask at a station about it though, to see if it is possible.

 

[barrykas]

I once read in Rail magazine, something to do with only having to pay for one more expensive Weekend First upgrade covering both TOCs, when using two or more TOCs which convey FC, but i'm not sure how it would work?

That's correct...however East Coast, Great Western, Transpennine Express and Virgin don't participate in the "national" Weekend First scheme.

As an example, if you were travelling from New Street to Brockenhurst (for example) on CrossCountry and SWT, you could get a through Weekend 1st upgrade as both CC and SW participate in the national scheme. How that'd be issued on Avantix if you upgraded on board I'm not entirely sure, but it'd probably be through the Supplements screen.

Travel from New Street to Swindon, using CC to Reading and Great Western from there, you can't, because GW don't participate in the national scheme.

HTH,

Barry

 

[scotsman]

Scotrail's weekend first was £5.40 to Inverness/Aberdeen from Edinburgh/Glasgow and £3.20 between Edinburgh and Glasgow

 

[bb21]

This might sound cheeky but if you are claiming back on expenses then buying an Anytime standard class ticket would entitle you to free weekend upgrade on Virgin services.