Virgin West Coast first class service

[telstarbox]

In contrast to regulars on the LNER/VTEC thread, just wanted to say that I'm fairly impressed with recent experience of the VTWC first class service.

A few times a year (including today) I take the 1855 Manchester Piccadilly - London Euston service. First Class Advances are typically £20 more than Standard ones if you book a few weeks ahead. This is the last "dinner" train out of MAN and for the extra £20 you can have a choice of hot main courses, cold dessert and typically two or three runs of the drinks trolley, plus snacks, tea/coffee, wifi and lounges at either end if you need it. The staff are typically friendly and helpful too.

 

[Skie]

Yeah it is fairly good. Always nice when you get a crew who are a bit more laid back and will just plonk your entire journeys allocation of mini drinks at your table in one go, rather than metering it out over the journey

Breakfast is fairly good too. Toast is a bit crap, but stocking up in the Lounge and having plenty of overbrewed tea, toast and some cooked breakfast is a nice way to arrive into London in the morning. The table service seems so frequent that the journey really does fly by.

 

[Jonfun]

I find it can be very mixed. Sometimes you'll get a great crew who are really attentive and efficient, and other times you'll be waiting over an hour for a cup of tea to arrive. I've been on other trains though where the catering crew will rush out a service in the first 20 minutes of the journey and then sit down in Coach K chatting amongst themselves for the next 1h45 without even so much as a second run down with a pot of coffee.
When it's good though, it is definitely very good.

 

[Mag_seven]

I heard the first class trolleys described as "carts" yesterday i.e. the hot drinks cart, the cold drinks cart and the food cart. Is this an official change in terminology?

 

[VT 390]

I agree that the service on Virgin West Coast is usually very good, especially the Breakfast services I have only once not been served within the first 15 minutes of boarding.

 

[gordonthemoron]

I have been served breakfast between Milton Keynes and Birmingham International, which is only about 40 minutes. Excellent service

 

[dave87016]

I used to rate it but the portion size especially the evening meal has shrunk drastically

 

[TravellingPhil]

I enjoy travelling first class on Virgin. As well as the service, we enjoy using the tables for 2, never any trouble storing luggage in 1st class too. Makes some of the advances very good value.

Agree with the comments about the service. Very consistent and as long as you're not depending on it to fill you up as a full meal would, it's very good. Breakfast is by far the best they do though.

I've even been served coffee on a Wolverhampton to Birmingham 1st class ticket, a journey of around 15 minutes. I asked the host if I had time, "Always time for a coffee!" she said then continued to pour!