Weekend First on FGW

[Nicholas43]

If we hold GroupSave tickets (Oxford to Truro), can we use Weekend First? The FGW website seems to say that Weekend First is possible with any standard off-peak ticket, but not Advance tickets.

 

[yorkie]

Actually it says "Weekend First is not available in advance to holders of advance tickets, these tickets can be upgraded on the train, subject to availability."

My understanding is that you can reserve in Weekend First, subject to availability, providing your ticket is not an Advance (which in your case it isn't). However you cannot make a reservation in Weekend First if your ticket is an Advance. In either case, you can pay the supplement on board providing there is sufficient space, and it's at the guard's discretion as to whether that applies.

 

[Nicholas43]

Thanks so much for this amazingly prompt reply. Particularly impressive, because when I phoned FGW Customer Services, they said they didn't know.

 

[FGWman]

Yes any ticket can be upgraded to weekend first on FGW

Just to add FGW chaanged their policy and it is no longer possible to book weekend first in advance - only available on the train. If you want to pre book first then you will either need an advance or a full price first class ticket.

 

[Nicholas43]

Oh, that's disappointing. So when the FGW website says

You can buy in advance at ticket offices and on board High Speed services. However, please note that Weekend First is not available in advance to holders of advance tickets

it means
"You used to able to buy in advance at ticket offices, but you can't any more, and we haven't yet updated the website. You can buy only on board, and only if you can find a seat in first class, and only on High Speed Services, as an upgrade of any standard ticket including an advance ticket."
Have I got that more or less right, please?

 

[yorkie]

Thanks so much for this amazingly prompt reply. Particularly impressive, because when I phoned FGW Customer Services, they said they didn't know.

No problem! And, that doesn't surprise me!

Yes any ticket can be upgraded to weekend first on FGW

Just to add FGW chaanged their policy and it is no longer possible to book weekend first in advance - only available on the train. If you want to pre book first then you will either need an advance or a full price first class ticket.

Interesting. They should really get the site updated! How long ago did that change?

Another benefit to posting on this forum is that regular users and staff post here, so sometimes information can be even more up-to-date than on the National Rail or TOC websites!

 

[Flamingo]

Oh, that's disappointing. So when the FGW website says

it means
"You used to able to buy in advance at ticket offices, but you can't any more, and we haven't yet updated the website. You can buy only on board, and only if you can find a seat in first class, and only on High Speed Services, as an upgrade of any standard ticket including an advance ticket."
Have I got that more or less right, please?

The guard will be more than happy to sell it to you on-board, and you never know your luck, you might get a guard with a broken ticket machine, in which case you will get a freebee.

We will sell Weekend First (subject to seat availability) to any ticket holder. However, they must have a ticket first. I have had passengers with a Weekend First, but no ticket!

You should not have a problem finding a seat in 1st class, unless you are particularly unlucky and the train is rammed due to disruption.

If you want a table for four, that might be a bit more tricky, but I don't think you could reserve 1st class seats with Weekend First under the old system anyway.

We only do 1st class on HSS and Turbo's.

 

[Captain Chaos]

We will sell Weekend First (subject to seat availability) to any ticket holder. However, they must have a ticket first. I have had passengers with a Weekend First, but no ticket!

Do you know if we can get Weekend First using staff passes? Just wondering as I have a nasty habit of mis-placing the Weekend First boxes they give out to us.

 

[Ferret]

I have had passengers with a Weekend First, but no ticket!

Ditto! Bloody booking office staff are clueless sometimes!

 

[Flamingo]

Do you know if we can get Weekend First using staff passes? Just wondering as I have a nasty habit of mis-placing the Weekend First boxes they give out to us.

Yes, no problem. Most of us won't charge up staff at weekends (despite the current blitz)

 

[AlterEgo]

Thanks so much for this amazingly prompt reply. Particularly impressive, because when I phoned FGW Customer Services, they said they didn't know.

That's very poor. If the operator didn't know, they should ask someone who does! :roll:

 

[Captain Chaos]

Yes, no problem. Most of us won't charge up staff at weekends (despite the current blitz)

Thanks for that. I was told by someone else that it wasn't possible to issue Weekend First to staff pass holders. If only I had known yesterday! Went on the Pembroke Dock service from Reading yesterday and would certainly have paid the upgrade. Several hours in STD was getting uncomfortable and I would have had no problem in paying the upgrade. Still, good to know for the future!

 

[First class]

Yes any ticket can be upgraded to weekend first on FGW

Just to add FGW chaanged their policy and it is no longer possible to book weekend first in advance - only available on the train. If you want to pre book first then you will either need an advance or a full price first class ticket.

Sorry but you are wrong.

Weekend First - First Great Western

Holders of all Standard Class tickets and passes (including Staff Travel facilities, UK and foreign) may travel in extra comfort on many First Great Western services on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays in First Class accommodation. Services which carry First Class accommodation include all High Speed services from London Paddington to the Cotswolds / Hereford, Cheltenham Spa, South Wales, the West Country and the South West of England; most local and semi-fast services from London Paddington to the area bounded by Banbury, Bicester Town, Didcot Parkway, Bedwyn, Basingstoke; Reading – Gatwick Airport services; most services on the Thames Branches (Henley on Thames, Marlow, Windsor & Eton Central, Greenford).

On FGW High Speed services, a range of complimentary refreshments is available on production of the travel ticket and Weekend First supplement ticket at the buffet counter (or trolley), when open.

When issued in advance, Weekend First must include a free reserved seat. However, if the customer misses their reserved train, the supplement may be transferred to other services for the same journey on the same date at no extra charge, subject to accommodation being available.

Passengers may also purchase Weekend First on board, subject to availability of accommodation.

Prices

Weekend First supplements on First Great Western are priced by journey. Prices are £5, £10, £15 or £20, depending on the journey being made. Please consult your ticket issuing system for specific prices (ticket type FWF).

Availability

When selling tickets for a journey which involves a change of train, one supplement is payable for the entire journey, rather than per leg, provided that the entire journey is made on First Great Western trains – for example, a journey from Exeter St Davids to Maidenhead (two FGW services) can be upgraded with one Weekend First supplement.

Please note that FGW Weekend First is not valid on trains operated by any other TOC.

Refunds

In circumstances when the journey has been completed but a customer has not been able to make use of his/her Weekend First upgrade (e.g. double-booked seat, short-formed train, absence of First Class accommodation, etc), a customer may apply for a refund on the Weekend First upgrade after the journey has been completed, but this may not be necessarily be accompanied by the appropriate travel tickets. Such applications should therefore be dealt with exceptionally and when it is established that the claim has been made as a result of a failure on the part of the Railway, a full refund of the Weekend First upgrade should be made.

In ‘normal’ cases such as where a customer has chosen not to use the Weekend First upgrade, refunds should be made in accordance with the usual policy (i.e. charge the administration fee where appropriate).

FGW have updated that "staff manual" entry quite recently too. Unless the FGW Pricing Manager is wrong

 

[bnm]

This quote (from another forum) is from a First Great Western Customer Panel Representative, posted 5 weeks ago:

I've had confirmation that Weekend First product is not changing at all - just the retail arrangements.

"The product will remain available on train and 'The Manual' will be updated shortly to reflect the change in retail arrangements."

Weekend First was becoming over subscribed, particularly on Sunday evenings out of Paddington. Full fare and First Class Season holders were complaining at lack of seats. Whilst their tickets don't entitle them to a seat they are an important revenue stream and it's best not to upset them. It would appear that Weekend First bought in advance wasn't quota controlled - if there was an unreserved seat available it was sold.

Therefore it's now purely first come first served on board only.

As for FGW's website not being updated or Customer Services being in the dark, well that's just par for the course with FGW recently. Comes from having the Operations Director responsible for Customer Services, rather than a separate CS Director as was the case previously.

 

[Flamingo]

Suits me, more commission!

 

[bnm]

Suits me, more commission!

Every little helps!

 

[Nicholas43]

As for FGW's website not being updated or Customer Services being in the dark, well that's just par for the course with FGW recently. Comes from having the Operations Director responsible for Customer Services, rather than a separate CS Director as was the case previously.

Oxford ticket office today did know that they are not supposed to sell Weekend First in advance, and, obviously, therefore can't reserve seats in first. The helpful and cheery chap did manage to get 4 of us travelling from Oxford, and 3 of us travelling from Paddington, in nearby seats (in standard class, obviously) from Reading. Now just have to tell the daughter to bag 7 first class seats at Paddington and wind up grand-daughters to be as annoying as possible to deter anyone else from wanting to sit anywhere near them. (And then sit quietly doing their embroidery from Reading onwards.)
Meanwhile presumably you can still get FGW Weekend First reservations in advance if you go to some far-flung outpost of another train company. Before a certain staff change, Lymington Town would have been an obvious choice ...

 

[bnm]

It's quite possible that you could buy a WF upgrade and book a seat at another TOCs ticket office if the software hasn't been updated to prevent it and the clerk doing the booking reads the current (incorrect) entry in 'The Manual'.

That's unless FGW have sent a memo to every ticket clerk in the country!