Depends on aircraft and how you are measuring it...but further classes can take up to 40-50% of the available internal volume. Now for every 2 first class seats you take out you can have upto 6 economy seats in its place but if you can charge £3-5K per first class seat and only £300-£500 per economy seat the maths (and thus profits) do not add up....same logic can be said for train seats.
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Your views: should we have first class on trains at all?
- Thread starter DarloRich
- Start date
- Status
Depends on aircraft and how you are measuring it...but further classes can take up to 40-50% of the available internal volume. Now for every 2 first class seats you take out you can have upto 6 economy seats in its place but if you can charge £3-5K per first class seat and only £300-£500 per economy seat the maths (and thus profits) do not add up....same logic can be said for train seats.
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Masbroughlad
Established Member
There is a place for first class, but it needs to be a real premier product such as in the days of GNER. Attentive service, good refreshments, meals, comfy seats, Wi-Fi, sockets etc.
It needs to be done properly, reliably consistently on INTERCITY and long distance, regional trains.
With cost-driven, dumbing down, my guess is that we will not see it again!
It needs to be done properly, reliably consistently on INTERCITY and long distance, regional trains.
With cost-driven, dumbing down, my guess is that we will not see it again!
Indeed, Grayling is waging war on first class on commuter trains, so we can expect to see it long into the future
mafeu
Member
- Joined
- 20 Mar 2014
- Messages
- 54
I think there'll always be a place for first Class - even though I'd prefer it to be renamed - on longer journeys (not necessarily the InterCity type). I think the price should reflect the offering of the premium. I.e. a commuter train first class section shouldn't be priced that more higher than a standard when the only offering is generally a bigger seat. Price what the market will pay to get bums on seat?
Last edited by a moderator:
Polarbear
Established Member
To throw my two penneth worth in, I think that there's a place for a premium offering on longer distance services (whether I'd call it First Class is another matter & probably the subject for a separate thread). There are a lot of people who, when faced with a long journey of any type/mode, who will happily pay extra for additional comfort.
In my opinion, first class doesn't have a place on short distance commuter services & in reality most of those in the UK are now standard class only. I do, however, think that there are a few regional routes where some form of premium offering should be offered - not necessarily with complementary food etc, but just a small area with more comfortable seating. As for longer distance commuting, again, I think that there is a market, as long as the product being offered is distinct from standard (which on the likes of Southern, it isn't really).
Whilst I can listen to the argument for abolishing any differentiation & having and "improved" standard class, I personally think that it misses several key issues.
In my opinion, first class doesn't have a place on short distance commuter services & in reality most of those in the UK are now standard class only. I do, however, think that there are a few regional routes where some form of premium offering should be offered - not necessarily with complementary food etc, but just a small area with more comfortable seating. As for longer distance commuting, again, I think that there is a market, as long as the product being offered is distinct from standard (which on the likes of Southern, it isn't really).
Whilst I can listen to the argument for abolishing any differentiation & having and "improved" standard class, I personally think that it misses several key issues.
- Those TOC's currently offering First Class would see a significant downturn in revenues.
- Not everyone displaced from First Class would swap to standard - even if it was improved.
- What would be defined as an "improved " offer in Standard? Much as I'd like to see bays of four aligned around windows with tables, power points etc., it isn't going to happen as the network just couldn't cope with that. There are enough capacity issues across the network as it is. Yes, you'd have the erstwhile First Class coaches to reconfigure, but that wouldn't increase capacity that much across the network.
F in what?
pacenotes
Member
- Joined
- 4 Mar 2017
- Messages
- 106
First.
I travel 1st class to and back from work every day. I also use commuter trains and 3 buses.
This morning I had to stand by the windscreen and get off and back on at 3 stops due to the school kids and one-stop students. I was standing on the commuter train this afternoon.
If there were 1st on buses I would pay (I know, omnibus!). The scrum on WMT to get a seat is hilarious when they then all stand up 2 miles from the destination.
Without 1st on VTWC I would be back in a car.
This morning I had to stand by the windscreen and get off and back on at 3 stops due to the school kids and one-stop students. I was standing on the commuter train this afternoon.
If there were 1st on buses I would pay (I know, omnibus!). The scrum on WMT to get a seat is hilarious when they then all stand up 2 miles from the destination.
Without 1st on VTWC I would be back in a car.
What train? F is heaving with Virgin.
- Status