RailUK First Class Lounge Guide

[MidnightFlyer]

There still isn't a First Class lounge at Preston.

(Useless trivia: it is also the only VT-managed station not to have more than one waiting room...)

 

[furgus2]

I have changed trains several times at Coventry station in the past two weeks and there’s been only one day when I found the lounge to be open. There’s a sign on the door saying that it’s shut because the intercom is not working.

 

[boxy321]

VT announced on Twitter on Tuesday that the Coventry lounge would be shut until further notice due to an access issue. There were people in there this morning however, and the red cup brigade were out in force so things seem to be back to normal.

 

[ScotTrains]

sent an email to Scotrail, to comment that 1st advance tickets do not allow access to the lounge at Aberdeen, and that they should publicise this more effectively on their website, as they are now (I think) the only company that do not allow lounge access on first advance tickets, and had the following reply... confused....:roll:

Dear Richard,


Thank you for your email dated 10 September 2017 regarding 1st Class lounge at Aberdeen Station.


It is disappointing to learn that on the 9 September 2017 you were not permitted access to the lounge.


Unfortunately the 1st Class lounge at Aberdeen Station is not operated by Scotrail, this particular lounge is operated by Virgin trains.


Thank you for contacting Scotrail.


Yours sincerely



T**** ******
Customer Relations
ScotRail

I wonder if anyone who has used the lounge recently can confirm whether it belongs to Scotrail or Virgin. The Virgin website still states it is only open to Scotrail customers. I would have thought if it now belonged to Virgin they would make a big deal about it. I suspect it is still a Scotrail lounge.

Assuming it is still a Scotrail lounge they DO accept Scotrail 1st advance tickets. Last year I had a problem entering the lounge with a Scotrail 1st advance so I wrote a letter to customer services. Here was the reply (I've highlighted the key points):


Many thanks for your email dated the 15th of November regarding your recent journey with us between Aberdeen and Edinburgh.
Please accept my apologies for the length of time taken to respond, as our office has been dealing with higher than normal levels of correspondence.
I understand that there was some confusion surrounding using the First Class lounges with your Advance ticket and I am really sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused. There are some restrictions depending on what lounge you are trying to use. If it is a ScotRail first class lounge then all tickets are accepted when travelling with ScotRail. If using the likes of using a Virgin first class lounge then certain ticket restrictions will apply.
I will however, pass this on to the manager for Aberdeen station to make sure this is accurately briefed for all staff as your ticket should have been accepted.
Hope this helps. I hope your future journeys with us are more enjoyable.


Yours sincerely

****** ******
Customer Relations
ScotRail


I have taken this email with me to guarantee access when using a Scotrail 1st Advance ticket. Also, the very first line on the 1st class section of the Scotrail website quite clearly states "First Class travel allows you to make flexible journeys in the comfortable surroundings of our First Class lounges."

So, if the lounge does belong to Scotrail it will accept Scotrail 1st advance tickets.
If the lounge now belongs to Virgin it will accept Virgin 1st advance tickets.

 

[robbeech]

I was almost denied access with a 1st ALR once at Aberdeen, until they realised what it was. Then again, i'm not 100% convinced they didn't just let me in because i was going on the sleeper.

 

[Butts]

Anyone got the heads up on Virgin's Wolverhampton Lounge as it seems to have disappeared from the website !!

 

[furgus2]

Yes, the Wolverhampton Lounge is now closed. There were notices up last week in there proclaiming “Great News” in that the lounge would be available to all customers from the 11th but I was on platform 4 yesterday afternoon and it was in darkness. Personally, I’m sad it’s no longer a First Class Lounge

 

[Butts]

Yes, the Wolverhampton Lounge is now closed. There were notices up last week in there proclaiming “Great News” in that the lounge would be available to all customers from the 11th but I was on platform 4 yesterday afternoon and it was in darkness. Personally, I’m sad it’s no longer a First Class Lounge

Another "Awesome Improvement"

 

[IanXC]

Another "Awesome Improvement"

To be fair to Virgin Trains, this is as a result of the station transferring to West Midlands Trains management.

 

[Butts]

GWR Lounges at Cardiff and Paddington.

Have blagged a couple of 1st Class seats at a reasonable (for GWR) price in the current sale.

Never been to either Lounge.

What can I expect in the way of freebies - is it more VTEC or hopefully VTWC fayre on offer.

I understand the Paddington Lounge is undergoing refurbishment at the moment - anyone been in said facility recently ?

 

[Starmill]

Dissimilar to both and far nicer than either in my experience. Depends on the time of day you're travelling but Paddington offers anything from pastries to sandwiches, cake and wine.

 

[Butts]

Dissimilar to both and far nicer than either in my experience. Depends on the time of day you're travelling but Paddington offers anything from pastries to sandwiches, cake and wine.

So has no one been in the Cardiff Lounge ? - or the Paddington one recently to comment on it's current state/facilities with the refurbishment in progress.

 

[Starmill]

The Cardiff lounge is very small and cosy. The host has always been very friendly and welcoming whenever I have been and they offer you a hot drink (the machine is/was not self service). There are snacks including the delicious fruit cake and popcorn and fruit out on the table to, which they will probably invite you to help yourself to. There are some books and newspapers and a fridge with cold drinks.

 

[Bungle965]

So has no one been in the Cardiff Lounge ? - or the Paddington one recently to comment on it's current state/facilities with the refurbishment in progress.

The Cardiff lounge is good for the sizes it is, good selection of complementary items, crisps, cakes, nuts etc. Plus a fridge of cold drinks with an attendant who will make hot drinks if you want one.
All in all definitely a decent offering for such a small lounge.
Sam

 

[Butts]

Thanks Gents, anyone got the heads up about the Paddington refurb?

 

[Butts]

The Cardiff lounge is good for the sizes it is, good selection of complementary items, crisps, cakes, nuts etc. Plus a fridge of cold drinks with an attendant who will make hot drinks if you want one.
All in all definitely a decent offering for such a small lounge.
Sam

The Cardiff lounge is very small and cosy. The host has always been very friendly and welcoming whenever I have been and they offer you a hot drink (the machine is/was not self service). There are snacks including the delicious fruit cake and popcorn and fruit out on the table to, which they will probably invite you to help yourself to. There are some books and newspapers and a fridge with cold drinks.

Thanks Lads,

I was in there this Morning and it is Tiny for such a Major Station !!! - 20 Seats and all pretty close together !!

Suprised you are not allowed to use the Hot Drinks Machine yourself but hey it's nice to be served.

Got a Times Newspaper gratis. Also there was a good selection of Crisps, Biscuits, Cake and Flapjacks.

Definitely high up on the Lounge "pecking order" - certainly more West Coast than East Coast - thankfully

One thing missing (but no room) "executive toilet"

 

[tivoli]

Has there ever been a first class Lounge at York?

 

[Deerfold]

Has there ever been a first class Lounge at York?

No. There keep being suggestions of one.

 

[Mag_seven]

Has there ever been a first class Lounge at York?

No. There keep being suggestions of one.

A fact I find quite astounding!

 

[Butts]

Visit to London Paddington Lounge this evening....glug I can hardly compose my thoughts

It is split into two sections (at the moment) either side of the entrance - one side "modern" and the other "traditional" with the Leather Sofas et al.

Cabarnet Sauvignon " help yourself" tonight- only Weds and Fridays for some unknown reason.

Must have necked almost a bottle myself

Just crisps nuts and biscuits available and fruit - No Sandwiches - plus Good Coffee M/C and pop in the fridge.

No sandwiches on the train either (2015) a bit suprising - had to stagger home from Newport Station

 

[Butts]

In Virgin Lounge at London Euston yesterday around Lunchtime. Absolutely rammed and hardly a whiff of "portable stock"

Just grabbed a takeaway Cappo and my son some cans of pop and made a hasty exit !! - Never seen it so busy - luckily it as a "journeys end" stop off.

At BHI Lounge tonight - not a lot of stock but better than Euston. Usual Hot and Cold Drinks plus biscuits, uglies, crisps.

 

[westv]

Currently at the Kings X lounge for the first time in a long while. Using my free pass.

 

[trainophile]

Do any of the Lounges require your ticket to be a minimum price? Hoping to kill half an hour in Crewe with a VTWC ticket costing £7.90. As that’s the railcard price I could argue that the full price would be over £10, if there is such a ruling.

 

[All Line Rover]

No minimum fare for VTWC lounges, and remember that the Crewe lounge, whose capital cost was, uniquely, part-funded by the local authority, is contractually obliged not to confine ticket acceptance to tickets valid for travel on VTWC services.

 

[trainophile]

No minimum fare for VTWC lounges, and remember that the Crewe lounge, whose capital cost was, uniquely, part-funded by the local authority, is contractually obliged not to confine ticket acceptance to tickets valid for travel on VTWC services.

Oh! Does that mean if you have a 1st Class ticket for a London Northwestern train you could use the Crewe Lounge? Might be the only advantage of paying for 1st then, as you don’t get anything much else!

 

[All Line Rover]

Yes. I'm not sure whether, if Virgin decided that they no longer wished to accept 1st Advance tickets at lounges, they would still have to accept the 1st Advance tickets of other operators, but as things stand all ticket types are accepted.

 

[BlueFox]

No minimum fare for VTWC lounges, and remember that the Crewe lounge, whose capital cost was, uniquely, part-funded by the local authority, is contractually obliged not to confine ticket acceptance to tickets valid for travel on VTWC services.

The first post in this thread says it's only Virgin, plus sleepers. The Virgin website mentions nothing about it being available to non-Virgin ticket holders. The National Rail website says it's Virgin only.
So if I was refused entry using a non-Virgin ticket, what could I show them to prove it is valid?

 

[Butts]

No minimum fare for VTWC lounges, and remember that the Crewe lounge, whose capital cost was, uniquely, part-funded by the local authority, is contractually obliged not to confine ticket acceptance to tickets valid for travel on VTWC services.

Last time I was in there (a while ago) it was the most poorly stocked VWC Lounge I have ever been in - more like a Virgin East Coast Lounge.

Is the Crewe one on a walkway between platforms above ground level ?

Hopefully it will be better now , that may have been a weekend as well when I visited.

 

[BlueFox]

Last time I was in there (a while ago) it was the most poorly stocked VWC Lounge I have ever been in - more like a Virgin East Coast Lounge.

The last time I was there (December), it had lots of different hot and cold drinks, biscuits, cakes, crisps, chocolate, popcorn, fruit and porridge. And probably other stuff I've forgotten about.

 

[robbeech]

Been in Doncaster today for the first time since they did the ......refurbishment. I went more or less straight back out again given the coffee machine was out of order and there were no bottles of water to be seen. I’m aware of the discontinuing biscuit ordeal already but unless you wanted 47 uht milk pots you will be going thirsty today.