RailUK First Class Lounge Guide

[_toommm_]

Or pay £5 for a first class ticket to Birmingham International, and use that to get into the lounge.

Thought they had a minimum fare with which to gain access to the lounge, to stop exactly this?

 

[BlueFox]

Thought they had a minimum fare with which to gain access to the lounge, to stop exactly this?

Other operators may do this (I think Virgin East coast did) but not VTWC as far as I'm aware. I've never had a problem getting into their lounges using a cheap ticket.

Their website says "All you need to do to get into our First Class lounges is show a valid Virgin Trains ticket – either Virgin Business, First Anytime or Advance First. For up to two hours before your outward journey, and up to one hour after you arrive, just make yourself at home (within reason, please)."

 

[Butts]

Thought they had a minimum fare with which to gain access to the lounge, to stop exactly this?

I think it's £10 on LNER. Virgin as BF says do not levy such a charge. If I am flying to or from BHX and the Birmingham International Lounge is open at the time I get a 1st Class Ticket from or to SAD (about £7 odd) in order to refresh and "stock up"

 

[47271]

I asked about Virgin ticket acceptance at Edinburgh the other day - I used to use it for this purpose a lot - and the answer was that it would get cut at the end of September.

Tea, coffee and soft drinks were available when I visited but not even a biscuit to be had to eat.

I hate the tacky tartan VTEC fitout in that place anyway. Frankly I'm so fed up of not being able to use anything other than LNER tickets in it - I need to wait for Transpennine services in Edinburgh quite a bit too - that I just sit in the Apex Hotel bar for the price of cup of coffee whoever I'm travelling with. Dead easy - leave by the Calton Road exit, pass under the big arch and the back door is on your right. They buzz you in, go up in the lift to reception level and the bar is right there.

 

[Metroman62]

Thank you for the details given about Birmingham New St. lounge earlier.

Today (Sept 4) at Leeds a the lounge was closed with a sign saying only the lounge is closed. Does anyone know if this is a permanent closure or it is closed for another reason?

 

[JaJaWa]

Their website says "All you need to do to get into our First Class lounges is show a valid Virgin Trains ticket – either Virgin Business, First Anytime or Advance First. For up to two hours before your outward journey, and up to one hour after you arrive, just make yourself at home (within reason, please)."

Virgin Business?

 

[fishquinn]

Their website says "All you need to do to get into our First Class lounges is show a valid Virgin Trains ticket – either Virgin Business, First Anytime or Advance First. For up to two hours before your outward journey, and up to one hour after you arrive, just make yourself at home (within reason, please)."

Surely this wording indicates that any 1st class Virgin Trains ticket is valid in any Virgin Trains 1st class lounge, for example a anytime day 1st class single from Milton Keynes to Euston being allowed in the Glasgow lounge because it is a valid Virgin Trains 1st class ticket?

 

[Blinkbonny]

Surely this wording indicates that any 1st class Virgin Trains ticket is valid in any Virgin Trains 1st class lounge, for example a anytime day 1st class single from Milton Keynes to Euston being allowed in the Glasgow lounge because it is a valid Virgin Trains 1st class ticket?

But hardly likely to be two hours before your journey!

 

[fishquinn]

But hardly likely to be two hours before your journey!

Looking at the website it doesn't state that your journey can't be a mix of 1st class and standard class so you could have a standard advance to Milton Keynes and then into Euston with a 1st class ticket, departing about an hour after getting into the Glasgow lounge (with your journey starting then). That would be a more complicated example to explain so perhaps something like a Birmingham International-Coventry 1st class single in New Street lounge would be a better one?

 

[_toommm_]

Hi guys, can the Glasgow lounge be used with an LNER 1st Advance down to Doncaster?

 

[Polarbear]

Hi guys, can the Glasgow lounge be used with an LNER 1st Advance down to Doncaster?

I would expect not. Unless a ticket is valid for travel on a Virgin train route, it wouldn't be accepted.

 

[Butts]

In the GWR Lounge at Paddington Tuesday and Today.

Excellent selection on my first visit Tuesday 18th September.

Hot Drinks Machine
Fridge Coke, Orange Juice and Water
Sandwiches - freshly made
Crisps
Biscuits
Packeted Bar Snacks (Nuts etc)
Grapes and Tangerines
Newly refurbished toilets.

This Lounge is in the Top 3 Railway Lounges in the UK - that I have been to.

Contrast it to the Greater Anglia 1st Class Lounge at Liverpool Street which I visited on the same day.

Coffee Machine and Water in the Fridge - that's your lot - a candidate for bottom three !!

Interesting to note the Paddington Lounge is relatively staff intensive. It also has a great contrast between old and new in the two separate sides.

 

[_toommm_]

Not much today at Edinburgh and Newcastle -i can understand at Newcastle as it was very busy, but Edinburgh was quite quiet.

Both had:
Tea (various types) and coffee (although the machine at Newcastle was broken).
Fridge of still and sparkling water.

No food at Newcastle, but Edinburgh had sea salt crisps and various flavours of biscuits. Plus fresh orange and Apple juice by the jug in the fridge.

Edinburgh lounge is incredibly nice though - quite a rustic feel to the stairs up with period coving and wooden edges to the stairs. The upstairs was nice too with a mix of various high back seats, stools and a couch or two. Much more preferable to Newcastle.

 

[Blinkbonny]

Hi. I'm North West rail-rovering today. Sunday a poor day to do it, but I didn't dare risk yesterday!

Question is this: My final journey is Piccadilly to Lime Street (God willing!) from where I have a Virgin first class ticket back home again. Will this ticket allow me to wait in Lounge at Piccadilly?

Thanks

 

[Highlandspring]

In the GWR Lounge at Paddington Tuesday and Today.

Excellent selection on my first visit Tuesday 18th September.

Hot Drinks Machine
Fridge Coke, Orange Juice and Water
Sandwiches - freshly made
Crisps
Biscuits
Packeted Bar Snacks (Nuts etc)
Grapes and Tangerines
Newly refurbished toilets.

This Lounge is in the Top 3 Railway Lounges in the UK - that I have been to.

No showers for Night Riviera passengers though which is a definite downside. I took one look at the chaotic public bogs after being directed there from the lounge and decided I didn’t need a shower that desperately.

 

[ScotTrains]

I don't think it's been mentioned on here yet, GWR have opened two new lounges in Penzance and Truro for sleeper passengers. They have showers, tea & coffee, snacks etc.

 

[Butts]

No showers for Night Riviera passengers though which is a definite downside. I took one look at the chaotic public bogs after being directed there from the lounge and decided I didn’t need a shower that desperately.

A wise decision HS, you may not have got the type of shower you were expecting on entering said public facilities !!!

The Lounge does have some very nice individual Toilets recently refurbished.

I would never use a Sleeper due to the duration without a cigarette involved -Par Avion

 

[Butts]

I don't think it's been mentioned on here yet, GWR have opened two new lounges in Penzance and Truro for sleeper passengers. They have showers, tea & coffee, snacks etc.

Are they only open at Night / Early Morning for exclusive use of Sleeper Passengers ?

 

[Crossover]

Hi. I'm North West rail-rovering today. Sunday a poor day to do it, but I didn't dare risk yesterday!

Question is this: My final journey is Piccadilly to Lime Street (God willing!) from where I have a Virgin first class ticket back home again. Will this ticket allow me to wait in Lounge at Piccadilly?

Thanks

If your First Class ticket is from Liverpool to somewhere that isn't to/through Piccadilly (which being VT it won't be!) then I would suggest not

 

[Requeststop]

Are they only open at Night / Early Morning for exclusive use of Sleeper Passengers ?

Yes is the easy answer. The funding for the first year of the lounges is from Cornwall County Council, after that it would be a mix of CCC or NR or GWT. This was told to me at both Penzance and Truro by the attendants/hosts there when I was back in the UK during September. Uptake at Penzance seems to be high with up to 40 passengers using the facility in the evenings some nights.

 

[Highlandspring]

I'm not surprised. When I got on the sleeper at Penzance in the summer (the lounge was still being fitted out) everyone just had to mill around outside the locked platform gate until it was opened about 15 minutes before departure.

 

[route101]

Would you say the Virgin lounge at Glasgow Central is a proper one?

 

[causton]

Would you say the Virgin lounge at Glasgow Central is a proper one?

I would, there is a big dividing wall between it and the rest of the booking office area.

 

[PeterY]

I,m travelling around using a first class ALR and using the lounges. Today 12th Oct i went into the lounge at Manchester Picc . I was asked if i was using Virgin trains today. I said no,which was true. I said i could use any lounge but she said i should be using Virgin trains to use the lounge. She said she,d let me in because it was quiet but i mentioned i,m entitled to use any lounge. She wasn,t very happy. I,ve never had a problem before.

 

[Bungle965]

I,m travelling around using a first class ALR and using the lounges. Today 12th Oct i went into the lounge at Manchester Picc . I was asked if i was using Virgin trains today. I said no,which was true. I said i could use any lounge but she said i should be using Virgin trains to use the lounge. She said she,d let me in because it was quiet but i mentioned i,m entitled to use any lounge. She wasn,t very happy. I,ve never had a problem before.

From what I have been told you have to be using a Virgin Train service to use the lounge at Manchester.
Sam

 

[Butts]

I,m travelling around using a first class ALR and using the lounges. Today 12th Oct i went into the lounge at Manchester Picc . I was asked if i was using Virgin trains today. I said no,which was true. I said i could use any lounge but she said i should be using Virgin trains to use the lounge. She said she,d let me in because it was quiet but i mentioned i,m entitled to use any lounge. She wasn,t very happy. I,ve never had a problem before.

To save the hassle I would have just told a porkie and said I was going on any service at random departing within an hour. You already have your "ticket".

 

[Polarbear]

I,m travelling around using a first class ALR and using the lounges. Today 12th Oct i went into the lounge at Manchester Picc . I was asked if i was using Virgin trains today. I said no,which was true. I said i could use any lounge but she said i should be using Virgin trains to use the lounge. She said she,d let me in because it was quiet but i mentioned i,m entitled to use any lounge. She wasn,t very happy. I,ve never had a problem before.

A first class ALR entitles the holder to access any of the 1st class lounges and is not restricted to any operator. I suspect this may be down to training, as I doubt they see that many 1st ALR's in the lounge at Piccadilly.

 

[Butts]

A first class ALR entitles the holder to access any of the 1st class lounges and is not restricted to any operator. I suspect this may be down to training, as I doubt they see that many 1st ALR's in the lounge at Piccadilly.

What does it look like ?

Is it just a normal Train Ticket and does it come in a fancy holder ?

Imagine if it got swallowed by the ticket barrier !!!

 

[Polarbear]

What does it look like ?

Is it just a normal Train Ticket and does it come in a fancy holder ?

Imagine if it got swallowed by the ticket barrier !!!

These days' it just gets printed on standard orange stock tickets & as far as I know, no fancy holder, (which would be a nice touch given that a 7 day 1st ALR costs the thick end of £800 without a railcard). Rovers used to be printed on purple stock tickets, which did give them a bit of uniqueness.

As for a barrier swallowing the thing, I'd be mighty concerned about that too

 

[47513 Severn]

A first class ALR entitles the holder to access any of the 1st class lounges...

Do you have a source for this? I would argue that the 'entitlement' is to travel in 1st class on trains. Access to the lounge is entirely at the discretion of VT and they can refuse who they want on whatever basis they want.