Avanti standard premium

[gg1]

Can anyone confirm the price of an on train upgrade to standard premium from Brum to Euston (the ticket was booked through work so no way of upgrading at the booking stage)?

The Avanti website gives contradictory information depending where you look and their live chat is useless.

 

[Bletchleyite]

£15.

Look up fares for any train journey in Britain

Full details of all British rail Single, Return & Season tickets and Travelcards. Built-in Season Ticket Calculator.

www.brfares.com

 

[gg1]

£15.

Look up fares for any train journey in Britain

Full details of all British rail Single, Return & Season tickets and Travelcards. Built-in Season Ticket Calculator.

www.brfares.com

Thanks, I didn't know that site existed until now.

 

[voyagerdude220]

It would be much more helpful if Avanti displayed a map listing the different zones on their website and a list of how much the upgrades are for travelling between each zone.

I've noticed that it can occasionally be more expensive buying the upgrade in advance- also when offered the upgrade in advance on single tickets the Premium ticket the offered ticket is often an Advance single despite it being the same cost as an Off Peak Single plus the onboard upgrade fee.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Something I've never quite worked out: can you buy the on train upgrade if you've got an Advance ticket?

I'm sure it's somewhere obvious on the Avanti website - but if so, it's not obvious enough for me.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Something I've never quite worked out: can you buy the on train upgrade if you've got an Advance ticket?

I'm sure it's somewhere obvious on the Avanti website - but if so, it's not obvious enough for me.

I'd say probably, since why would they not, they generate the same amount of revenue from an advance passenger upgrading or a flexible passenger upgrading
How does the upgrade process even work, do you get a new ticket or just an addon ticket?
I've travelled by Avanti/Virgin plenty of times but First Class/Standard Premium just isn't worth the money for me.

 

[Trackman]

Something I've never quite worked out: can you buy the on train upgrade if you've got an Advance ticket?

I'm sure it's somewhere obvious on the Avanti website - but if so, it's not obvious enough for me.

Yes, I do it all the time.
Edit: I usually book the advance with the SP upgrade online.

 

[duncanp]

Can you buy the Standard Premium upgrade on line at the same time as buying a standard class off peak return?

I have just tried a dummy booking on the Avanti website, and no option to do so was offered.

 

[Furrball]

I've noticed that it can occasionally be more expensive buying the upgrade in advance- also when offered the upgrade in advance on single tickets the Premium ticket the offered ticket is often an Advance single despite it being the same cost as an Off Peak Single plus the onboard upgrade fee.

This has been an issue ever since SP was launched and despite many messages to Avanti never a reply received

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Can you buy the Standard Premium upgrade on line at the same time as buying a standard class off peak return?

I have just tried a dummy booking on the Avanti website, and no option to do so was offered.

For some reason Standard Premium appears to simply be unavailable for flexible tickets since their introduction, which is unfortunate.

 

[voyagerdude220]

This has been an issue ever since SP was launched and despite many messages to Avanti never a reply received

The irony in my opinion is that if you elect to go down the route of buying the Off Peak ticket then upgrading onboard, not only do you have the benefit of flexibility with which trains you can use, you could also potentially save money if the Train Manager doesn't charge you for the upgrade onboard for whatever reason.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

The irony in my opinion is that if you elect to go down the route of buying the Off Peak ticket then upgrading onboard, not only do you have the benefit of flexibility with which trains you can use, you could also potentially save money if the Train Manager doesn't charge you for the upgrade onboard for whatever reason.

How do those upgrades work, are tickets replaced or are separate upgrade tickets issued?

 

[Bletchleyite]

How do those upgrades work, are tickets replaced or are separate upgrade tickets issued?

It is issued as an additional ticket.

 

[XAM2175]

How do those upgrades work, are tickets replaced or are separate upgrade tickets issued?

It is issued as an additional ticket.

Strictly speaking, a supplement:


"STDPREM ONBOARD" supplement issued on paper roll stock in October 2021.

 

[duncanp]

This all goes to show how far downhill Avanti have gone compared to Virgin Trains.

With Virgin, the weekend first supplement was £10 (Birmingham - London), and and for that you got full first class service, and (combined with an off peak return) the flexibility to use the three trains per hour that normally ran over that route.

Now it is £15 just for Standard Premium (although that is available every day of the week) and there are only two trains per hour.

And correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think that Standard Premium is available on services operated by Voyagers.

 

[voyagerdude220]

And correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think that Standard Premium is available on services operated by Voyagers.

You are correct.

 

[Bletchleyite]

This all goes to show how far downhill Avanti have gone compared to Virgin Trains.

With Virgin, the weekend first supplement was £10 (Birmingham - London), and and for that you got full first class service, and (combined with an off peak return) the flexibility to use the three trains per hour that normally ran over that route.

But note these important facts:
1. Weekend First Class service wasn't as good as weekday, you got a snack box rather than a full meal and I don't think alcohol was included.
2. Weekend First, as the name makes clear, was not available on weekdays
3. There's been rather a lot of rampant inflation since VT ended!

Now it is £15 just for Standard Premium (although that is available every day of the week) and there are only two trains per hour.

Will be 3 in the end. We don't know that given a global pandemic Virgin wouldn't have acted differently. You can debate whether two fast and one slow or three semifast are preferable, but I wouldn't say one was automatically better than the other.

And correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think that Standard Premium is available on services operated by Voyagers.

It's not, no, though I'm surprised they don't offer it in one of the two units which could then result in fewer stewards needed to do full service 1st in only one unit. I'm also slightly surprised they didn't consider using Coach D with the low density layout for it, though I'd not pay SP for 2+2 seating however nice, the "1 side" is the whole benefit to me.

 

[voyagerdude220]

But note these important facts:
1. Weekend First Class service wasn't as good as weekday, you got a snack box rather than a full meal and I don't think alcohol was included.

You're right, alcohol wasn't included. In fact I seem to remember it was only tea, coffee and water offered at weekends.

 

[gg1]

The irony in my opinion is that if you elect to go down the route of buying the Off Peak ticket then upgrading onboard, not only do you have the benefit of flexibility with which trains you can use, you could also potentially save money if the Train Manager doesn't charge you for the upgrade onboard for whatever reason.

Which is exactly what happened to me yesterday. I paid £15 to upgrade on the journey there, but didn't see the train manager at all on the return journey so effectively a free upgrade

This is the third time I've used standard premium (though the first time I've paid for the upgrade onboard). Personally I consider £15 extra each way a reasonable deal, I'm not really bothered about any other first class perks, it's the more comfortable seat, greater legroom and the generally quieter travelling environment I'm interested in (the latter not guaranteed of course but more likely than in standard).

 

[Bletchleyite]

Which is exactly what happened to me yesterday. I paid £15 to upgrade on the journey there, but didn't see the train manager at all on the return journey so effectively a free upgrade

This is the third time I've used standard premium (though the first time I've paid for the upgrade onboard). Personally I consider £15 extra each way a reasonable deal, I'm not really bothered about any other first class perks, it's the more comfortable seat, greater legroom and the generally quieter travelling environment I'm interested in (the latter not guaranteed of course but more likely than in standard).

I'm a fan too, though the superb new Standard seats are swaying me back

I think I've paid for it about 75% of the time. As there's no way to upgrade other than paying the guard (I mostly don't do Advances), they're throwing money away. I'm surprised they don't allow you to buy an upgrade on their app to avoid this - it couldn't be mandatory, but most honest people who do use apps to buy tickets (I know that's not everyone) probably would just do so.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I'm surprised they don't allow you to buy an upgrade on their app to avoid this - it couldn't be mandatory, but most honest people who do use apps to buy tickets (I know that's not everyone) probably would just do so.

I'm sure I saw that as an option, although I've not been able to test it as the only tickets I've booked with avanti any time recently have been attached to a Tube crossing, so a paper ticket.

Standard Premium | Train Travel | Onboard |Avanti West Coast

Introducing our brand new onboard experience - Standard Premium. Upgrade from Standard and treat yourself to extra comfort, more room and a table top on your next journey.

www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk

Tempted to try Standard Premium for yourself?​

Here’s how:​

• Book a Standard Premium ticket via our website or app. Plan your trip knowing you’ve got the space and comfort you want when travelling our West Coast Main Line.
• Upgrade your ticket once you’ve purchased via the ‘My Account’ section of our website or app. There you can decide on a Standard Premium or First Class upgrade and feel good travelling to any of our destinations.
• Speak to a member of staff onboard your train today and, if seats are available, you’ll find a seat in one of our Standard Premium coaches.

It also doesn't seem to strictly say you're allowed to just sit there and upgrade if they come to you, wording makes it look like you have to find a staff member first.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Ah, it looks like it does let you do that if you use the shocking heap of detritus that is the Avanti site to book to start with. Suspect that's just to upgrade your Advance to a SP Advance?

It'd be good if you could do it for any ticket that way however purchased. I'd tolerate their app if it was just a case of select from/to and double tap the power button to pay by Apple Pay for an upgrade, but I shan't be buying tickets via it because it's awful.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Ah, it looks like it does let you do that if you use the shocking heap of detritus that is the Avanti site to book to start with. Suspect that's just to upgrade your Advance to a SP Advance?

That's quite an insult for a website that has served me well for a while, alongside an amazing seat picker, allowing me to get seat A28 when I can.
I don't know if it'd only work on advances, I'd hope it'd work on anytime tickets and returns, but it doesn't work on paper tickets (especially if you've already collected them)

 

[Bletchleyite]

That's quite an insult for a website that has served me well for a while, alongside an amazing seat picker, allowing me to get seat A28 when I can.

It's absolutely awful. It doesn't for instance do Permitted Routes correctly, and is clunky as sin.

You can pick your own seat using Trainsplit too (or the Forum's branded version of it - and in that case you help fund the Forum too!)

You can rest assured that they do let you upgrade on board, though, whatever slightly misleading information might be on Avanti's website (which is well known for misinformation of various types, e.g. a complete ignorance of the existence of route excesses).

 

[pokemonsuper9]

You can pick your own seat using Trainsplit too (or the Forum's branded version of it - and in that case you help fund the Forum too!)

I've just gone through it (to everything except putting in payment details) and it's not showing me a reservation that Avanti's is showing me.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've just gone through it (to everything except putting in payment details) and it's not showing me a reservation that Avanti's is showing me.

You go all the way through to the basket, then go into the basket and change it.

If it won't let you change it on Trainsplit you've just grabbed the last one at that quota level which you can't then change on any site, or you've got a counted place rather than a reservation. I also think with Trainsplit you may have to add to the basket one passenger at a time to select?

 

[blakey1152]

There was recently an issue with the seat reservations on Avanti lately, I've booked two trips and never got allocated a seat. Just *** for coach and seat number on the reservation coupons

 

[Watershed]

This sometimes happens when the train is fairly heavily reserved. It's to allow Avanti to continue to sell Advances in such circumstances, and to be fair, all their trains do have a reasonable number of unreservable seats.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

If a service has no upgrade options available on the website to standard premium, will I still be able to upgrade on the train?

 

[Bletchleyite]

If a service has no upgrade options available on the website to standard premium, will I still be able to upgrade on the train?

Unless it's a Voyager yes, subject to all SP seats not being taken or reserved. I wonder if the reason you're seeing no options is that it is a Voyager? Realtime Trains (or the Avanti seat selector) can tell you that.