Ascot
Established Member
BHM was open on the 24th last year so I'll assume BHI will be and slightly off topic but they are open on bank holidays with reduced hours (usually an A4 page sellotaped to the door with times on).
-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (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!
RailUK First Class Lounge Guide
- Thread starter Ascot
- Start date
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Butts
Veteran Member
Not a Tweeter - Samsung £9.99 from Tesco
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I thought it would be on the Website, but can't find any mention of it
Butts
Veteran Member
Ah well BHI was open on X-Mas Eve.
I jumped straight off the plane into the lounge, grabbed a coffee , croissant, and a couple of biscuits and headed almost straight onto the Train. Even 1st Class was rammed.
The Lounge only had staff in as far as I noticed on my brief visit.
Still more on offer on x-mas eve than east coast would have had on a normal working day
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
BHI also open New Years Eve....
Grabbed a Coffee and some biccies before boarding the Maglev to reach the terminal for my flight to Glasgow.
I am not on twitter or facebook.....
Just wondering if anyone has posted about the disparity in what's on offer in East Coast Virgin Lounges compared to their West Coast stablemates and what if any reply they received.
Also note Virgin West Coast Tickets can be used to gain access to the East Coast Lounge at Waverley (highlighted on website)
I jumped straight off the plane into the lounge, grabbed a coffee , croissant, and a couple of biscuits and headed almost straight onto the Train. Even 1st Class was rammed.
The Lounge only had staff in as far as I noticed on my brief visit.
Still more on offer on x-mas eve than east coast would have had on a normal working day
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
BHI also open New Years Eve....
Grabbed a Coffee and some biccies before boarding the Maglev to reach the terminal for my flight to Glasgow.
I am not on twitter or facebook.....
Just wondering if anyone has posted about the disparity in what's on offer in East Coast Virgin Lounges compared to their West Coast stablemates and what if any reply they received.
Also note Virgin West Coast Tickets can be used to gain access to the East Coast Lounge at Waverley (highlighted on website)
Iskra
Established Member
A heads up; Wakefield Westgate Station 1st Class Lounge is currently closed for an extensive refurbishment.
That's interesting it did not look that bad last time I was there.
Sam
Iskra
Established Member
I know, that was my first thought too. Apparently it's receiving Virginised furniture.
I'll try get a date for when it reopens tomorrow and I'll take a picture when it does.
Interesting thanks for that.
Sam
trainophile
Established Member
VTEC Lounges - is this correct?
http://www.mytrainticket.co.uk/east-coast
I thought only KGX didn't accept 1st Advance tickets unless you pay £5?
http://www.mytrainticket.co.uk/east-coast
I thought only KGX didn't accept 1st Advance tickets unless you pay £5?
Iskra
Established Member
In my experience all VTEC lounges accept 1st advances, excluding Kings Cross, I'm not aware of any policy move away from this.
trainophile
Established Member
That's what I thought, but I wondered if it had changed under the new VT management.
Maybe mytrainticket is a cowboy website that doesn't know what it's talking about .
That page is way out of date. For a start it's going on about "East Cost", who haven't run the service since last March. Why are you looking at that site anyway?
Direct from VTEC's own website:
https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/the-east-coast-experience/first-class/first-class-lounges/
Direct from VTEC's own website:
https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/the-east-coast-experience/first-class/first-class-lounges/
trainophile
Established Member
I was looking at that site because I googled to find out which stations have a Lounge, but for some reason the official VTEC sites wouldn't let me get past a photo of a Lounge to access more information.
Having trouble with my wifi tonight, can't get anything to load properly so using phone now. Wondered if it was this forum, as others seem okay, but no problem on phone so I don't know.
Anyway glad to hear that they will still allow Advance ticket holders to use the Lounges except KGX. Thanks everyone.
Having trouble with my wifi tonight, can't get anything to load properly so using phone now. Wondered if it was this forum, as others seem okay, but no problem on phone so I don't know.
Anyway glad to hear that they will still allow Advance ticket holders to use the Lounges except KGX. Thanks everyone.
Last edited:
Polarbear
Established Member
I used the lounges at Berwick & Darlington on Saturday 6 February using a first advance ticket & had no issues whatsoever. That said, the lounge at Berwick appeared, to all intent, to be unstaffed, whilst that at Darlington appeared to be staffed, but no-one in attendance when I visited.
I have found that at smaller stations, it is just the staff that work in the station are the ones that pop in usually do ticket checks, at other times the lounge is not staffed.
Sam
Last week and a couple weeks before that used Kings Cross first class lounge, with Virgin Trains East Coast first class advance ticket, for a good hour after arrival for no charge. I think this may be permanent, the facilities were ok, but I prefer Euston or London Paddington.
PaxVobiscum
Established Member
Just tried to buy 1st class lounge vouchers at the Virgin ticket office at Glasgow Central - confusion all round (never heard of this) then we all realised it has to be a Virgin EC ticket office.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
This all seems a more sensible and better defined set of rules than West Coast.
PaxVobiscum
Established Member
1st Class Lounge at KGX is apparently free to 1st Advance ticket holders at the moment, or so I was told when trying to buy vouchers at the ticket office just now. No problems getting in.
Actually I prefer the one at KGX over the one at Euston. The one in Euston is too busy and crowded, and more like just a souped-up waiting room. Where as the KGX one is much quieter and a more pleasant place to relax in, and feels more lounge-like. The toilets are very nice, and high quality too.
Butts
Veteran Member
Are the "freebies" at KGX the same as other EC Lounges or a little more bountiful - ie just biscuits and hot and cold drinks or a little more ?
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
I was in the KGX lounge a couple of Sundays ago and a chocolate croissant to go with my bean-to-cup latte. Very nice it was too.
I didn't get charged for entry either. I assumed that it was just the host couldn't be bothered...
All Line Rover
Established Member
- Joined
- 17 Feb 2011
- Messages
- 5,222
Although they've locked out the accessible toilet (as well as at Euston) in an attempt to save on cleaning costs. Remarkably parsimonious.
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
Nah, you can get the code from the first class host in the lounge.
All Line Rover
Established Member
- Joined
- 17 Feb 2011
- Messages
- 5,222
EUS or KGX? At KGX the accessible toilet uses a key; gents and ladies a code but as of last week it hadn't been activated.
Tetchytyke
Veteran Member
Kings Cross, my mistake, thought the accessible loo had the same digilock than the gents and ladies do. Though seeing the state that people leave accessible toilets in (which is always nice for my wheelchair-using colleague) I'm glad they've locked it up!
There's cans of coke and diet coke and bottles of still and sparkling water and fruit juice. Biscuits have recently been rejoined by crisps. In the morning there's croissants of dubious quality and bananas and apples.
Butts
Veteran Member
Blimey almost up to "West Coast" standards !!
Kings Cross has always been by far the best EC lounge.
There have been few non-cosmetic changes since the change to VT.
Iskra
Established Member
An updated picture for you for the Caledonian Sleeper Lounge at Inverness. Also, it's no longer in the Highland Hotel, but directly over the road from the station instead.
All Line Rover
Established Member
- Joined
- 17 Feb 2011
- Messages
- 5,222
The VTEC Kings Cross lounge is currently closed for refurbishment. The temporary lounge consists of some reserved tables tucked away in a distant corner of 'The Parcel Yard' pub, which is to the left of the lounge. Not particularly plush, but then VTWC didn't provide any alternative accommodation when the Euston lounge was refurbished (although it did hand out vouchers for a free drink and a cake, sandwich or baguette from one of the many catering outlets at Euston station). The 'old' Kings Cross lounge was very good, so I have high hopes for the refurbished lounge.