Or have someone else pay the more expensive fare, and not fork out for the drinks yourself!
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Avanti West Coast: Standard Premium
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Or have someone else pay the more expensive fare, and not fork out for the drinks yourself!
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Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I've had that option, but it's increasingly rare - companies these days mostly won't pay 1st.
Butts
Veteran Member
Or freeloaders like me paying a railcard reduced pittance and expecting " free flowing Scotch"
In my (admittedly pre-Covid) experience travelling free in First (on a pass so understandably and unarguably not entitled to anything other than tea/coffee/soft drinks & the odd packet of biscuits/crisps) most regular full fare paying First Class passengers weren't that bothered either - being much more concerned about the "ambience". Those keenest to avail themselves of whatever was available "gratis" were the First Advance/upgrade on the train clientele.
As others have posted more eloquently than me it's the ambience that's far more important to genuine business travellers than the "freebies" (alcoholic or otherwise).
As others have posted more eloquently than me it's the ambience that's far more important to genuine business travellers than the "freebies" (alcoholic or otherwise).
Butts
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AlterEgo
Veteran Member
Did anyone else receive a survey about this today?
Yep, me about 15 mins ago.
Seen the pics of Standard premium / First Class? Looks nice to me. It also has pics of the new seats in standard. (wont let me copy on my iPad).
Anyway, I'm stuck on a loop at 52% when choosing the pricing etc. for standard/premium/first .. will have a go on my PC later.
Journeyman
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Do you have a link to this survey?
I think the link is linked to the person who was emailed judging by the URL. When I've completed mine, I'll see if it works again.
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AlterEgo
Veteran Member
The survey is personal to each recipient likely based on their CRM data, so it won’t open more than once.
Standard looks pretty good, looks like the FISA Leans. First I'm not so sure about the headrest.
Journeyman
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Ah, fair enough. The pictures look attractive. I just hope they correct one of the major issues with First on the Pendolinos, and provide more individual seats (given that you always get booted out of coach K...)
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Good: seats, particularly Standard (a) not being Fainsa Sophia, and (b) being thin-backed meaning about 2" more legroom.
Bad: that colour scheme is hideous, reminds me of Stena Sealink in the 90s. They need to take lessons from TPE, also ideally use dark leather on the headrests, and not go for harsh coloured lighting as they seem to have done. (It doesn't have to be the really yellowish light as at present, but just not harsh, bright white).
The seat isn't the LEAN, it's a thin back design (good - the LEAN is comfortable but has the same problem as the original seats in that you can only have legroom if you have skinny enough legs to fit them in the niche).
Bad: that colour scheme is hideous, reminds me of Stena Sealink in the 90s. They need to take lessons from TPE, also ideally use dark leather on the headrests, and not go for harsh coloured lighting as they seem to have done. (It doesn't have to be the really yellowish light as at present, but just not harsh, bright white).
The seat isn't the LEAN, it's a thin back design (good - the LEAN is comfortable but has the same problem as the original seats in that you can only have legroom if you have skinny enough legs to fit them in the niche).
When I started my survey, there was a checkbox saying you agreed not to share any images!
AlterEgo
Veteran Member
A number of the questions about first class travel implied more space and privacy for solo travellers. Make of that what you will!
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Assuming it's not a staff survey I can't see that there's practically an awful lot they can do about that. Yes, it's technically a copyright breach, but in practice...
Journeyman
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Aha! That's good.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
The Coach K issue will need solving anyway, as in a 9-car unit it won't be OK just to have one coach of Standard Premium and one of 1st with K effectively out of use.
My suggestion remains to move the partition back a bay (or add an extra one) and put 2 sets of 4+table of Standard style seating there for staff use.
Journeyman
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That would certainly work, similar to the standard class table of four for staff in LNER Mark 4s. It's been a while since I've dared to venture into coach K - is it still a problem?
I didn’t see that, I’ve deleted the pics as I would have respected their wishes.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Not used 1st since it was VT but it definitely was a problem then.
AlterEgo
Veteran Member
The implication from the survey is that first class will become both better and more aspirational, and hence more expensive.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I'm not sure they'd sell a lot of that.
TT-ONR-NRN
Established Member
The menus they showed me on the survey were extremely impressive, even the lighter ones - and these were displayed as all day from 11am. They’re also building on an enhanced concierge service and revolutionised first class lounge, it would seem.
Journeyman
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Standard Premium will probably pick up quite a lot of business, though.
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
I agree - most likely mine if the fares are right.
They also need to make it super-easy for self-upgraders, too, not just on weekends. Many employers won't pay but employees might "top it up" themselves.
Mikey C
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I hadn't paid any attention to that email, will open it and do the questionnaire now!
EDIT And at 55%
I got stuck in the same loop at 52% (on a PC). I had to choose the "none of them" option to progress!
EDIT And at 55%
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BluePenguin
On Moderation
We cannot say or claim that everyone earning minimum wage behaves the same. Some are extremely bright, intelligent, resourceful and go the extra mile for everybody they work with and before
Although what seems to be a large majority these days are not. The type of people who are ignorant, unhelpful, incompetent, uneducated and usually a bit simple. They go to work and do as little as they can before coming home again. Doing a job because they must as money is needed. No ambition.
A lot of people earning well above the minimum wage behave exactly like this too. But we don’t see or hear about it as much
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Most organisations have a few people who are "waiting for their pension", doing as little work as required to retain their employment until it's due. The railway of course has its fair share of these too, in various roles. Does the railway actually employ anyone directly (rather than contract them e.g. cleaners) on minimum wage? I doubt it?
Aictos
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Well Govia Thameslink employs both contractors eg Churchill at specific sites who used to be TOC staff but got tuped over and also in house cleaners at other sites as a example while Bedford CS and Cricklewood are Thameslink staff, Bedford and Peterborough Turnaround cleaners are Churchill staff.
Most railway companies though out source nearly everything from cleaning to catering to customer service.
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