StephenHunter
Established Member
The e320s are capable of operating in Germany, aren't they?
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Eurostar changes
- Thread starter Birkonian
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not yet
i dont belive they have 16.5Kv or PZB/LZB abiet with provisions for adding them later
TravellingPhil
Member
- Joined
- 4 Apr 2019
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- 130
I’m a little bit annoyed with Eurostar.
We’re travelling to Amsterdam with them on Sunday. I booked a few months ago and got a table for 2 in Standard Premier. Went to check out the new app and noticed they’ve changed our seats from coach 15 to coach 1 and we now have airline seats with no window. I noticed this change too late and all the tables for two have gone. A little bit annoyed they didn’t tell me when they changed my seats.
However, I noticed there’s still a table of four free in our coach. Does anyone know the latest you can change your seats on the app? Is it right up to check in because I’ll grab that table if there’s still no one on it on Sunday.
There was no reason for them to change our seat as they can’t change the type of train they use on the Amsterdam route, so we’re a bit irritated with them. Can’t fill in a contact form because of the website merger either.
We’re travelling to Amsterdam with them on Sunday. I booked a few months ago and got a table for 2 in Standard Premier. Went to check out the new app and noticed they’ve changed our seats from coach 15 to coach 1 and we now have airline seats with no window. I noticed this change too late and all the tables for two have gone. A little bit annoyed they didn’t tell me when they changed my seats.
However, I noticed there’s still a table of four free in our coach. Does anyone know the latest you can change your seats on the app? Is it right up to check in because I’ll grab that table if there’s still no one on it on Sunday.
There was no reason for them to change our seat as they can’t change the type of train they use on the Amsterdam route, so we’re a bit irritated with them. Can’t fill in a contact form because of the website merger either.
Austriantrain
Established Member
- Joined
- 13 Aug 2018
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- 1,321
The new version of the Ski train (Eurostar to Lille, TGV from there with good connections) is, I hope, a sign of the future - good connections in Lille and Brussels to TGV and other Eurostar (ex-Thalys) services. And if that happens, that’s actually pretty good. And arguably much more useful than some isolated „direct“ trains with a Lille shuffle on the return leg. Better to have several good connections a day to Marseille, Bordeaux, Köln etc.
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ThameslinkUser
Member
All Club Eurostar details are now visible on their website for the fullest of details. I would quote the page but it would be impractical given the details and formatting.
www.eurostar.com
The cost of using points to purchase tickets has increased greatly.
(was previously starting from 500/750 for standard and standard premier)
Welcome to Club Eurostar | Eurostar
Club Eurostar is the rewards club for anyone who loves to travel on our trains, whether it’s for business, leisure or a bit of both. Read more here.
www.eurostar.com
The cost of using points to purchase tickets has increased greatly.
(was previously starting from 500/750 for standard and standard premier)
| Routes to and from London |
|---|
| Standard | Standard Premier | Business Premier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way Value fare | 1,000 | 2,000 | N/A |
| One-way Anytime fare | 1,500 | 2,500 | 3,000 |
| All other routes |
|---|
| Standard | Comfort | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way Value fare | 1,000 | 2,000 | 3,000 |
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Sadly unsurprising that they've trashed the value of Club Eurostar. Most secretive loyalty program changes end up being in that vein. Those who analyse these things carefully quicky realise what offers good value and what doesn't - Eurostar is now firmly in the latter camp.All Club Eurostar details are now visible on their website for the fullest of details. I would quote the page but it would be impractical given the details and formatting.
Welcome to Club Eurostar | Eurostar
Club Eurostar is the rewards club for anyone who loves to travel on our trains, whether it’s for business, leisure or a bit of both. Read more here.
The cost of using points to purchase tickets has increased greatly.
(was previously starting from 500/750 for standard and standard premier)
Routes to and from London
Standard Standard Premier Business Premier One-way Value fare 1,000 2,000 N/A One-way Anytime fare 1,500 2,500 3,000
All other routes
Standard Comfort Premium One-way Value fare 1,000 2,000 3,000
Even as someone who favours rail where possible, Eurostar has very little appeal. The departure experience is hardly much better than you get at most airports. The waiting area is incredibly cramped, yet they recommend you turn up 60-90 minutes early in most cases!
The fares are sky high most of the time and the "seat reservation" fee for Interrail and staff travel facilities holders is unjustifiably expensive. Not to mention the Gare du Nord is in a rather dodgy area of the city (though Paris isn't the safest city in the first place).
Overall it's just not an experience that really justifies the price charged. But evidently not everyone feels the way I do, as the trains are often full! You do notice a disproportionate percentage of foreign tourists, particularly Americans - perhaps they've just not had the Eurostar experience before and don't know the alternatives.
If you travel in business every month, or commute in standard every fortnight…? Clearly aimed at your actual frequent travelers…
Mainline421
Member
Not all bad..
Hopefully this means I get to keep Avantage for an extra 11 months and gain Thalys lounge access
BahrainLad
Member
- Joined
- 3 Aug 2015
- Messages
- 314
Have they really doubled the points needed?
The page at https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/club-eurostar/use-points says “And of course one-way fares will only require half the points listed below!” just above the table so maybe this is a misprint?
The page at https://www.eurostar.com/uk-en/club-eurostar/use-points says “And of course one-way fares will only require half the points listed below!” just above the table so maybe this is a misprint?
I really don’t recognise this. My two last trips I’ve turned up an hour ahead, been through security and immigration within twenty minutes, had twenty mins to grab a cuppa and a paper and then boarding starts twenty mins before departure. All easy, and both fares have been about £90 return.
citycat
Member
As I drove along the A16 motorway in Holland the other day, a Thalys flew past me with slightly new branding.
It had the Eurostar logo and a new salmon colour shade over the windows and the majority of the silver. I only had about three or four seconds to see it before it was gone.
I see there are a couple of youtube videos showing the new livery.
It had the Eurostar logo and a new salmon colour shade over the windows and the majority of the silver. I only had about three or four seconds to see it before it was gone.
I see there are a couple of youtube videos showing the new livery.
You really do not need to turn up so early at Eurostar, and a lot of the reason for the overcrowding is because people do so. At very busy times, they do stop people coming in too early and actively encourage people to leave the queue and come back later - but still people like to queue through the station shopping area, via the circle, out the door and then along the main road. Then they moan, and the media come to film the queues, about how long it takes to get into departures.
Eurostar isn't an airport. You don't need to arrive two or three hours early. The obvious caveat is that you want to make sure that if you're coming from a long way away, you get to the general area in plenty of time - but go enjoy some food or a drink elsewhere in the station, or the station surrounds (go have a wander around Coal Drops Yard or something, depending on how much luggage you brought). If you've had a drink and gone to the toilet outside, you want to spend as little time 'airside' as possible.
Business Premier customers can go into departures whenever they want, but even then there's not much reason to be there any longer than necessary IMO.
I used to convert Amex points on a Gold Business card into Club Eurostar points.
Eurostar themselves advise turning up 60-90 minutes ahead for St Pancras. If they don't want people to turn up early, they're doing a bad job at communicating that!
Exactly. The last time I used Eurostar they said to check how early to arrive on your boarding pass, possibly they vary the advise depending on the time of day or how busy a service is? But mine said 60 to 90 minutes before departure but when I arrived, 70 minutes before departure I was told I was "too early" and was not allowed to join the queue yet. When I did get through and onto the train (on time) the train was then late leaving waiting for other passengers to clear security and passport control. The whole thing seemed poorly run.
Is the guidance not updated post Covid or something? I know passports can be a bit of a delay post Brexit, but 90 minutes seems crazy.
However many people last year were there way earlier than that, like three hours or more. They'd seen the queues on TV or on other days when they passed through, so turned up to join the extra long queue. A queue made long because everyone else joined it.
Staff then checked on people and tried to send people away, and anyone who joined the long queue for an earlier train usually found themselves pulled out and brought to the front.
They do need to try and sort things out. There's no reason to get there so early.
However many people last year were there way earlier than that, like three hours or more. They'd seen the queues on TV or on other days when they passed through, so turned up to join the extra long queue. A queue made long because everyone else joined it.
Staff then checked on people and tried to send people away, and anyone who joined the long queue for an earlier train usually found themselves pulled out and brought to the front.
They do need to try and sort things out. There's no reason to get there so early.
My ticket for my next train in a couple of weeks says 45-60 mins.
I’ve generally found if you arrive more than 60 mins early you get out into a sort of ‘holding queue’ that doesn’t move.
Also depends on the station. At Amsterdam there were still people arriving less than 30 mins before boarding, and I don’t think they were all business premiere.
Also depends on the station. At Amsterdam there were still people arriving less than 30 mins before boarding, and I don’t think they were all business premiere.
Have the 373s been given the new livery? I live right next to Stratford Int'l, so I see them go past every day. I don't think I've seen a single 374 with the old branding in a while, but I haven't seen a single 373 with the new branding. Are they set to get it?
Mainline421
Member
Earliest I've ever entered the queue is about 40 minutes, latest 16 minutes once, but almost always around 30-35. There's really no need to arrive early, it just wouldn't work if a whole trainload did that I guess
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I can't see where it says that. As such it's a massive increase in redemption costs: you now need to spend £833 rather than £500 for a free "value" standard redemption for a basic member. An Étoile member will need to spend £474.
Upgrades from Standard to Standard Premier haven't changed, or they've changed from 500 to 600 points but that's the same spend requirement under the new earnings rates.
Indeed. If 900 passengers arrive at T-31 they won't all get processed in time.
Mainline421
Member
They've actually downgraded my Club Eurostar status early!? That's gonna annoy a lot of people, especially anyone going for Carte Blanche.
ThameslinkUser
Member
I've actually just been upgraded, with my points seemingly increasing!
However, it is most certainly a double in cost for the free journeys...
However, it is most certainly a double in cost for the free journeys...
This wording has since been removed.
Attachments
Eight return business premier tickets will do it – though anyone in business premier has most if not all of the Carte Blanche benefits by class of travel anyway.
danaceks
Member
Well the more I read about the new conditions after the merger, the more disappointed I am. Everyone has been referring to Thalys as... Thalys, and therefore starting to call it Eurostar feels really weird and actually confusing. If only they had unified (ticket) conditions, now you get two separate tabs for refund policies, services on board, boarding directions etc. But since Eurostar has monopoly on the London <> mainland Europe route, an easement to Thalys conditions (refundable for free up to 7 days before departure) is virtually utopian.
BahrainLad
Member
- Joined
- 3 Aug 2015
- Messages
- 314
Another wrinkle … despite the redemption table saying “routes to and from London” for 1000 points, you can’t book a through ticket from London-Germany at this price. You have to book each sector separately with the stop in Brussels so it becomes 2000 points each way.
So London to Cologne is double the price of London to Amsterdam…crazy when it’s now all one operator.
So London to Cologne is double the price of London to Amsterdam…crazy when it’s now all one operator.
danaceks
Member
Well done Eurostar, even more differences. The only thing services share is the name and website, genuinely everything else is different...
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