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Free First class weekend upgrade for Virgin Anytime tickets ?

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Scooby

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Do Virgin still allow holders of Anytime tickets to upgrade to First Class free of charge at the weekends? I can find reference to it in the past, but nothing that is current.
 
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calc7

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I can't find the reference now either. :s

What I will say is unless it is a short- or medium-distance Anytime Single/Return, you are much better refunding it, buying the Off-Peak equivalent and paying the £10/£15 upgrade.

For instance, a London to Manchester Stns Anytime Single is £148. Refund this, buy the Off-Peak Single (or return for a few pence more!) at £73.20. Even with the £10 "admin fee" (sometimes waived by Virgin Trains) and the £15 supplement, you're still £50 in pocket.

I reckon this "offer" is a nice moneyspinner for VT.
 

Scooby

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I've found an Anytime Return fare from Oxenholme to Glasgow for £38.30 (2 adults, 2 children with a Friends & Family railcard), instead of £34.00/£37.40 for booking Advance Tickets.
& I was just francying travelling FC without having to pay the £15/£5 per person, each way upgrade price (I realise that this makes me sound 'cheap', but if the offer still applies, it would be rude not to take advantage !)
 

calc7

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Perfect example of a good use of this offer there! :)
 

Scooby

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It would be a good use of the offer, if it still applied !
A quick google found that this forum had the most up to date information, but the most recent post was over a year old.
I have emailed Virgin, but they only guarantee answerting my email within a month (if/when they do cme back to me, I'll update the thread)
 

island

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It is still valid although strictly one is supposed to obtain permission from the train manager. Some documents suggest that it is not permissible to use this with Anytime Day tickets (SDS/SDR) but that's a bit up in the air.
 

Scooby

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It is still valid although strictly one is supposed to obtain permission from the train manager. Some documents suggest that it is not permissible to use this with Anytime Day tickets (SDS/SDR) but that's a bit up in the air.

Cheers Island

my preferred booking site (takethetrain.co.uk) refers to them as "ANYTIME DAY RETURN" tickets, but I'm unable to find the 3 letter code for the tickets.

So, for the sake of an extra £4 I'll giv it a go and see what happens. The worst thing that can happen is that I'm moved back with the peasants :D
 

OwlMan

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Yes it is still valid according to The Manual

From The Manual Virgin weekend first class section
Ticket Types that can be upgraded prior to travel

Off-Peak, Off-Peak Day, Super Off-Peak, One Day Travelcard. All other ticket types can be upgraded on-board, subject to availability.
Ticket Code: VWU
Standard Class Anytime Return/Single

Customers travelling using this product on a Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday can upgrade to First Class on Virgin Trains services FREE OF CHARGE.

As Anytime Day tickets are not mentioned in the "upgraded before travel" section I would assume they were included in the "Standard Class Anytime" section

Peter
 

Scooby

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Post in error

no worries Island ;)
I like takethetrain as they automatically offer you the indirect routes/fares at the same time as the direct route/fares (plus, when they had the free MO3 downloads, it helped build up Velmas music library)
 

All Line Rover

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Yes it is still valid according to The Manual



As Anytime Day tickets are not mentioned in the "upgraded before travel" section I would assume they were included in the "Standard Class Anytime" section

Peter

What about Advance tickets? They aren't mentioned either but can still be upgraded on board for a fee.

Whether Anytime DAY tickets qualify for the free upgrade is debatable, as they certainly didn't use to (although I personally opt for the most customer friendly interpretation of the rules ;)). If it's a Super Voyager you are likely to have problems. If it's a Pendolino less so.

Still, for £4 it's worth a try, and you certainly won't be charged more for sitting in First Class (the worst that could happen is that you will be asked to move).
 

calc7

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Whether Anytime DAY tickets qualify for the free upgrade is debatable, as they certainly didn't use to (although I personally opt for the most customer friendly interpretation of the rules ;)). If it's a Super Voyager you are likely to have problems. If it's a Pendolino less so.

Why is that exactly?
 

All Line Rover

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Why is that exactly?

As you know, a Super Voyager has only one First Class carriage. In my experience that means that ticket checks are more frequent and many TM's seem to want to keep out as many people as possible! (The carriage can also get fairly busy at weekends - on occasions I've found it to be full).

On a Pendolino, ticket checks seem to be very rare at weekends for journeys that aren't to/from Euston, and since there are four very empty carriages, the TM's aren't usually that bothered about people sitting there.

This is completely subjective, of course, but it's just my experience. It's also worth noting that Coach D on a Super Voyager is almost as good as Coach E (First Class), so the incentive to upgrade is less strong.
 

rail-britain

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What about Advance tickets? They aren't mentioned either but can still be upgraded on board for a fee
I was under the impression the upgrade was the complete difference between Standard and First Class, typically the same as the Standard fare paid already, they've done it every time I've travelled
Example :
Standard Advance £30
Upgrade paid on train £30
 

OwlMan

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What about Advance tickets? They aren't mentioned either but can still be upgraded on board for a fee.

.
Read the quote correctly :) The difference between before travel and on board

Ticket Types that can be upgraded prior to travel

Off-Peak, Off-Peak Day, Super Off-Peak, One Day Travelcard. All other ticket types can be upgraded on-board, subject to availability.
Ticket Code: VWU
 

Urban Gateline

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How about PRIV discounted Anytime tickets on weekend on Virgin trains? Would one be able to sit in 1st Class then even with just a Standard Class Anytime ticket which is valid on VT? ;)
 

All Line Rover

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Read the quote correctly :) The difference between before travel and on board

Before "simplification," "Standard Class Anytime Return/Single" would have said "Standard Class Open Return/Single." Just to confuse things further. ;)

The old terminology can still be found on this page of the Virgin Trains website. "Standard Open" is mentioned but "Standard Day" (now Anytime Day) is not. ;)

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
How about PRIV discounted Anytime tickets on weekend on Virgin trains? Would one be able to sit in 1st Class then even with just a Standard Class Anytime ticket which is valid on VT? ;)

Of course this would be valid. :)
 
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RJ

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Yes it is still valid according to The Manual



As Anytime Day tickets are not mentioned in the "upgraded before travel" section I would assume they were included in the "Standard Class Anytime" section

Peter

Baring in mind that The Manual is not an official source of information for passengers and local instructions for staff always take precedence over what's in there, what is the OP supposed to refer to if the TM takes a likely exception to it?
 

OwlMan

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As Oxenholme to glasgow Tickets are SOR not SDR (Anytime returns not anytime day returns) there will be no prolblem getting a free upgrade.

Peter
 

Scooby

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The nice people at Virgin have just sent this response to me

Dear Mr Scooby,



Thank you for your email which we received on 26 June 2012.



I can confirm that yes we do still operate the scheme allowing holders of Standard Anytime tickets to travel in First Class at weekends without having to pay the upgrade fee.



Kind Regards







Dick Branston

Customer Relations

so its a goer then :D
 

All Line Rover

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I've found an Anytime Return fare from Oxenholme to Glasgow for £38.30 (2 adults, 2 children with a Friends & Family railcard), instead of £34.00/£37.40 for booking Advance Tickets.
& I was just francying travelling FC without having to pay the £15/£5 per person, each way upgrade price (I realise that this makes me sound 'cheap', but if the offer still applies, it would be rude not to take advantage !)

May I ask where you found the £38.30 fare? I can only see a £90.10 Anytime Return fare for 2 adults and 2 children with an F&F Railcard.
 

Scooby

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May I ask where you found the £38.30 fare? I can only see a £90.10 Anytime Return fare for 2 adults and 2 children with an F&F Railcard.

No worries ALR

Its on takethetrain.co.uk & national rail.co.uk for 11.08.12, outward travel from Oxenholme to Glasgow CentraL after 07.00, return travel after 16.00, for 2 adults, 2 children with a F&F ticket. Its currently coming up cheaper than Advance tickets ;)

Unless there's an influx of UK rail Forum people fill their boots and the tickets disappear !
 
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All Line Rover

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No worries ALR

Its on takethetrain.co.uk & national rail.co.uk for 11.08.12, outward travel from Oxenholme to Glasgow CentraL after 07.00, return travel after 16.00, for 2 adults, 2 children with a F&F ticket. Its currently coming up cheaper than Advance tickets ;)

Unless there's an influx of UK rail Forum people fill their boots and the tickets disappear !

How very, very odd! That fare does not appear in Avantix Traveller and appears to be available on Saturdays only, at a lower price than the Off-Peak Return.

It's worth noting that this fare is an "Anytime Day Return," so strictly speaking it might not be the fare referred to in the above e-mail from Virgin. They could be just referring to the "Anytime Return" (which you'll see further down the page on Takethetrain at £90.10), but it's hard to know whether they're referring to one, the other, or both!
 

Scooby

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How very, very odd! That fare does not appear in Avantix Traveller and appears to be available on Saturdays only, at a lower price than the Off-Peak Return.

It's worth noting that this fare is an "Anytime Day Return," so strictly speaking it might not be the fare referred to in the above e-mail from Virgin. They could be just referring to the "Anytime Return" (which you'll see further down the page on Takethetrain at £90.10), but it's hard to know whether they're referring to one, the other, or both!


Usually when something looks to good to be true, it usually is - but maybe this time, its the the exception.

I'm going to book it and see what happens on the day - at the worst I've saved a £1 over the Advance ticket !
 

island

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It can't be an anytime day return if it's only available on Saturdays...
 

Scooby

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It can't be an anytime day return if it's only available on Saturdays...

It makes it awfully confusing for Joe Passenger doesn't it ?

If my ticket (which I don't have yet) says Anytime and the nice email from Virgin says Anytime, then how would I, Joe Passenger, or the TM know that its not a 'real' Anytime ticket ?
 

All Line Rover

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It can't be an anytime day return if it's only available on Saturdays...

It is! :lol:

This isn't the "Saturday Day Travelcard" that is available from certain Virgin stations to/from London Zones 1-6.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
If my ticket (which I don't have yet) says Anytime and the nice email from Virgin says Anytime, then how would I, Joe Passenger, or the TM know that its not a 'real' Anytime ticket ?

You wouldn't, which is why it would be unreasonable to prevent you having the free upgrade. You've got the e-mail so just bring it along and show it to the TM if he/she questions it. :)
 

Scooby

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A quick update for anyone who is interested.

I've bought the Anytime Day Return tickets and I took them with me on my trip to Scotland last weekend. I asked the guard on the train if they would be valid in First Class and he confirmed to me that "yes, at the weekend, they would become the equivalent of a Weekend First" so its a result all round.

2 adult and 2 child tickets, First Class retuen from Oxenholme to Glasgow for £38.30 -- an absolute steal.
 

All Line Rover

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Excellent news. :) I'm glad you had one of the more reasonable TM's that actually takes an interest in their work.
 

Scooby

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Excellent news. :) I'm glad you had one of the more reasonable TM's that actually takes an interest in their work.

Either I'm lucky, or its my sunny disposition, but I don't think that I've ever NOT meant a TM that hasn't been helpful/cheerful/taken an interest in what they are doing !
 
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