Gatwick Express 1st Class

[rmt4ever]

Hi Everyone

Me and a mate of mine are going on holiday for a week in April. We are Flying from Gatwick. Travelling from West London I usually get to Clapham and then get to Gatwick from there (easier than getting into town).

However I notice Gatwick Express seem to be currently doing a great offer, where if you book directly from them, 1st class, they give you FREE lounge access at GTW. The fare is a 1st class OPEN return.

Now obviously this has its advantages, if you get to Gatwick early and have a few beers, a bit of food, this will soon clock up a few quid. The First class open return fare is £56 each. This seems VERY good value, but I just wondered if anyone knows what the 'No1 Traveller Airport Lounge' at Gatwick N terminal is like?

I have travelled Business class with BA quite a few times from Heathrow 5, 3 and Gatwick. I don't expect this lounge to match the BA business class lounge quality, but how close does it come??

Also, more importantly, what is the 1st class like on the Gatwick Express trains??? What can we expect in the way of drinks ?

And likewise in the 1st class lounge at Victoria station? Is that any good? (I have only used the one at Euston, Kings X and Padd before, how does it compare?)


And lastly, my friend has a disabled persons railcard. Obviously this is a HUGE benefit, as we will BOTH get a 1/3 off, am I correct in this??? That would make the fare just £73.90 with lounge access!! AMAZING.. My question, if we use his railcard, are we still eligible to get the lounge access? And can I get the discount too if travelling with him. This really seems TOO GOOD to be true!!!!

Last but not least.... the BA flight arrives back at London Gatwick (N) at 23.30, I can never remember which terminal the station is, I am pretty sure it is N so we won't have to get the shuttle train, am I right??

Also when is the last train to Victoria? I am predicting it will be about midnight or just after by the time we claim our luggage and get to the station, will there still be plenty of trains? Will we have a long wait at that time of night??

When we get to Victoria we will just get a cab home, its only about 15 mins in a minicab from there.

THANKS IN ADVANCE PEOPLE, AS ALWAYS

 

[RichardN]

Station is at South terminal. I can't help with the rest, sorry.

 

[Bishopstone]

First Class in GatEx is a complimentary small tea, coffee or mineral water from the trolley.

Services after about 20.00 do not have trolley catering.

The seating is quite comfy 2+1, although enforcement of First Class is weak - no Conductors.

There is no FC lounge at Victoria.

 

[maniacmartin]

You can find out about the First Class lounge at Gatwick North in many threads at the FlyerTalk forum such as here.

 

[island]

AGA's Stansted Express-branded services have a similar 1st class offer as Southern's Gatwick Express-branded services with regard to the lounge.

I can tell you about the No. 1 Traveller lounges, or at least the LGW one I was in. It is of a similar standard to the BA Terraces lounge at Gatwick but not as good as those at Heathrow. Snacks and soft drinks are self-serve all day, with continental breakfast in the morning and sandwiches, cakes, etc. in the afternoon, while alcoholic drinks are served at a bar. Champagne and some cocktails are chargeable. Hot food is available to order with one free small item (such as a bacon bap) per person and additional or larger meals are chargeable.

From a dummy booking it seems that Railcard-discounted tickets are also accepted for the lounge offer.

The last Southern service with Gatwick Express branding is at 0135 from Gatwick Airport south terminal to London Victoria.

 

[maniacmartin]

The last Southern service with Gatwick Express branding is at 0135 from Gatwick Airport south terminal to London Victoria.

If you miss this, don't worry your ticket is still valid on non-Gatwick Express services. After 01:35. the trains thin out a bit - the next one isn't until 02:05.

 

[rmt4ever]

AGA's Stansted Express-branded services have a similar 1st class offer as Southern's Gatwick Express-branded services with regard to the lounge.

I can tell you about the No. 1 Traveller lounges, or at least the LGW one I was in. It is of a similar standard to the BA Terraces lounge at Gatwick but not as good as those at Heathrow. Snacks and soft drinks are self-serve all day, with continental breakfast in the morning and sandwiches, cakes, etc. in the afternoon, while alcoholic drinks are served at a bar. Champagne and some cocktails are chargeable. Hot food is available to order with one free small item (such as a bacon bap) per person and additional or larger meals are chargeable.

From a dummy booking it seems that Railcard-discounted tickets are also accepted for the lounge offer.

The last Southern service with Gatwick Express branding is at 0135 from Gatwick Airport south terminal to London Victoria.

Is the bar self-service in the lounge? All the BA ones I have used are, I really hope it is...

What is all this Gatwick Express branding? The ticket I am buying is for Gatwick Express services only I assume. I would of thought it had the correct branding as per the website.

Also as an aside, when is the last London Transport train from Victoria to Turnham Green does anyone know? Would we have any chance of making it from Victoria with a 2330 arrival at LGW???? I was just suddenly thinking a minicab booking would need a more 'definite' pickup time from Victoria, and a black cab would be bloody expensive :/ :/ ??

 

[tsr]

Just for your info, the Shuttle Station in the South Terminal is right next to Gatwick Airport Station itself - when you exit from the short Travelator, turn left and you're there. So, after the negotiation of the North Terminal itself, there's little hard work. Be aware that due to operational testing, you may have to wait a little longer for a shuttle around midnight - around 5 or 6mins, as opposed to about 3. The Shuttle has recently been refurbished and is free of charge, taking a few minutes to do the journey.

 

[causton]

a) A Gatwick Express ticket is actually a ticket for any train between London and Gatwick, so you could use Southern, GatEx or FCC (to keep it simple - you could use others!)

b) You will probably miss the last "London Transport" train, by which I assume you mean tube/Underground probably a night bus sounds best!

 

[tsr]

Is the bar self-service in the lounge? All the BA ones I have used are, I really hope it is...

What is all this Gatwick Express branding? The ticket I am buying is for Gatwick Express services only I assume. I would of thought it had the correct branding as per the website.

If the ticket is marked "Route: Any Permitted", it most certainly should be valid on the services of any operator (Southern or FCC) en-route to East Croydon, and OK on Southern services from there. Southern operate all "Gatwick Express"-branded services, so they are Southern's services, in all but name - though they occasionally like to hide this fact. If you scroll to the bottom of www.gatwickexpress.com, you should find this confirmed.

 

[Mojo]

a) A Gatwick Express ticket is actually a ticket for any train between London and Gatwick, so you could use Southern, GatEx or FCC (to keep it simple - you could use others!)

Note that the ticket will be issued to 'London Victoria' and not 'London Terminals' - so the Tocs would be restricted as appropriate (although of course Capital Connect would still be valid changing at East Croydon for example).

Also, note that if you use Print @ home or Mobile ticketing then you can only travel on the Gatwick Express branded services. No idea why anyone would choose these options though given it represents zero saving for reduced flexibility!

 

[greatkingrat]

Also as an aside, when is the last London Transport train from Victoria to Turnham Green does anyone know? Would we have any chance of making it from Victoria with a 2330 arrival at LGW???? I was just suddenly thinking a minicab booking would need a more 'definite' pickup time from Victoria, and a black cab would be bloody expensive :/ :/ ??

Last District to Turnham Green leaves Victoria at 0040. To make that you would need to be on the 2350 from Gatwick.

 

[maniacmartin]

If you don't make the 2350, you'll have plenty of time at Gatwick or on the train to book a minicab to meet you at Victoria, and by then you'll know your arrival time at Victoria too.

 

[tannedfrog]

Not sure that the offer is such a great one especially as you would be travelling off peak in at least one direction. Is it not better to buy a cheaper Southern ticket and spend the difference in the airport bar?

 

[yorkie]

What is all this Gatwick Express branding?

A ploy by Southern to make you think the train is something special. It's only 2 minutes quicker than the trains which call at Clapham Jn and East Croydon!

The ticket I am buying is for Gatwick Express services only I assume. I would of thought it had the correct branding as per the website.

Gatwick Express is not an operator (since June 2008) so any services branded Gatwick Express are operated by Southern Railway.

It is true that Southern have a website with Gatwick Express branding, which is no different to Greater Anglia having a website with Stansted Express branding.

Your tickets will, I am sure, be routed "Any Permitted" and are valid on ANY train company on a permitted route for your journey, although as the ticket is specifically to Victoria, and as you want to go to Turnham Green, in reality you are only going to get Southern operated trains, but the branding of the Southern trains makes no difference to your validity.

The rear of northbound, and the front of southbound, services operated by Southern and branded Gatwick Express tend to be empty (except at commuting time), so I'd not bother with 1st class personally, as you can probably get an entire coach to yourself in Standard at most times of the day! But I understand you have other reasons for going 1st.

Also as an aside, when is the last London Transport train from Victoria to Turnham Green does anyone know? Would we have any chance of making it from Victoria with a 2330 arrival at LGW???? I was just suddenly thinking a minicab booking would need a more 'definite' pickup time from Victoria, and a black cab would be bloody expensive :/ :/ ??

If you miss the last London Underground (District Line) service, there are also night buses from Victoria, at xx15 and xx45 taking 31 minutes.

 

[island]

Is the bar self-service in the lounge? All the BA ones I have used are, I really hope it is...

What is all this Gatwick Express branding? The ticket I am buying is for Gatwick Express services only I assume. I would of thought it had the correct branding as per the website.

The No. 1 Traveller lounge I went to at LGW had all alcoholic drinks dispensed by bar staff, not self-service. As you correctly say, this is not the case at most BA lounges.

Most railway tickets sold that are intended to permit travel on Southern services that are branded Gatwick Express are valid for travel on any other train operating company on the line of route.

 

[OLJR]

It was certainly once the case and it may still be (so worth checking) that 1ST on the GEX also offered fast-track security at Gatwick.

 

[island]

A No. 1 Lounge pass bought in advance also confers access to fast track security (branded "Premium Gatwick") so perhaps this may also be given with this offer.

 

[Stats]

A ploy by Southern to make you think the train is something special. It's only 2 minutes quicker than the trains which call at Clapham Jn and East Croydon!

No, it is a requirement of their franchise agreement that all trains between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport not stopping at intermediate stations be branded Gatwick Express and that Gatwick Express should be displayed on all departure screens for these services.

 

[BigVince76]

Not much to add from me but the lounge is pretty good for a contract lounge. There are lots of different seating areas and some pretty good views of the runway. There is a nice little cinema area showing films and lots of comfy sofas. Yes the drinks are dispensed by bar staff but on my visit recently they were very friendly and although I did not go nuts I certainly enjoyed myself so I don't think you need to worry about that. The help your self food is pretty good, a few salads and snacks, hot soup plus some sandwiches. The 'one free hot item' stuff is OK but very small, the fish and chips for example was 3 little strips of battered fish and about 10 chips. All very nice and freshly cooked but not a full meal! The bigger items on the menu that you can pay for seem pretty expensive to me, £10 gets you a burger and chips or pie and mash, but of course there is that free bar...

If you have the time to enjoy it then I think this combined train ticket/lounge deal is pretty good. Enjoy your trip.

 

[yorkie]

No, it is a requirement of their franchise agreement that all trains between London Victoria and Gatwick Airport not stopping at intermediate stations be branded Gatwick Express and that Gatwick Express should be displayed on all departure screens for these services.

True, but there's no need for them to go all OTT about it. Greater Anglia doesn't ever pretend that Stansted Express is a separate operator, as far as I know!

Dedicated branding isn't a problem if done sensibly.

 

[TUC]

First Class in GatEx is a complimentary small tea, coffee or mineral water from the trolley.

If you're referring to the train rather than the lounge I don't think its even that. Last time I travelled on Gat Ex 1st class even the tea and coffee was charged for. The couple next to me who had just flown from the US with free food throughout the flight were not impressed to be travelling 1st and to be charged for even a coffee.

 

[Bishopstone]

If you're referring to the train rather than the lounge I don't think its even that. Last time I travelled on Gat Ex 1st class even the tea and coffee was charged for. The couple next to me who had just flown from the US with free food throughout the flight were not impressed to be travelling 1st and to be charged for even a coffee.

You were had, then. Tea/coffee/water have been complimentary on GatEx FC for many years. I have used GatEx with a first class season several times a week, since 2009.

I'm not sure, but there may be a 'superior' coffee (quality and size) available for purchase, but I've never been marketed this over the freebie instant coffee, which is large enough for a thirty minute run.

I assume in your case the trolley host was poorly trained, or just forgot they were in FC.

 

[talldave]

Interestingly, I've seen tickets checked in order to validate the free refreshments, I'm curious as to whether the trolley will be equipped with a reader to read smartcard tickets?!

 

[34D]

Interestingly, I've seen tickets checked in order to validate the free refreshments, I'm curious as to whether the trolley will be equipped with a reader to read smartcard tickets?!

An app on NFC android phones

 

[rmt4ever]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I have booked 2 x open return tickets for Gatwick Express with my friends disabled railcard discount received. The tickets are coming with free first-class post. Even got quidco cashback!! Extra bonus..

Do I just present the booking confirmation at the lounge to gain access for us both?

I was surprised to hear there is no 1st lounge at a major station like Victoria, since there is even one at Liverpool st. However with Gatwick express trains leaving every 15 minutes I suppose there is no need. We can have a couple of pints in Witherspoons first

Not too fussed about the refreshments on the train, as long as the seats are spacious have a table and away from loud passengers, screaming kids etc.

I am just hoping the lounge is good, and they are not stingy with the booze (I am used to self serve ones like BA business lounges or Servisair ones).

We are flying out at about 5pm, is the lounge likely to be busy mid-afternoon does anyone know?

We will try to get the 2350 Gatwick experss train to Victoria, in order to make the last connecting LT service to Turnham, failing that a cab it is.

Thanks again! Will report back on this post after the trip
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It was certainly once the case and it may still be (so worth checking) that 1ST on the GEX also offered fast-track security at Gatwick.

Cant see anything on the website, but I might email GatEx to check... that would be even better!!

 

[talldave]

The fast-track security at South Terminal would appear to be of no benefit since staff keep directing any passengers in there to reduce load on the slow-track route, and also presumably to give the fast-track staff something to do!

 

[jon0844]

Passing security at Gatwick has always been incredibly quick for me, but hey - there's no harm enjoying the whole first class experience once in a while!

 

[John @ home]

I was surprised to hear there is no 1st lounge at a major station like Victoria ... We can have a couple of pints in Witherspoons first

Wetherspoons at London Victoria is currently closed for refurbishment.

 

[BHXDMT]

I am just hoping the lounge is good, and they are not stingy with the booze (I am used to self serve ones like BA business lounges or Servisair ones).

We are flying out at about 5pm, is the lounge likely to be busy mid-afternoon does anyone know?

I've been in the No.1 Lounge at around 1-3pm before (so not too dissimilar a time to when you will be there) and it wasn't that busy to be honest. No worse than the BA Terraces when I visited at a similar time, in fact maybe a bit quieter.

And with regards to the bar staff... I never had a problem with them, and I kept the Magners bottles flowing quite freely...