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Liverpool to Euston 9th July

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Grumpy Git

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I need to travel from Liverpool Lime Street to Heathrow on 9th July and would appreciate some advice please.

Given the reduction in on board services, is 1st class worth the premium fare currently?

How busy are services at the moment, I will be leaving Liverpool at about noon.

Thanks.
 
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30907

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Depends what the premium is and whether you value the extra space.
Can't comment on loading.
Bear in mind that Advance tickets are only released a week in advance ATM, and that the guidance on travel may well change in the next few days (hours?).
 

sonic2009

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I'm sure that there is no onboard catering at the moment, things may change though in the next few days or hours.
 

hkstudent

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Depends what the premium is and whether you value the extra space.
Can't comment on loading.
Bear in mind that Advance tickets are only released a week in advance ATM, and that the guidance on travel may well change in the next few days (hours?).
There is social distance requirement on trains, which means that you will get an empty seat next to you on the standard class.
 

_toommm_

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Lime Street to Euston on Avanti First Class would just entitle you to some snacky type items from the Cafe in Coach C at the minute, with no proper at-seat service. I don't think it's worth it personally unless you can get a very cheap First Advance.
 

SeanG

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Personally I would buy a standard ticket and spend the premium on some nice 'picnic' type food from M&S etc (whatever takes your fancy really - treat yourself).
As stated above, you will be almost certainly guaranteed two seats to yourself due to Social Distancing, and the standard seats offer the same level of comfort as a 1st class seat in my opinion.
 

Grumpy Git

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Thanks for the replies.

They are pretty much in line with what I thought and with 1st at a 100% premium to Standard, it really doesnt seem worth it.
 

Metal_gee_man

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Book a standard ticket and then on the day 3 or 4 hours before you're scheduled to travel click onto the SeatFrog app, and look for a cheap upgrade to 1st in an auction probably £15+
 

WesternLancer

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I need to travel from Liverpool Lime Street to Heathrow on 9th July and would appreciate some advice please.

Given the reduction in on board services, is 1st class worth the premium fare currently?

How busy are services at the moment, I will be leaving Liverpool at about noon.

Thanks.
Can't speak for west coast but I have had to make some Inter City trips on EMR - it's busier now than it was at height of lock down but last week Friday towards London there were about 10 people in my carriage, northbound 2 people - these were off peak trips in morning and eve respectively.

Face mask wearing was broadly observed (whereas on my Thameslink part of the journey as many as 40% of people ignoring rules).

Not sure how you are supposed to eat a picnic etc whilst wearing a face mask without breaking the spirit of the rules.

It's not uncommon to encounter passengers too daft (I assume) to sit near the window which they repeatedly ask you to do so over the PA so you are further away from the aisle where people need to move about etc, and too daft to work out how to sit 2m away from someone else even when the train is relatively empty....

As per usual more people in the carriages nearer the buffers than up at the front of the train. Boarding at Liverpool you may be able to balance this.

Not sure if the software on AWC is up to doing it, but on EMR it can't allocate reservation to seats in a socially distanced manner it seems - so the reservation is just for the train and says 'sit in any unoccupied seat' on the ticket.

Seemed silly to me that advance 1st tickets were not really discounted very much (std were - when I booked I could pay £13.50 Std Class or £68 1st class) so the passenger load not spread over the full number of carriages (I'd have happily bought a good value Adv 1st). Only people I saw in 1st Class were thus staff.

Things will have charged a bit by 7th of july no doubt, with more people about.

I would advocate taking your own hand sanitizer as inevitable that you must touch lots of surfaces, tho of course you can use your elbow for door buttons etc.

Hope this helps.
 

philthetube

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Lime Street to Euston on Avanti First Class would just entitle you to some snacky type items from the Cafe in Coach C at the minute, with no proper at-seat service. I don't think it's worth it personally unless you can get a very cheap First Advance.
I travelled London Preston early this week, no cafe in either direction.

I think Coach C is reserved for staff travelling, not sure though.
 

Huntergreed

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No onboard shop whatsoever?
According to their website, 390 shops are open, 221 shops are shut tight:

COVID-19 Update
As a result of COVID-19, there are extra protective measures in place.
This means that our Shop onboard Pendolino services will be open with protective screens and safety lines in place.
Unfortunately Shops onboard Voyager services are currently closed. Because of this, there are no Food and Beverage options available onboard these services.
Please see below a menu showing the current products that are available onboard Pendolino services.
 

voyagerdude220

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I travelled London Preston early this week, no cafe in either direction.

I think Coach C is reserved for staff travelling, not sure though.

I believe coach C on Pendolinos is out of bounds in terms of seating- passengers aren't being allowed to sit there. (I'm assuming to allow the TM/Catering Staff social distancing).

The shop should be open, although looking online, there appear to be a few cases of it being closed, due to overheating. Air con failures?
 

p.d87

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Coach C is not open for passengers to sit. This is to allow staff to socially distance. Also to allow any pax to queue at shop safely and also only as a walk through from A and B to access the shop. Pendolino only. All voyager shops closed due to no 2m distance. Stock very limited with no sandwiches or hot food available. No at seat service in 1st however hot drinks and water available to collect from the shop with a snack box. Currently cheese and biscuits.
 

Grumpy Git

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Thanks everyone. I doubt the really cheap tickets will be available as at present as more people buy seats, (they have been as low as £44 in 1st until this coming week).

When should I expect the offers to become available for 9th July?
 

WesternLancer

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Thanks everyone. I doubt the really cheap tickets will be available as at present as more people buy seats, (they have been as low as £44 in 1st until this coming week).

When should I expect the offers to become available for 9th July?
I would check every day personally to monitor price. either just after midnight or 1st thing in the morning. Unless someone actually knows when the weekly quotas are released.

I don't think they release many cheap ones as they don't want to encourage travel.
 

_toommm_

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Thanks everyone. I doubt the really cheap tickets will be available as at present as more people buy seats, (they have been as low as £44 in 1st until this coming week).

When should I expect the offers to become available for 9th July?

It’s normally about a week before, but I’ll tweet Avanti now for you and pose the question to them.
 

Grumpy Git

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Got the last £23 cheepo, thanks everyone.

Seat allocation is rubbish though, as I like window, forwards and table and got backwards, airline (no idea if I have a window or not)!

Avanti want shooting for removing the seat allocation tool.
 

WesternLancer

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Got the last £23 cheepo, thanks everyone.

Seat allocation is rubbish though, as I like window, forwards and table and got backwards, airline (no idea if I have a window or not)!

Avanti want shooting for removing the seat allocation tool.
I'd just sit where you want - taking a sensible approach to social distancing form other passengers - unless they are specifically 'banning' that. I mean that is what a walk up passenger would have to do after all.
 

Grumpy Git

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I'd just sit where you want - taking a sensible approach to social distancing form other passengers - unless they are specifically 'banning' that. I mean that is what a walk up passenger would have to do after all.

Thanks.

If they start-up the food service by this time next week, I'll bid for an upgrade on Seatfrog.

Just one question having never previously used Seatfrog, if you make a bid and it's accepted, are you obliged to pay (i.e. go ahead with the upgrade) or not?
 

_toommm_

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Thanks.

If they start-up the food service by this time next week, I'll bid for an upgrade on Seatfrog.

Just one question having never previously used Seatfrog, if you make a bid and it's accepted, are you obliged to pay (i.e. go ahead with the upgrade) or not?

You are. As soon as you win, you’re charged.
 

route101

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I'd just sit where you want - taking a sensible approach to social distancing form other passengers - unless they are specifically 'banning' that. I mean that is what a walk up passenger would have to do after all.

I thought you had to sit in your allocated seat?
 

Haywain

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I thought you had to sit in your allocated seat?
That’s the idea - they’re reserved to achieve the required social distancing which won’t work if you sit elsewhere (assuming all those booked have turned up).
 

Metal_gee_man

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Thanks.

If they start-up the food service by this time next week, I'll bid for an upgrade on Seatfrog.

Just one question having never previously used Seatfrog, if you make a bid and it's accepted, are you obliged to pay (i.e. go ahead with the upgrade) or not?
You can't bid without a card registered, and as has been said they charge you as soon as the countdown clock finishes and you get a QR code in the App and via email that'll keep Avanti happy IF they actually come round and do a revenue check
 

Grumpy Git

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I seen LNER are saying sit in your allocated seats

If I'm in a virtually empty carriage (time will tell) but sat next to a wall instead of a window, I don't think I'll stay put!

The bloke who designed the Pendolino must have spent a long time in solitary confinement in a previous life?
 

route101

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If I'm in a virtually empty carriage (time will tell) but sat next to a wall instead of a window, I don't think I'll stay put!

The bloke who designed the Pendolino must have spent a long time in solitary confinement in a previous life?

Thats what id do. In the past id move if i have someone sat next to me , when the rest of the carriage has free seats, common sense approach , helps us both.
 
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