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London Midland First Class

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AndyLandy

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London Midland's twitter feed recently informed me of some new walk-on Off Peak 1st class fares they're offering, including Euston-Crewe for £55. What I was wondering is what benefits would one expect to receive travelling 1st with LM? Is it just the first class accommodation, or do LM provide anything additional. Long and short of the matter, do you guys think it's worthwhile, or would I be better off saving the twenty-odd quid and sticking with standard?
 
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howittpie

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I have recently travelled in first on London Midland and didn't find it all that comfortable. The only benefit was there were no kids in there but I personally wouldn't pay more to travel in it.
 

SS4

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It's not worth it. May be nice to avoid the riff raff if applicable
 

142094

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I'd save the £20+ and either buy a decent meal to take with you, or head to the pub.
 

All Line Rover

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First Class on London Midland is very poor, especially if a 350/1 turns up, where Standard Class is identical, if not better!

I find the LM First Class carriage to be slightly claustrophobic seeing as it is very small.

On busy services (where Standard Class is likely to be full from Nuneaton), First Class is likely to be full well before approaching London. At the very least, you will have to share a seat with someone else, which considering the seats are the same as Standard Class, means there is no difference in comfort levels. Also, if you're thinking of travelling First Class to avoid the cramped conditions on the 18:29 from London, think again. When I travelled on that service, the First Class compartment was full and standing 10 minutes before departure!

On quiet services (starting with the 10:33 off Crewe), I've noticed that Standard Class can be quieter than First Class! With the large number of Priority Seats available in Standard Class, Standard Class can actually be more comfortable! (The legroom in First Class is identical to Standard Class, except that it can be better in Standard Class if you sit in a Priority Seat).

I only ever travel in First Class on London Midland when I am booking at short notice and a First Class Advance is cheaper than a Standard Class Advance. The only obvious benefit of First Class is the blinds, which do help on a very sunny day. I don't think it's worth paying more than £20 extra for some blinds, though

For the benefit of everyone viewing this thread, an LM Only Crewe to London First Class Off-Peak Return is £55, whereas a Standard Class Off-Peak Return is £33.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
It's not worth it. May be nice to avoid the riff raff if applicable

I find that the real riff raff are the ones that sit in First Class with a Standard Class ticket, and on many occasions don't get caught. So you're probably better off in Standard Class!
 

wintonian

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First Class on London Midland is very poor, especially if a 350/1 turns up, where Standard Class is identical, if not better!

I find the LM First Class carriage to be slightly claustrophobic seeing as it is very small.

On busy services (where Standard Class is likely to be full from Nuneaton), First Class is likely to be full well before approaching London. At the very least, you will have to share a seat with someone else, which considering the seats are the same as Standard Class, means there is no difference in comfort levels. Also, if you're thinking of travelling First Class to avoid the cramped conditions on the 18:29 from London, think again. When I travelled on that service, the First Class compartment was full and standing 10 minutes before departure!

On quiet services (starting with the 10:33 off Crewe), I've noticed that Standard Class can be quieter than First Class! With the large number of Priority Seats available in Standard Class, Standard Class can actually be more comfortable! (The legroom in First Class is identical to Standard Class, except that it can be better in Standard Class if you sit in a Priority Seat).

I only ever travel in First Class on London Midland when I am booking at short notice and a First Class Advance is cheaper than a Standard Class Advance. The only obvious benefit of First Class is the blinds, which do help on a very sunny day. I don't think it's worth paying more than £20 extra for some blinds, though

For the benefit of everyone viewing this thread, an LM Only Crewe to London First Class Off-Peak Return is £55, whereas a Standard Class Off-Peak Return is £33.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


I find that the real riff raff are the ones that sit in First Class with a Standard Class ticket, and on many occasions don't get caught. So you're probably better off in Standard Class!

I couldn't agree more - you saved me a lot of typing with this. :)

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Ascot

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I'm not sure why people moan about the quality of First on the 350s. I use it daily and would pay the difference, even the mini recline on the seat helps to relax. Sadly you don't get a free drink + biccies since they removed the catering but it is a novelty for leisure/one-tripper travellers, it's separation of the classes as someone said the other day. It's cheap, it's in reach of the general public, don't expect the Concorde Lounge.
 

wintonian

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I'm not sure why people moan about the quality of First on the 350s. I use it daily and would pay the difference, even the mini recline on the seat helps to relax. Sadly you don't get a free drink + biccies since they removed the catering but it is a novelty for leisure/one-tripper travellers, it's separation of the classes as someone said the other day. It's cheap, it's in reach of the general public, don't expect the Concorde Lounge.

You mean like on Southern where people make a point in only standing in the correct part of the carriage? ;)

In case its not clear the lady in red is standing in standard class and I am in first class where all the space is.

5ec130e8-d589-16ba.jpg


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wintonian

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OK how about

"I should have bought a first class ticket, then I could stand in comfort"?

Sorry but Soutnerns idea of first class is to put a couple of stickers on the window at one end of the carriage and trust people to notice and observe them, which IMO is pretty pointless and rather pathetic.

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AndyLandy

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OK how about

"I should have bought a first class ticket, then I could stand in comfort"?

Sorry but Soutnerns idea of first class is to put a couple of stickers on the window at one end of the carriage and trust people to notice and observe them, which IMO is pretty pointless and rather pathetic.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk 2

Southern's FC provision really is quite pathetic, isn't it? Last time I was on a 377, they had eight seats at the front of the train as 'First Class'. At least I think there was a door between that cabin and the rest of the train...
 

Mutant Lemming

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pointless tbh other than to avoid the plebs. !

As pointed out previously, you actually get a worse kind of pleb/chav/ Jeremy Kyle 'contestant' in first class. The kind that want confrontation with the ticketing staff. Especially noticeable on the Coventry to Wolves section where it is probably better to avoid first class.
 

All Line Rover

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I'm not sure why people moan about the quality of First on the 350s. I use it daily and would pay the difference, even the mini recline on the seat helps to relax. Sadly you don't get a free drink + biccies since they removed the catering but it is a novelty for leisure/one-tripper travellers, it's separation of the classes as someone said the other day. It's cheap, it's in reach of the general public, don't expect the Concorde Lounge.

I'm not moaning. I'm just giving my honest opinion, based on my experience, of whether it is worth the occasional traveller paying extra (using their hard earned cash and not expenses ;)) for First Class accommodation on the Crewe to London route.

I find the reclining seat feature to be a complete and utter gimmick, but then that is a subjective feature.

I disagree that the "separation" idea applies to London Midland. I don't care who's sitting next to me (providing they don't stink!). All I care about is a quiet atmosphere and space to relax. On London Midland you rarely get that in First Class, so you might as well be in Standard Class. When you do get it in First Class you almost always get it in Standard Class also, so again, you might as well be in Standard Class!

Perhaps Southern would be a better candidate for your "separation" idea, where Standard Class can be incredibly packed whilst First Class has plenty of seats available. The picture above well demonstrates this. :lol:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
pointless tbh other than to avoid the plebs. But you do get a nice anti macassar and a plug!

Oh yes, I forgot about the plug, which came in quite handy this week. :) I thought Standard Class also had plugs at table seats? Or is my memory failing me?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Sorry but Soutnerns idea of first class is to put a couple of stickers on the window at one end of the carriage and trust people to notice and observe them, which IMO is pretty pointless and rather pathetic.

It's not pathetic. I've never used First Class on Southern (except when I was on an ALR) because I consider it to be a rip off, and I only ever make short distance journeys. But if some people are willing to pay £5196 instead of £3464 for a Horsham to London season ticket for the sake of getting a seat, I have no problems with that. It helps to fund the railway. I only think Southern should wack up that £5196 to £9000! It's an unregulated fare after all! :D
 
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jaigee

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First Class has sockets, with a label on them saying they are plugs! :D

As you all say, not worth the extra as it is often full of various rail staff hogging the only two tables anyway.
 
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172212

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I have never used first class on a desiro unit. But listening to the comments, I don't think I would want to. I mean I guess a seat incline would help, but wi-fi at least would be a good feature
 

wintonian

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I have never used first class on a desiro unit. But listening to the comments, I don't think I would want to. I mean I guess a seat incline would help, but wi-fi at least would be a good feature

It's not to bad on 444's where you get a proper seat recline and 1+2 layout with more leg room than on a lot of stock.
 

OxtedL

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First Class on commuter TOCs like London Midland and Southern is essentially aimed at commuters with high disposable income who would like a better shot at getting a seat during the rush hour. There isn't a huge market for luxury short distance travel, so it would be quite optimistic to expect anything special from first class provision on commuter trains.
 

Essexman

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I find it useful for journeys such as London to Northampton or Tamworth. Not bothered about lack of anything free but quieter working environment is worth paying extra for.
 

6Gman

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I make a point of standing in First Class on Voyagers.

How else can I clear them for haulage?

:D
 

172212

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I think for local routes, I.e, snow hill, crosscity, chase and Wolverhampton - new street lines, standard class is fine, even expected, I wouldn't expect a first class option for an 8 minute journey. But for long distance services, if I'm on a train for about 2 hours, I expect there to be a decent first class facility available
 

Tubeboy

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Well I travel to Lichfield and Stafford from London fairly often, and apart from when LM have a rail sale on the their tickets, I tend to go 1st Class, especially if there is a small [£3] difference. Yes, a bit of extra legroom, comfy reclining seat, generally quieter atmosphere [Main reason tbh], charger socket. Up until a year ago you could get a free coffee, but thats now gone. Going to Lichfield later in the week, when I booked it was £13 standard or £16 First, I chose the latter. Would never pay more than a fiver in difference.
 
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