London North Eastern Railway (LNER) First Class service

[Butts]

That's not surprising. The biggest issue I would say on LNER (and whilst it's something that has dogged the service since East Coast days has gotten appreciable worse since Covid) is just the straight up inconsistency in the product. You can travel on one train and you'll have the full advertised menu on offer, the crew making enough drink runs that if you imbibe of the alcohol you'll need to be wheeled off the train and maybe a second pass as the food if you're on long enough. Travel on the same train a week later and you'll get a packet of crisps and a biscuit, you'll get one cold drink and one hot drink and that'll be it for the whole journey.

The service is all over the place quite apart from whether the menus themselves are any good or not there's just no guarantee that anything even approaching the advertised service will even be delivered!

Hey I got into trouble for making remarks like that with regard to alcohol but it's true

Inconsistency has existed on East Coast, Virgin and LNER depending on the crew in the years I have been travelling. A lot if it relates to where you board as well.

Having achieved status with BA I now normally go "par avion" where you help yourself either end in the lounges and extract a picnic for onboard use if travelling cattle.

Does the Christmas Special Menu include a physical cracker rather than the metaphorical highlights alluded to ?

 

[D6130]

Does the Christmas Special Menu include a physical cracker rather than the metaphorical highlights alluded to ?

No.

 

[Sleepy]

Excited to confirm the start of their impersonation of Scrooge more like!







They've certainly shot themselves in the foot with this, I've had my full refunds come through for my trips in 1st class in December thanks to the change in food offering. Probably a cost saving measure that Dft forced upon LNER. I know from internal sources they are looking closely at other TOC's catering numbers !

 

[Bungle73]

So does this mean the end of the complimentary offer as it was then? What’s the point of booking first class then? Price goes up, product gets worse.

 

[D6130]

So does this mean the end of the complimentary offer as it was then?

No. The complimentary offer is still there....but it's been somewhat modified. (See my post #7,708).

 

[Bungle73]

No. The complimentary offer is still there....but it's been somewhat modified. (See my post #7,708).

The previous post seems to be hinting that permanent cut backs are coming.

 

[Butts]

The previous post seems to be hinting that permanent cut backs are coming.

Sounds like they are taking a leaf out of BA's "Enhancement Book" where a reduction is sold as an improvement !!

 

[Scotrail314209]

One thing that has occurred to me is that the lounges seem to lack variety in terms of refreshments on offer.

Biscuits, crisps, hot drinks and water? I recall the lounges used to offer soft drinks as well.

 

[Andy Pacer]

One thing that has occurred to me is that the lounges seem to lack variety in terms of refreshments on offer.

Biscuits, crisps, hot drinks and water? I recall the lounges used to offer soft drinks as well.

I'm fairly sure I remember them having cans of cola, and also orange juice.

 

[Unstoppable]

One thing that has occurred to me is that the lounges seem to lack variety in terms of refreshments on offer.

Biscuits, crisps, hot drinks and water? I recall the lounges used to offer soft drinks as well.

I have been in NCL, DON AND KGX lounges recently and they all seem to have the bog standard shortbread, hot drinks machine and water. I'm sure I can remember Edinburgh having orange juice and cans of juice once upon a time. Must be a penny saving exercise lol

 

[ainsworth74]

One thing that has occurred to me is that the lounges seem to lack variety in terms of refreshments on offer.

Biscuits, crisps, hot drinks and water? I recall the lounges used to offer soft drinks as well.

Yes pre-covid it there was cola and orange juice and packets of crisps as well. Not been seen since March 2020!

 

[D6130]

I have been in NCL, DON AND KGX lounges recently and they all seem to have the bog standard shortbread, hot drinks machine and water. I'm sure I can remember Edinburgh having orange juice and cans of juice once upon a time. Must be a penny saving exercise lol

I was in the LNER lounge in York last Wednesday and - although I only had a mug of hot chocolate - I'm pretty sure that there were other people with cola, orange juice and crisps.

 

[Butts]

Yes pre-covid it there was cola and orange juice and packets of crisps as well. Not been seen since March 2020!

For all their other faults Avanti's Lounges are generally better provisioned than LNER's - particularly The Hub ones.

 

[ainsworth74]

For all their other faults Avanti's Lounges are generally better provisioned than LNER's - particularly The Hub ones.

Yep I will certainly grant them that! Though typically I'd prefer my train to actually run even if it comes at the expense of a nicer lounge!

 

[Scotrail314209]

I'm fairly sure I remember them having cans of cola, and also orange juice.

I have been in NCL, DON AND KGX lounges recently and they all seem to have the bog standard shortbread, hot drinks machine and water. I'm sure I can remember Edinburgh having orange juice

and cans of juice once upon a time. Must be a penny saving exercise lol

Yes pre-covid it there was cola and orange juice and packets of crisps as well. Not been seen since March 2020!

It’s really a let down, especially since their websites do claim to have orange juice available in the lounges. Even the fridges are still there for the soft drinks!

For all their other faults Avanti's Lounges are generally better provisioned than LNER's - particularly The Hub ones.

Agree; their first class (although pricey!) is much more better. On a recent trip, I was very impressed by the standard of service and range available.

 

[Deerfold]

I don't remember anywhere other than Kings Cross having soft drinks - I had a Lounge pass for two (not quite consecutive) years when KGX lounge used to be quite quiet in an evening. I do remember a variety of Virgin and East Midland lounges having them despite using them far less.

 

[Scotrail314209]

The catering has finally appeared (after Newcastle because the train was full and standing up until that).

They have been quite generous with drinks as people have been getting top ups of alcohol. No hot food, but I don’t think there will be.

They have recently introduced a new snack called ‘Love Corn’ which is a gluten free sea-salted snack shaped like sweetcorn.

I don’t know what to make of them

 

[Deerfold]

They have recently introduced a new snack called ‘Love Corn’ which is a gluten free sea-salted snack shaped like sweetcorn.

I don’t know what to make of them

They had Love Corn briefly a couple of years ago. It's a little like a veggie version of pork scratchings. It's made from whole pieces of corn, which explains the shape.

They had them again when I travelled with them yesterday, but had run out of veggie sausage rolls (annoying journey that was 28 minutes late. Staff wouldn't let us catch an earlier journey - I'd rather not be late at all, but if they're going to be 28, I'd rather be 30).

 

[Stormaggeddon]

A wee bit of silverlining, I'm on the 07:43 off Newcastle this morning and an additional menu card has appeared... I can confirm the items do exist.

 

[D6130]

A wee bit of silverlining, I'm on the 07:43 off Newcastle this morning and an additional menu card has appeared... I can confirm the items do exist.

Hmm....possibly a short-notice concession following protests from regular customers?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Hmm....possibly a short-notice concession following protests from regular customers?

Those subject to the woeful breakfast menu implemented on 99% of northbound services are probably sadly used to it by now

 

[CHESHIRECAT]

Travelled Peterborough/Doncaster on 1906 Saturday; surprisingly busy; 4 staff; got asked immediately about my food requirements; had salad bowl and muffin; quite acceptable
G and T; no ice or lemon delivered to train! which was a shame
Asked for glass of wine which I finished; the (rather overweight and scruffy) young steward starts collecting glasses ;
asked for a top up and was told 'only one drinks run after Peterborough' so I pressed the point and he replied oh don't worry I will get you one

Needless to say it never appeared so I asked one of the very pleasant stewardesses who was dumbfounded; she said well you only got on at Peterbough so no problem; wine appears shortly followed by the aforementioned steward who plonks down the virtually full bottle with a smile!

Very strange; I did tweet LNER to say what a nice crew !

 

[Sleepy]

A wee bit of silverlining, I'm on the 07:43 off Newcastle this morning and an additional menu card has appeared... I can confirm the items do exist.

Nice if still appearing regularly but too late for my trips - refunds being processed now !

 

[rg177]

On the 1620 Edinburgh to Newcastle at the moment. Was a last-minute booking while I was on the tram from the Airport, so was £19.80 standard or £21.80 First.

First a no-brainer. Service a bit slow to start, only hot drinks until past Dunbar. Looks like they were doing bulk orders of the sausage and bacon sandwiches to hand out so food didn't start until around Reston, nor did cold drinks.

Went for the hot option of the sausage roll and a gin and tonic. Stollen muffin also offered just before Alnmouth.

For an extra couple of quid it's been fine - it's still better than what weekends used to be on this line. Still, on a weekday I wouldn't be all that won over.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

On the 1620 Edinburgh to Newcastle at the moment. Was a last-minute booking while I was on the tram from the Airport, so was £19.80 standard or £21.80 First.

First a no-brainer. Service a bit slow to start, only hot drinks until past Dunbar. Looks like they were doing bulk orders of the sausage and bacon sandwiches to hand out so food didn't start until around Reston, nor did cold drinks.

Went for the hot option of the sausage roll and a gin and tonic. Stollen muffin also offered just before Alnmouth.

For an extra couple of quid it's been fine - it's still better than what weekends used to be on this line. Still, on a weekday I wouldn't be all that won over.

I’d say that’s a good summary of LNER First’s service. Upgrade on weekends, downgrade on weekdays

 

[Horizodawn]

On the 1620 Edinburgh to Newcastle at the moment. Was a last-minute booking while I was on the tram from the Airport, so was £19.80 standard or £21.80 First.

First a no-brainer. Service a bit slow to start, only hot drinks until past Dunbar. Looks like they were doing bulk orders of the sausage and bacon sandwiches to hand out so food didn't start until around Reston, nor did cold drinks.

Went for the hot option of the sausage roll and a gin and tonic. Stollen muffin also offered just before Alnmouth.

For an extra couple of quid it's been fine - it's still better than what weekends used to be on this line. Still, on a weekday I wouldn't be all that won over.

Yes I've had a similar experience yesterday going from London to Harrogate. Service was surprisingly good though. They started taking orders and handing out drinks just after Stevenage. In that 3h journey they came around 4 times to ask for drinks which was fine. Had the hot sausage roll and stolen muffin which tasted pretty good actually. It's not quite what I'd been hoping for (hot cooked meals) but staff was friendly and attentive.

Luckily I got this upgrade via Seatfrog for £12 extra. For that price, totally worth it.

 

[ainsworth74]

I am glad the sausage roll has reappeared. It was excellent when they had it a few years ago.

 

[Welshman]

Yes, but didn't you feel a bit guilty eating someone else's muffin?
[I'll get my coat]

 

[fraser158]

Perhaps an odd question to ask but is it still Coca-Cola they have in first or is it Pepsi? Or both?

 

[Tester]

Perhaps an odd question to ask but is it still Coca-Cola they have in first or is it Pepsi? Or both?

Coca-Cola

Avanti are Pepsi