My idea for Avanti standard premium

[Philip]

I had the experience of travelling both in the standard premium and later in the journey the full first class section of an Avanti train to London recently; this was accidental at the kind offer of the guard.

I'm just wondering if this standard premium coach could or should become the new 'first class' throughout all of the coaches, with the idea also copied on other routes in the future?
So instead of huge additional fares for basically a free decent meal and a free drink, if people wish to experience the first class ambience then they can do so for a £25 upgrade at any time and any day of the week, with the old 'first class' and its matching fares abolished. Perhaps a complimentary coffee/tea could be offered, but any food, snacks or alcohol would have to be purchased from the shop in coach C. The idea would be to provide a quieter and more comfortable section for people to sit and rest, read or work in, compared to normal standard class. Passengers don't 'need' a full fry up or a 4 course evening meal on a train, and by getting rid of this privilege it'd put more business towards station outlets and the on-train shop.

There are very few of the old style first class passengers using the train nowadays (like early morning business travellers) and this doesn't look like changing anytime soon because of WFH and online technologies used for meetings, so is now the time to roll out standard premium in all the first class coaches?

 

[hexagon789]

I had the experience of travelling both in the standard premium and later in the journey the full first class section of an Avanti train to London recently; this was accidental at the kind offer of the guard.

I'm just wondering if this standard premium coach could or should become the new 'first class' throughout all of the coaches, with the idea also copied on other routes in the future? So instead of huge additional fares for basically a free decent meal and a free drink, if people wish to experience the first class ambience then they can do so for a £25 upgrade at any time and any day of the week, with the old 'first class' and its matching fares abolished. Perhaps a complimentary coffee/tea could be offered, but any food, snacks or alcohol would have to be purchased from the shop in coach C. The idea would be to provide a quieter and more comfortable section for people to sit and rest, read or work in, compared to normal standard class.

There are very few of the old style first class passengers using the train nowadays (like early morning business travellers) and this doesn't look like changing anytime soon because of WFH and online technologies used for meetings, so is now the time to roll out standard premium in all the first class coaches?

They are already going to covert the 4th First Class carriage in the 11-car to Standard Class, so there is already going to be less 'premium' accomodation as it is.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes, I would fully support this switch to "Euro 1st" and would travel 1st a lot more as a result.

 

[XAM2175]

Yes, I would fully support this switch to "Euro 1st" and would travel 1st a lot more as a result.

Another vote from me, as a frequent user of first on DB and SBB.

 

[paddy1]

I had the experience of travelling both in the standard premium and later in the journey the full first class section of an Avanti train to London recently; this was accidental at the kind offer of the guard.

I'm just wondering if this standard premium coach could or should become the new 'first class' throughout all of the coaches, with the idea also copied on other routes in the future?
So instead of huge additional fares for basically a free decent meal and a free drink, if people wish to experience the first class ambience then they can do so for a £25 upgrade at any time and any day of the week, with the old 'first class' and its matching fares abolished. Perhaps a complimentary coffee/tea could be offered, but any food, snacks or alcohol would have to be purchased from the shop in coach C. The idea would be to provide a quieter and more comfortable section for people to sit and rest, read or work in, compared to normal standard class. Passengers don't 'need' a full fry up or a 4 course evening meal on a train, and by getting rid of this privilege it'd put more business towards station outlets and the on-train shop.

There are very few of the old style first class passengers using the train nowadays (like early morning business travellers) and this doesn't look like changing anytime soon because of WFH and online technologies used for meetings, so is now the time to roll out standard premium in all the first class coaches?

I think that it's Avanti's intention to achieve that by 'stealth'. In the long run, people who are used to travelling first class with lots of space and often 'free flowing' food and drink as it was under Virgin are not going to pay the much higher first class Avanti' fares (at all fare levels) to then be 'shoe horned' into fewer first class coaches (sometimes coach K only which is particularly unappealing and uncomfortable) with catering which is at best no better than Virgin and now offers only vegan and vegetarian type main food offerings after breakfast time. If that happens, I can LNER following suit as it was only Virgin raising the bar on first class travel that coerced EAST COAST as it was at the time into matching the Virgin first class on board 'complimentary' offer.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Raising the bar, but also raising the price. In the late 90s business travel was most commonly 1st. Now it is rare for companies to allow this, nor can MPs any more, so it is now a pretty much entirely leisure and self-upgrade product, and the old high fares simply won't cut it in that market.

 

[Falcon1200]

I would support this idea too, in fact if properly marketed it might make retaining the four 1st class vehicles on an 11-car Pendolino viable.

 

[paddy1]

Raising the bar, but also raising the price. In the late 90s business travel was most commonly 1st. Now it is rare for companies to allow this, nor can MPs any more, so it is now a pretty much entirely leisure and self-upgrade product, and the old high fares simply won't cut it in that market.

Can't see the high fares cutting it for very long, especially if being confined to coach K on some services, hence why I feel 1st on WCML as we know it is doomed.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Can't see the high fares cutting it for very long, especially if being confined to coach K on some services, hence why I feel 1st on WCML as we know it is doomed.

You speak as if that's a bad thing. I think it's a very good thing, to be honest. The Seatfroggers will be disappointed, but everyone else will be able to pay a reasonable uplift for a more comfortable seat and maybe a tea or coffee as that costs next to nothing to include.