RailUK First Class Lounge Guide

[150222]

I've used the lounge twice - once it was unmanned and the other time I had absolutely no problem spending about 50 minutes in the lounge (the VT services leave every 20 minutes).

Had I been asked to take the next service, I'd have said that I was taking a certain departure with a friend on an AP ticket. They cannot force me to take the next departure, and if they asked me to simply leave the lounge then I would question why I was not being allowed to use a service (the lounge) to which I was entitled by my ticket.

Thank you MattE2010 and ASCOT for your replys.Thank you especially to lyesbkz. I will bear your advice in mind.

 

[Aictos]

Strange that Peterborough a major interchange serving 3.391 million passengers doesn't have a First Class lounge yet a small station such as Berwick Upon Tweed serving 470,948 passengers does!

Certainly would be very welcomed, as to the OP's intention I believe it's a great idea and one which has my support.

 

[calc7]

Strange that Peterborough a major interchange serving 3.391 million passengers doesn't have a First Class lounge yet a small station such as Berwick Upon Tweed serving 470,948 passengers does!

Certainly would be very welcomed, as to the OP's intention I believe it's a great idea and one which has my support.

I assume PBO is more "turn up and go" whereas Berwick will be 1st advance purchase and has a less frequent service.

 

[Ascot]

Little update this evening thanks to a huge amount of contribution so far. I've started to add little notes under each lounge for current news and any useful tips people have shared. Also I have started to go artistic and jazzed up some of the guides (work in progress see Virgin lounges and some East Coast) while keeping the file size low. Once I get more file space I will upload the missing lounges.

Thanks everyone who has or will send photos in to me so I will upload them over next week and give the relevant thanks.

 

[transportphoto]

I shall get a photo of LST's brilliant lounge tomorrow... I have legitimate access... Lets see if the coffee machine is working this time!

 

[Seacook]

At the Wolverhampton Virgin one you used to have to press a buzzer and show your ticket to a camera to gain access when it is unmanned

This was certainly still the case a month ago (8/12/11). At Birmingham International I have never had to do anything except press the buzzer and walk in; I have never been asked to show my ticket.

 

[scotsman]

Advance card holders only get access to the lounge with a valid ticket for travel

 

[MKB]

Alcoholic drinks are complimentary in the Euston lounge for Virgin Traveller members (and one guest).

I've been in the Euston lounge hundreds of times, but always on a weekend with one exception. The weekday visit was the only time I have ever seen any food at all available and that was just biscuits and apples.

Crewe usually has flapjacks and biscuits and sometimes very nice packets of olives.

I've only ever seen flapjacks in Liverpool and not always.

Coventry sometimes has nothing at all -- not even drinks in the fridge -- and other times has a good selection of flapjacks, Madeira cake, biscuits and crisps.

I've used other Virgin lounges, but not frequently enough to know if what I found was typical.

 

[tony_mac]

I've seen pieces of carrot cake at Euston, flapjacks in Wolverhampton, and absolutely nothing at Birmingham International (although Coventry was well-stocked that day).

BTW, Liverpool is before the barrier, seeing as the barrier is at the entrance to the platform!

 

[Mike395]

Just a note - the advice re: the Euston lounge and Caledonian Sleeper is slightly incorrect - you can use the FC lounge on any Sleeper ticket except a seated sleeper ticket (this does not necessarily mean a FC ticket)

 

[Ascot]

Just a note - the advice re: the Euston lounge and Caledonian Sleeper is slightly incorrect - you can use the FC lounge on any Sleeper ticket except a seated sleeper ticket (this does not necessarily mean a FC ticket)

There have been reports advance sleeper berth tickets have been refused entry.


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[EltonRoad]

My understanding of which Caledonian Sleeper tickets are valid in the Euston/Virgin lounge is this:


- Caledonian Sleeper First Singles (those routed "Cal Sleeper").

- First Class inter-available tickets with First Class berth supplement.

- Caledonian Sleeper First Class FlexiPasses.

- Caledonian Sleeper Standard Singles (those routed "Cal Sleeper").

- Any ticket valid on the Caledonian Sleeper if presented with an Advance loyalty club membership card.


The following do not give entry to the lounge:


- Caledonian Sleeper Advance Singles (those routed "Cal Sleeper").

- Standard class inter-available tickets with berth supplement as these and Caledonian Sleeper Advance Singles are not "dedicated Caledonian Sleeper Standard Singles" (see below).

- Bargain berths.

- Tickets valid for the seated portions (although I cannot see anything to say you can't use them with an Advance membership card).


Quote from ScotRail web site:

First Class Caledonian Sleeper customers and Advance Loyalty Club members can enjoy complimentary light snacks and refreshments in the newly refurbished Virgin Trains First Class lounge on the first floor, accessible from the main concourse. Dedicated Caledonian Sleeper Standard Single ticket holders can also be given access to the lounge. Standard Class customers can use the Passenger lounge, which is on the main concourse opposite the left luggage office. Both lounges are open daily.

 

[34D]

Great guide - things are certainly different to the early 90s intercity lounge leaflet I have somewhere!

First Great Western
First Great Western have 2 lounges available and have been confirmed to be available to all FGW passengers as opposed to Intercity. Note: There is a dormant lounge at Bristol Temple Meads between 11 and 9 but this has been mothballed for now. 1ST Advance ticket holders may enter without additional charge.

May I be a pedant please: "all FGW passengers" should surely read "all FGW first class passengers" I assume? Is there any provision at PAD for HEX please?

 

[Flamingo]

Great guide - things are certainly different to the early 90s intercity lounge leaflet I have somewhere!



May I be a pedant please: "all FGW passengers" should surely read "all FGW first class passengers" I assume? Is there any provision at PAD for HEX please?

Not that I'm aware of, or have ever seen.

 

[Johnny Lewis]

AFAIK the lounge at Crewe is classed as the "Cheshire Lounge" and, uniquely, is open to holders of ANY First Class ticket which is routed to / from or via Crewe. So it is not limited to holders of Virgin only tickets.
This used to be explained on Virgin's website, so I assume it still applies.

One thing that I always think is ridiculous: someone paying, say, over £100 for an Advance ticket from Leeds to London will be refused access to the Lounge at Leeds (or will now be able to pay the £5 supplement, but once upon the time this was not the case), whereas if he/she holds a First Anytime Single to Wakefield, at a cost of £3.60-ish, can have access!

I certainly made use of the Leeds Lounge on more than one occasion with a First Class single to Bradford, in the days when there was an 18.05 departure from Leeds to Forster Square. I got a few raised eyebrows from the Lounge staff, but they couldn't say no. Then when I boarded the train, because it was usually a London crew, they weren't in the usual hurry to get cleared up, so it was tea and biscuits on the train too! All for about £2.60 single, ah those were the days...

Wouldn't it be more sensible to just have a minimum fare paid for entry to the Lounge, irrespective of type of First Class ticket held? It is one of the (very) few benefits of travelling with Virgin, in that the Lounges can be used with Advance tickets, and there doesn't seem to be any restriction on the length of time that one is permitted to be in the Lounge, well, not at Euston anyway.

 

[All Line Rover]

AFAIK the lounge at Crewe is classed as the "Cheshire Lounge" and, uniquely, is open to holders of ANY First Class ticket which is routed to / from or via Crewe. So it is not limited to holders of Virgin only tickets.
This used to be explained on Virgin's website, so I assume it still applies.

Ha! You'd have trouble trying to convince some of the members of staff!

I don't believe this is official policy anymore (as per the sign on the front door), but I will double check the next time I visit.

 

[Johnny Lewis]

Yes, just checked the Virgin website, and they now make no mention of this, so perhaps they have done away with it...

Presuambly the cheapest buy-in would now be a Crewe to Wilmslow ticket???

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Yes, just checked the Virgin website, and they now make no mention of this, so perhaps they have done away with it...

Presuambly the cheapest buy-in would now be a Crewe to Wilmslow ticket???

Crewe-Stockport VT only ticket is isn't it?

 

[150222]

Where is the lounge at Leeds? I can't say I've noticed one.

 

[Marton]

EC allow the residual loyalty card holders in with or without tickets, also one guest.

members of the scheme were given new cards to 30 June 12 when they closed it.

Not sure how this works when beyond the barrier as at Darlington, but can be useful when meeting people from trains.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Where is the lounge at Leeds? I can't say I've noticed one.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/sjp/LDS/images/photos/800/o2327-0000113.jpg

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/sjp/LDS/images/photos/800/o2327-0001667.jpg

To the right of the ticket machines in the first image. The second image shows the entrance. It's opposite the booking office, heading down towards McDonalds etc.

 

[150222]

Oh ok. Is it decent? (Well stocked, quiet e.t.c)

 

[All Line Rover]

Crewe-Stockport VT only ticket is isn't it?

Yes, at £10.60. Quite expensive!

 

[Ascot]

<snip>Is there any provision at PAD for HEX please?

I can confirm, a number of times, HEX passengers get refused access. Note I have only tried with mobile tickets.

 

[Bungle73]

Where're the pictures? I want to see what these FC lounges look like! :cry:

 

[AlterEgo]

You can get pictures from the National Rail Enquiries site by hovering over the station maps. Some of the photos are quite good.

 

[lyesbkz]

You can get pictures from the National Rail Enquiries site by hovering over the station maps. Some of the photos are quite good.

Can't use images from a TOC site without permission. Since it's a community thread it will be better for users to share their photos.

I'm sure this'll apply to the NRE website too

 

[Ascot]

Sorry but all the submissions have been rips of the NRE site so, as said, I can't use them.


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[All Line Rover]

Been told that Manchester to Stockport tickets are no longer accepted at the Manchester First Class lounge. Doesn't suprise me, considering the cost of the ticket and the train frequency.

 

[lyesbkz]

Been told that Manchester to Stockport tickets are no longer accepted at the Manchester First Class lounge. Doesn't suprise me, considering the cost of the ticket and the train frequency.

Where did you hear this? (is the VT frequency to SPT much greater than the frequency to London?)