RailUK First Class Lounge Guide

[Deerfold]

Currently on an Jolly in the Leeds/Wakefield area today. Having re-visited 2 lounges (Leeds & Doncaster) and also the new lounge at Wakefield Westgate, it's notable how sparse the complimentary offer is.

Basically, it's down to hot drinks, water (no cola or juice) and biscuits. Is this a cost cutting measure?

I used to have East Coast lounge passes (two annual ones with a break in between) so visited their lounges regularly, including after Virgin took over (and I still use them from time to time, most recently on Tuesday).

Virgin have changed very little other than the decor. I've been unable to connect to Wifi at Kings X since the changeover. They offer phone chargers now there, but they usually don't work. They no longer have plastic cups for fruit juice - only the cups for tea and coffee. Leeds and Wakefield have barely changed other than new seats and tables.

 

[Polarbear]

Thanks for the feedback about the VTEC lounges. I'll admit it's been a while since I last used those at Wakefield, Doncaster & Leeds - GNER days probably!

I did have cause to use the lounge at Berwick about a year ago & recall that the complementary offer included such items as shortbread & crisps, hence my earlier comment.

As mentioned earlier, the GC lounge at Wakefield Kirkgate is pleasant enough, though there's no loo & no goodies - just a 10% discount on certain items (hot drinks I think) in the adjacent café.

On a slight aside, I found my trip on GC to be rather good, with attentive staff & no shortage of free non-alcoholic drinks being offered.

 

[ScotTrains]

Glasgow Central lounge will be closed from tomorrow until 28th May for a spruce up.

Notice says the following

"Pop along to the Travel Centre and speak to a member of the team for a complimentary hot drink. All you need to do is show a valid First Class Virgin Trains ticket.

The come and see us in a couple of weeks when we are bigger and better than ever".

With a bit of luck they will properly partition it off and it will be less noisy.

I visited the 'bigger and better' Virgin Trains Glasgow lounge at the weekend. The seating area has been enlarged and now has an actual door rather than the previous bit of rope.

Unfortunately, there is still no toilet in the lounge.

Thankfully the food offering hasn't changed: Uglies, biscuits, bakewell tarts, popcorn, fruit, soft drinks, coffee etc. I just wish the Virgin East Coast lounges were as good as this. I recently went to the Waverley and Newcastle lounges where they only had a coffee machine and biscuits.

 

[antarpuneet_]

Thanks for the guidelines really helpful

 

[BMIFlyer]

TPE are building a 1st class lounge at Manchester Airport. Should open sometime in the next 12 months.

 

[Adsy125]

Does anyone have any comments on the Paddington first class lounge? I got a very cheap 1st advance and wonder if it's worth going to or not.

 

[cjp]

Does anyone have any comments on the Paddington first class lounge? I got a very cheap 1st advance and wonder if it's worth going to or not.

Something for nothing, what's not to like?

 

[Polarbear]

Does anyone have any comments on the Paddington first class lounge? I got a very cheap 1st advance and wonder if it's worth going to or not.

Been a while since I was in there, but my recollection is that Paddington is one of the better lounges on the network.

 

[boyaloud]

Does anyone have any comments on the Paddington first class lounge? I got a very cheap 1st advance and wonder if it's worth going to or not.

Best one in the UK in my opinion. All day except very late evening, help yourself to ice cold white wine or red wine. Decent coffee machine. Full sized pop cans. Juice. Ice. Huge trays of sandwiches at certain times and platters of fresh fruit. One half is modern and the other side historic with original fireplaces and a totally different ambience, tells you about how Queen Vic would wait there. Crisps, nuts, biscuits, probably more I've forgotten about.

 

[47271]

Paddington is pretty decent: pleasant staff and comfortable. Being a lot more familiar with Euston and Kings Cross I was a bit thrown by the free wine when I used it first, I was looking around for someone to pay!

It is a little hidden away on P1, keep on going further down than you'd think.

 

[Adsy125]

Thanks for everyone's advice, sounds like it is worth using.

 

[SwindonBert]

Thanks for everyone's advice, sounds like it is worth using.

Best to to the right & the sofas, much more comfortable (but a longer walk to the food and drink)

 

[Butts]

Two contrasting Lounge Visits on Saturday travelling to Manchester Airport.

Birmingham New Street - manned and reasonable offering for the W/E - Hot Drinks, Cold Pop and Cans of Fruit Juice. Croissants, Border Biscuit Packs and my favourite Uglies . Plus fresh fruit and sweets.

Crewe - unmanned - hot and cold drinks and that was it - not even a biscuit in sight

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Do they allow under 18s in the Edinburgh Waverley first class lounge?

Under 18s who are very mature, used to travelling first class and would never dream of disturbing the peace of other people in the lounge (stereotypes people make of teenagers are #mean)

 

[Butts]

Do they allow under 18s in the Edinburgh Waverley first class lounge?

Under 18s who are very mature, used to travelling first class and would never dream of disturbing the peace of other people in the lounge (stereotypes people make of teenagers are #mean)

Hopefully not - it's bad enough they let women in

Seriously though theres no booze so you should be ok.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Hopefully not - it's bad enough they let women in

Seriously though theres no booze so you should be ok.

I'll hope that was a joke (about the women)

Are they going to charge me a fiver to get in?

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Are they going to charge me a fiver to get in?

Actually its fine. Their website says they accept 1st advances over the value of a tenner so hopefully no supplement!

 

[Butts]

Actually its fine. Their website says they accept 1st advances over the value of a tenner so hopefully no supplement!

It's even better on West Coast no £10 limit and their Lounges are generally better provisioned. However Edinburgh is one of the better EC ones.

However don't expect to get the same as I had in Birmingham on Saturday (above) more like Crewe but without the canned pop and fruit juice.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

It's even better on West Coast no £10 limit and their Lounges are generally better provisioned. However Edinburgh is one of the better EC ones.

However don't expect to get the same as I had in Birmingham on Saturday (above) more like Crewe but without the canned pop and fruit juice.

What do you get then? Are drinks unlimited and can u take them out?

 

[Butts]

What do you get then? Are drinks unlimited and can u take them out?

See # 853

The only thing you will be able to take out of Edinburgh is the crisps and biscuits if they have any.

With VWC the cans are portable obviously so can be taken along with a few bits and pieces - as long as you don't take the ****

Some lounges have takeaway cups rather than china ones (Crewe did on Saturday) which means you can take a brew with you.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

See # 853

The only thing you will be able to take out of Edinburgh is the crisps and biscuits if they have any.

With VWC the cans are portable obviously so can be taken along with a few bits and pieces - as long as you don't take the ****

Some lounges have takeaway cups rather than china ones (Crewe did on Saturday) which means you can take a brew with you.

Ok thanks

 

[boyaloud]

Two contrasting Lounge Visits on Saturday travelling to Manchester Airport.

Birmingham New Street - manned and reasonable offering for the W/E - Hot Drinks, Cold Pop and Cans of Fruit Juice. Croissants, Border Biscuit Packs and my favourite Uglies . Plus fresh fruit and sweets.

Crewe - unmanned - hot and cold drinks and that was it - not even a biscuit in sight

Crewe is normally very good, with plenty of crisps, biscuits, Uglies, popcorn, pretzels, drinks. Surprising! It's always quiet and spacious!

 

[boyaloud]

The couple of times I've used Edinburgh it's been diabolical to say it's a capital city! Just hot drinks and water! No food at all!

 

[boyaloud]

Virgin WC have so many quiet, blissful hidden gems. Crewe, Stoke, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Birmingham International are all brilliant IMO! Manchester is good but far too small and beware the dragons on the entry desk! Anyone been to Runcorn or Liverpool?

 

[Bungle965]

Virgin WC have so many quiet, blissful hidden gems. Crewe, Stoke, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Birmingham International are all brilliant IMO! Manchester is good but far too small and beware the dragons on the entry desk! Anyone been to Runcorn or Liverpool?

Liverpool is normally quite good however don't expect anything more than the standard VTWC offering.
Sam

 

[BlueFox]

Anyone been to Runcorn or Liverpool?

The one time I was in the Liverpool lounge (18/3/16) they had more choice of food and drink than I've seen in any of the other Virgin lounges.

I've never been to Runcorn, but may be going there in the next couple of weeks. If I do I'll report back.

I'm not a regular in any first class lounge, but in my limited experience I've always found Crewe, Wolverhampton, Birmingham International, Stoke and Coventry to be good. The old New Street one was poor, but the new one is better.

Manchester was disappointing for food, although it is the only lounge where I've seen the snack boxes they give out in First Class on weekend trains.

 

[Butts]

Crewe is normally very good, with plenty of crisps, biscuits, Uglies, popcorn, pretzels, drinks. Surprising! It's always quiet and spacious!

Someone may have been in and cleared it out and it was waiting for replenishment being unmanned. Or perhaps because it was a weekend ?

Luckily I'd "stocked up" in Birmingham (I love uglies ) so only needed a brew.

 

[Butts]

Liverpool is normally quite good however don't expect anything more than the standard VTWC offering.
Sam

Which at least is a lot better than it's VTEC counterparts

 

[Butts]

The couple of times I've used Edinburgh it's been diabolical to say it's a capital city! Just hot drinks and water! No food at all!

Normally had biccies and crisps when I've been in - was it a W/E.

The manned lounges are generally better stocked !!

 

[Bungle965]

Which at least is better than it's VTEC counterpart

Oh absolutely, on a side note I have wondered how much traffic some of VTECs lounges actually generate. I can't imagine that Berwick or Wakefield are at any point busy, or am I completely wrong?
Sam