SailRail upgrade to 1st

[AlterEgo]

Travelling London to Holyhead with a SailRail ticket soon - is it possible to upgrade to first class with Avanti? Is there a fixed upgrade or if not, how is the ticket treated when excessing? This is for travel on a weekday.

Thanks!

 

[Merseysider]

Standard Premium is an option regardless of ticket held (though heard a rumour they're quietly doing away with it) for a fixed fee of £25, though not available on Voyagers, or "proper" 1st class can be had on Seatfrog from £35, but subject to availability.

 

[Watershed]

As Standard Premium isn't available on Voyagers, I suspect the only available upgrades would be SeatFrog or the difference between the SOS and FOS to Holyhead (£82.10 or £54.15 with your Railcard - ouch!). A separate London to Holyhead Advance may be cheaper, or alternatively using Standard Premium from London to Crewe and then TfW to Holyhead (perhaps take one of the Mk4 services along the North Wales coast, if timings permit?).

 

[AlterEgo]

Standard Premium is an option regardless of ticket held (though heard a rumour they're quietly doing away with it) for a fixed fee of £25, though not available on Voyagers, or "proper" 1st class can be had on Seatfrog from £35, but subject to availability.

Sadly there’s no Seatfrog on the Holyhead route or I would do that!

As Standard Premium isn't available on Voyagers, I suspect the only available upgrades would be SeatFrog or the difference between the SOS and FOS to Holyhead (£82.10 or £54.15 with your Railcard - ouch!). A separate London to Holyhead Advance may be cheaper, or alternatively using Standard Premium from London to Crewe and then TfW to Holyhead (perhaps take one of the Mk4 services along the North Wales coast, if timings permit?).

£54.15… hmm I’ll think about it! It’ll definitely be direct with Avanti, no time to head up with the Mk4 trains sadly. Are SailRails definitely treated as SOSs and not any other type of ticket?

 

[Watershed]

£54.15… hmm I’ll think about it! It’ll definitely be direct with Avanti, no time to head up with the Mk4 trains sadly. Are SailRails definitely treated as SOSs and not any other type of ticket?

The excess fares procedures don't directly mention SailRails, but given that there isn't a first class fare from London to Dublin, I'd have thought it has to be treated as equivalent to a ranger/rover etc. - for which the procedures say the difference should be between the relevant fares. And given that there isn't an Off-Peak First Single (only Anytime), the only viable way to calculate the difference is between the Anytime fares. That said, clearly one where a little bit of shopping around might be required.

Either way, even if it's "only" £54.15, I wouldn't have thought this is worth it - coach D on the Voyagers has what Virgin once intended to be a forerunner of today's Standard Premium, with all seats being first class-spaced tables for 4. £54.15 will buy you far more food and drink at the shop than you'll get for free in first!