Virgin 1st Class weekend

[jay jay]

If you hold an "anytime" type ticket, is it correct you can sit in First Class at weekends at no extra charge on Virgin?

 

[SS4]

Yes (subject to availability)

 

[AlterEgo]

Yes. Although, next time, don't buy an Anytime Return as it's probably not suitable for your needs if you plan to travel at the weekend.

The upgrade for any other type of ticket is £15, and only £10 on the Euston-West Mids route.

 

[WestCoast]

Does it have to be "Anytime" rather than "Anytime Day"?

 

[furryfeet]

if travelling at the weekend on virgin, just work out what is cheapest :-
2nd class open return
vs
saver return plus #30 supplement

Usually if travelling to / from london, the saver option is cheaper.

 

[jay jay]

Cheers guys. My company paid for a standard open return for me. Travelled up on Thursday peak time and back today. Somebody mentioned that STD anytime would be valid in first today. Just wanted to check before I went in there and sat down. Will it entitle me to a coffee too?

 

[WestCoast]

Will it entitle me to a coffee too?

Free tea/coffee/soft drinks and biscuits/crisps on a weekend. If there is a First Class Host onboard, this will be served at-seat. If there isn't, you can collect your goodies from the shop in Standard Class, by presenting your ticket.

 

[island]

Does it have to be "Anytime" rather than "Anytime Day"?

STANDARD CLASS ANYTIME        
RETURN/SINGLE:                
Customers traveling using this
product on a Saturday, Sunday 
or Bank Holiday can upgrade   
to First Class on Virgin      
Trains services FREE OF CHARGE

Tends to suggest that it does, but it's altogether unclear, and yorkie should be along shortly to point out that since fares became simple there are only anytime, off-peak, super off-peak, and advance tickets. I'm not getting into that old chestnut

 

[All Line Rover]

Does it have to be "Anytime" rather than "Anytime Day"?

National Rail Enquiries - "the definitive source of information for all passenger rail services on the National Rail network in England, Wales and Scotland" - says:

• "On weekends and Bank Holidays, upgrades to First Class on Virgin Trains is free of charge if holding a Standard Class Anytime ticket by approaching the Train Manager"

An "Anytime Day" ticket is an "Anytime" ticket (proved by the fact that the NRE page about "Anytime" tickets has "Anytime" and "Anytime Day" tickets on the same page - therefore the word "Anytime" as in the quote above applies to both tickets). NRE makes no mention about "Anytime Day" tickets being excluded from this promotion. The only place where "Anytime Day" tickets are mentioned as being excluded is in Avantix Traveller - realistically this program is not in the public domain.

Yorkie has repeatedly said that if information is not in the public domain, it cannot be enforced. This is definitely true in this case!

It doesn't really matter anyway as very few Train Managers (if any) know that Anytime tickets qualify for the free upgrade but Anytime Day tickets don't. Few Train Managers know about the free Anytime upgrade for a start!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

STANDARD CLASS ANYTIME        
RETURN/SINGLE:                
Customers traveling using this
product on a Saturday, Sunday 
or Bank Holiday can upgrade   
to First Class on Virgin      
Trains services FREE OF CHARGE

Tends to suggest that it does, but it's altogether unclear, and yorkie should be along shortly to point out that since fares became simple there are only anytime, off-peak, super off-peak, and advance tickets. I'm not getting into that old chestnut

Island, if you look further up the page, it says:

• "TICKET TYPES that can be upgraded prior to travel: Anytime Day, Off-Peak, Off-Peak Day, Super Off-Peak, One Day Travelcard."

"Anytime" tickets are not mentioned in that list as they can only be upgraded on board, on the day, for free (since you don't actually get another ticket). However, as I said in my post above, the fact that "Anytime" tickets qualify for a free upgrade but "Anytime Day" tickets don't cannot be enforced.

 

[Mojo]

Before tickets were made more complicated Virgin's rules were a lot clearer, they explicitly stated that only customers with Standard Open tickets could have a free upgrade.

 

[All Line Rover]

Before tickets were made more complicated Virgin's rules were a lot clearer, they explicitly stated that only customers with Standard Open tickets could have a free upgrade.

So SOR but not SDR? Such a rule can't be enforced anymore though, because tickets are now SIMPLE!

 

[WestCoast]

It doesn't really matter anyway as very few Train Managers (if any) know that Anytime tickets qualify for the free upgrade but Anytime Day tickets don't. Few Train Managers know about the free Anytime upgrade for a start!

Virgin's guards/TMs don't know about it?

 

[yorkie]

Virgin's guards/TMs don't know about it?

Basically they don't know that 'Day' tickets are not meant to be valid in First. Or, if they do, they realise it's unenforceable. I think you can guess how 'All Line Rover' knows that

Yes, before Complification, the rule was only "Standard Open" fares were allowed a free upgrade, and Standard Day fares were not. However the term "Open" has been dropped (perhaps due to Thetrainline misusing it), and it now only states "Anytime".

 

[All Line Rover]

Virgin's guards/TMs don't know about it?

WARNING: I'm going on a rant here!

Yep, I've had this problem numerous times! Eventually I got so annoyed I asked Virgin's Customer Relations department to send me an "official" letter which I could show to all station staff and Train Manager's (which I now have safely stored in my draw - it's a good few pages long!).

VERY BAD EXPERIENCE NUMBER 1: We were travelling as a family between Crewe and Manchester on the outward leg of a £20 SOR (2 Adults and 2 Children with an F&F Railcard).

The TM claimed that to qualify for the free upgrade, the SOR had to cost more than a CDR with the weekend upgrades on top - what a load of baloney! He wanted to charge us £40! (2x £15 and 2x £5 upgrades.)

We refused to pay and refused to move. He confiscated our tickets, told us to wait at the platform at Manchester Piccadilly, and said that he was going to call the British Transport Police! (To make this even more remarkable, the train was extremely quiet - there was no one else except us in the First Class carriage!)

Upon arrival at Manchester Piccadilly, we (unsurprisingly) saw no sign of the TM or the BTP. The BTP had probably told him to stop wasting their time!

There were no ticket inspectors either, so we just walked off. Thankfully we didn't see the same TM on the return journey!

SLIGHTLY BAD EXPERIENCE NUMBER 2: Again, we were travelling as a family with SOR tickets. We were waiting at Wolverhampton for a train to Birmingham International.

We wanted to use the First Class lounge, but were refused entry by the most stubborn and rude Virgin Trains member of staff imaginable! He said that we could only upgrade the tickets on board - even though that's pointless because you don't get an upgrade ticket!!!

What was particularly annoying was that the 09:45 was cancelled. We had to wait a whole hour for the 10:45 on a particularly cold day - as a family (with a young child)! The First Class lounge was empty for goodness sake!!!

Virgin have confirmed in the "official" letter they sent me that you simply need to show the Anytime ticket to gain entry to any First Class lounge (at the origin or destination station) - you do not need an upgrade ticket since you don't get one. I now show the letter to every fussy member of staff I meet!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Basically they don't know that 'Day' tickets are not meant to be valid in First. Or, if they do, they realise it's unenforceable. I think you can guess how 'All Line Rover' knows that

Yes, before Complification, the rule was only "Standard Open" fares were allowed a free upgrade, and Standard Day fares were not. However the term "Open" has been dropped (perhaps due to Thetrainline misusing it), and it now only states "Anytime".

Yorkie, he was actually referring to my comment about few TM's knowing about the free Anytime upgrade to start with!

Yours is a useful and appreciated comment none the less.

 

[WestCoast]

Was that a post of yours that criticised Virgin? Quick, take a picture!

 

[All Line Rover]

Was that a post of yours that criticised Virgin? Quick, take a picture!

It's not a criticism of Virgin as a company - more a criticism of certain staff (who are few and far between).

I say that Virgin should fire those staff and hire me instead!

 

[yorkie]

Yorkie, he was actually referring to my comment about few TM's knowing about the free Anytime upgrade to start with!

Yours is a useful and appreciated comment none the less.

Ah, sorry, yes I realise now. And now you mention it, you told me the first story when we met in Sheffield. Can't remember the 2nd one. And yes, if staff are often unaware of something, it can be well worth bringing a letter. If they still did not accept it, I'd make it very clear that their names were going to be inserted into a new letter to Customer Services!

 

[All Line Rover]

If they still did not accept it, I'd make it very clear that their names were going to be inserted into a new letter to Customer Services!

Affirmative!

 

[Captain Chaos]

Does this also apply to PRIV rated SOR tickets? Or is the upgrade still payable due to it being PRIV discounted?

 

[All Line Rover]

Does this also apply to PRIV rated SOR tickets? Or is the upgrade still payable due to it being PRIV discounted?

The free upgrade still applies. This has been discussed before. A PRIV Anytime ticket is still an Anytime ticket.

 

[Captain Chaos]

The free upgrade still applies. This has been discussed before. A PRIV Anytime ticket is still an Anytime ticket.

Oh has it? My apologies then.

If the free upgrade still applies to PRIV's then I think I will be going via Euston with VT and not XC in the future then. (Although I can't stand XC voyagers anyway tbh so this gives me the perfect excuse to avoid them now!) Might be more expensive overall but at least it will be a damn sight better than what XC offer.

 

[yorkie]

The free upgrade still applies. This has been discussed before. A PRIV Anytime ticket is still an Anytime ticket.

Are you sure? I don't recall it being discussed before. Have Virgin confirmed this?

Edit: I see it has been discussed before and is allowed.

 

[fulshaw]

How useful to know - I never knew that. Is this written on their website anywhere or in any leaflet that I can take with me?

Why do I get that feeling that I will need to 'prove' my eligibility to travel in first with a standard Anytime ticket?

 

[All Line Rover]

How useful to know - I never knew that. Is this written on their website anywhere or in any leaflet that I can take with me?

Why do I get that feeling that I will need to 'prove' my eligibility to travel in first with a standard Anytime ticket?

It's mentioned in Avantix, or under "Virgin Trains" on this page (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/first_class_upgrade.html).

To be honest, I can't imagine VT Train Managers being very fussy with fellow members of railway staff anyway, but it may be worth asking VT's Customer Relations to send you a letter, confirming that PRIV SOR's qualify for a free upgrade.

 

[fulshaw]

Thanks. I can get that page up on my Blackberry so good to know where it is! I never expect to be treated any differntly from non-staff so wouldn't expect any special treatment. I have been at the sharp end of some very good staff (FCC driver stopping to help a family member who fell on a platform recently) and some not so good service (grumpy staff).