Old Timer said:
Remember that this is First Class travellers we are talking about, who will almost without exception drive, and have some form of other photo id, even if just for the Golf Club or the London club.
Quite a strange statement to make OT (which I also disagree with).
I fail to see why you think people who have their tickets paid by expenses automatically don't drive and always have photo ID on them. Quite an elitist (and out-dated) view.
I never said they did not drive, quite the opposite in fact if you care to read my post again.
Assuming you actually mean that First Class passengers do NOT drive, then I fail to see how a statement of what I believe to be a fair comment comes across as elitist ? Are you suggesting the contrary, that First Class travellers are chauffered or taxi-ed to the station ? That is what I would consider an elitist opinion.
My point is based upon my experience of travelling First Class on a regular basis.
The highest proportion of First Class passengers on the services I use are on expenses or have their tickets paid by their Company. Invariably most of these people also benefit from Company Cars or Company Car Allowances. You can see this easily by the number of people heading for the car park machine.
As I interpret your comment, your suggestion is that the majority of First Class passengers do not fall into the category. On what do you base this observation ?
One of the first things that Companies do in times of financial stringency is to cut down on travelling expenses. Thus those who do travel First Class will be at a relatively senior level in a Company. Their remuneration package will be comensurate with that, and pretty much all senior roles in Companies these days end up including a Company car arrangement of one sort or another.
By way of example of how travel is being restricted, one Company I work for has now introduced a policy of no Business Class travel except for Executives. Previously business class was provided for anyone going on long-haul flights with Executives travelling First or business Class. Cost saving options now include sending UK based staff travelling to the US via Switzerland or Germany in some cases in order to take advantage of cheap economy flights.
Another Company has put a complete ban on First Class travel, whereas previously it operated a policy of allowing the open return Standard class fare and allowing you to travel in First if you could obtain such a ticket at a lower price. Obviously they would not reimburse if you were delayed on business and had to excess up because you had missed the nominated train.
As the impact of the economic worsens Company trading, I have no doubt that even those Companies who manage to pass on the costs of travelling First to their customers will at some point have to look at savings in that direction, which can amount to as much as a 50% saving before any element of time restricted tickets are considered.
The Virgin Traveller Club is aimed towards those who travel on a relatively frequent basis, this in itself suggesting either business people, or retired people who are sufficiently well off as to be able to enjoy that.
Virgin go so far as to provide exclusive car parking spaces for the Traveller Club members at stations under their control, so they obviously hold a similar view.
I never said they ALL exclusively drove, however I would put a substantial sum on someone doing an audit in First Class in the working week and finding that what I say is right.
I am happy to defer however to an alternative view from one of the Virgin Train Managers
hock:
